A Mind for Math

Stella L. ’23 Named a Top 300 Scholar in the 82nd Regeneron Science Talent Search

BY SANDRA SANTANA

Stella L. ’23 has always loved a challenge. It started back in elementary school with her local newspaper at the breakfast table. Filled with popular strategy games like Sudoku, Stella started her mornings tackling puzzles meant for people twice her age. “As I got older, I discovered that math is a lot like puzzle solving, but infinitely more complex and thus more interesting.”

During her time at Emma Willard School, Stella discovered her passion for competition math with the help of Math Instructor Alexandra Schmidt and the Albany Area Math Circle (AAMC). A group of accomplished high school students from the Capital District, AAMC meets regularly to tackle challenging math problems and explore fascinating mathematical applications. With the support of the school and AAMC, Stella has participated in a multitude of prestigious competitions, including the New York State Mathematics League, the Harvard-MIT Math Tournament, Purple Comet!, American Computer Science League, American Mathematics Competition, and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Stella’s impressive research and presentation on “From the Manhattan Project to Statistics of Zeros of L-Functions” at the Regeneron ISEF competition last spring earned her two prestigious awards: the Grand Award for the ISEF mathematics division and the Special Award Certificate of Honorable Mention. Stella’s achievements did not end there, as she was also recognized with the regional Mu Alpha Theta award, the U.S. Air Force Award, and an RPI scholarship, all testaments to her exceptional findings.

Stella continued to build on her success following her ISEF achievements, applying for the highly coveted 82nd Regeneron Science Talent Search (Regeneron STS)—the nation’s oldest and most esteemed science and mathematics competition. Drawing submissions from 1,949 students from 627 high schools across 48 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, and four other countries, Regeneron STS celebrates and supports the nation’s most promising young scientists and mathematicians, who are developing innovative ideas to solve pressing societal challenges. Stella’s entry into this year’s competition, “Bounding Vanishing at the Central Point of Cuspidal Newforms,” was the culmination of two years of intensive research. Her diligent efforts and scientific prowess were rewarded when she was named a Renegeron STS Top 300 Scholar.

Stella’s research journey was no easy feat. Starting in June 2020, she spent nearly a year delving into background information and teaching herself three advanced math courses, including number theory, multivariable calculus, and complex analysis, through online lectures. She also mastered the programming language required for her computations. After this intensive preparation, Stella entered her active research period from April to October 2021. During this time, she meticulously studied past literature, performed complex calculations, developed coding programs, and composed and refined her paper.

Upon completing her paper, Stella submitted it to various competitions and, with the guidance of her mentor, Professor Steven Miller of Williams College, submitted it to a peer-reviewed journal. After receiving valuable feedback from the journal’s editors, Stella revised her work and ultimately saw it published in the esteemed Journal of Number Theory. It’s clear that Stella’s dedication and perseverance led to a remarkable achievement in the field of mathematics.

Throughout the whirlwind of competitions and publications, Stella has relied on the unwavering support of Ms. Schmidt. “I showed Ms. Schmidt my paper after I finished my first draft when I was entering my first research competition. She connected me with a postdoc who she had been a good longtime friend with, and they helped me practice my presentation,” Stella explained. “Ms. Schmidt has supported me in various ways, especially when I got into ISEF. She traveled with me all the way to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the competition. It was a fun but stressful week, and she definitely helped a lot in terms of alleviating my stress.”

Ms. Schmidt reflects that her time as Stella’s teacher and mentor has been a partnership and a joy. “It’s not very common to teach a student for all her high school classes; we’ve traveled a lot of roads together, literally and figuratively,” Ms. Schmidt says. “When Stella took my nonroutine precalculus class as a freshman, she immediately showed a thoughtful, deliberate quality. Some students like to show what they know—and that can legitimately be something to take pleasure in—but Stella takes her time and digs deeper, gently including others as she pursues her line of questioning [...] I think both of us see mathematics as a fundamental way of connecting to the universe. That sounds very grand and deep, but what it has meant on a day-to-day basis is that our conversations also bridge to what it means to make a difference in the world—as a human being and as a woman in mathematics, but also as a colleague, a family member, and a friend.”

With the news of her selection as a Regeneron STS Top 300 Scholar, Stella found herself reflecting on the journey that led her to this moment. “It feels very empowering. This acknowledgement definitely marks a huge step towards my aspiration to become a mathematician. I’m more excited than ever to pursue more research in college. Right now, I’m actually trying to find research opportunities with a friend by cold emailing math professors,” she laughed.

As the representation of women in STEM fields continues to grow, Stella recognizes the impact of the women who have paved the way before her. She finds inspiration in the work of Lillian Pierce, the Nicholas J. and Theresa M. Leonardy Professor of Mathematics at Duke University, who sought to make the beauty of math more accessible to a wider audience. “She had a goal to make the beauty of math more accessible, even to people who are not necessarily professionals at math. I think her goal of increasing math accessibility really aligns with mine and also that of Ms. Schmidt,” Stella explains. “I was inspired when Ms. Schmidt proposed a number theory project to annotate a paper to make it more accessible to others. That’s definitely something I want to continue to do in my college years.”

Looking toward the future, Stella is filled with hope for the next generation of female mathematicians. “I certainly hope that the gender gap will reduce over time. I’ve experienced the negative effects of the gender stereotype in STEM, and that is something that I want to reduce in my future. It’s one of my aspirations. One thing that I noted in my [Regeneron] STS application was that I saw myself becoming a professor who’s not confined to the ivory towers of academia. I want to give talks at local high schools or even middle schools to debunk gender stereotypes and hopefully encourage more girls and other gender minorities to pursue STEM, because they are just as good and talented.”

As commencement draws near, Stella’s remarkable tenure at Emma is winding down. Looking back on her four years on Mount Ida, Stella acknowledges the profound impact it has had on her growth as both a promising mathematician and a young woman. “I have definitely built up my confidence, not just in STEM, but overall during these four years. When I first came here, I was very timid and I didn’t talk much in class, but I found many role models in students from grades above me or female teachers to look up to. Two weekends ago I was at the local AAMC meeting, and I was the only girl there. If that was me in the past, I probably would’ve felt very intimidated and probably wouldn’t speak much at all. Younger me was always afraid that if I made a mistake, I would perpetuate the stereotype that girls are not as good at math as guys, especially in a setting where guys dominate in numbers. Now, I am no longer affected by those thoughts, and I’m able to share my thoughts and collaborate actively with them. It has been a very fruitful experience, and I think I couldn’t become the person I am today without my Emma education.”

MANYI L. ’23 AND VIVIANA LEO ’98 CONNECT OVER REPRESENTATION AND UNDERSTANDING IN FILM