Profile of Parker Rule '23

MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR FROM BERLIN, MA

Portrait of Parker sitting on some steps.

At Tufts, it’s not uncommon to engage with other students who overflow with palpable excitement for their intellectual passions. Fascinated by the intersection of mathematics, computer science, advanced algorithms, and social change, Parker Rule ’23 is a testament to the power of a Tufts education. Across all of his interdisciplinary roles, Parker is energized to apply his expertise in scientific computing and operations research to tackle some of the most complex sociopolitical issues of today.

Like much of his educational experience, Parker’s high school background was anything but ordinary. As a homeschooled student, much of his education and extracurricular research involvements were largely self-directed. Still, in his college search process, Parker was attracted to Tufts for a well-rounded, research-centered education. He explains, “Even though I’m nominally a math and computer science person, I really wanted to go to a college that had traditional liberal arts requirements and a strong liberal arts faculty.” Parker identified strongly with Tufts’ liberal arts-focused curriculum that also offered the benefits of a Tier 1 research university. With a knack for computer science and a developed interest in applied mathematics, Parker “was attracted to Tufts, where it was easy to work with professors. There was a supportive and welcoming environment for people who don’t necessarily have that much experience.” As one of the smallest and most undergraduate-focused institutions with a Tier 1 status, Tufts attracts professors who are overwhelmingly inclusive of undergraduates in their field-defining work.

At Tufts, Parker studies mathematics and computer science with a minor in science, technology, and society, an interdisciplinary program aimed at incorporating social science approaches to studying technology. Early on in his college experience, Parker was invited by Professor Moon Duchin to the MGGG Redistricting Lab, one of the premier research groups within the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life. Naturally, Parker was attracted to the complex phenomena of redistricting. He explains, “If you really want to have a comprehensive, realistic approach to redistricting, you need to understand the law and the social and political science around the issue.” Even further, “You have to understand how power works.”

Redistricting efforts can be abused through gerrymandering, which is the process of manipulating the redrawing of electoral districts for political gain. Every ten years, states redraw their legislative lines to determine which people will be represented by politicians, and Parker explains, “It turns out that the way you draw those lines around the same population has an enormous effect on who gets represented and how.”

The issue of redistricting has gained the attention of many mathematicians who have attempted to apply their own theoretical methods and techniques to this problem with real, deep social implications. In the MGGG Redistricting Lab at Tufts, Parker and his research associates take on a more comprehensive approach. With an understanding that the redistricting solution involves passing legislation, working with legal professionals, and massive public outreach campaigns, Parker describes the composition of the program as “ a bunch of mathematicians who have made the right connections with civil rights organizers, lawyers, and people who know how to actually enact change on the ground.” As an undergraduate, Parker is tasked with creating powerful software that can run redistricting experiments and developing algorithms with the ultimate goal of drawing conclusions about real-world phenomena. He reminds me, “To bridge the means and the end, you need software.” This high-performance software can generate millions of redistricting plans, which can be analyzed by the group. In this way, Parker has had the opportunity to apply the concrete principles of his curriculum directly to a meaningful social cause.

Beyond his research interests in equitable redistricting, Parker joined the Computational Geometry research group within the Department of Computer Science, where he develops efficient algorithms for manipulating geometric shapes. More recently, Parker was included in the group’s publication about developing an efficient, robot-guided ultraviolet light disinfection process.

Reflecting on his Tufts experience, Parker admits that he “had read a lot about math culture, great mathematicians, how they worked, and how many theorems they’ve proved. I felt very intimidated by this entire field.” But at Tufts, he continues, “I’ve gone from seeing this field as something that is unapproachable to something that a bunch of people who are curious and interested do.” Empowered by his research and coursework at Tufts, he has discovered that it is, in fact, possible to create an egalitarian, welcoming environment in which you can do mathematics. Kind, collaborative, and committed to advancing purposeful social change, Parker Rule embodies the revered values of the Tufts community.—JOSH COHEN ’24