Assistant professor of mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences Maksym Fedorchuk was recently awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship for his work in the field of algebraic geometry from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, named after the former president and CEO of General Motors.
Founded in 1934 and overseeing an endowment of more than $1.65 billion, the foundation recognizes American and Canadian candidates who hold a Ph.D. in chemistry, computational or evolutionary molecular biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, neuroscience, ocean sciences, physics, or a related field.
As stated on the foundation’s website, the Sloan Foundation creates grants in an effort to support innovative research and education initiatives related to science, technology, and economic performance with the goal of improving the quality of American life.
To qualify as a candidate, applicants must undergo a rigorous set of application requirements and have authored an extensive list of scientific publications. According to Fedorchuk’s curriculum vitae, he has published 15 scholarly articles on geometric concepts, object mapping, and the moduli space of curves.
Fedorchuk earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later his Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University-his dissertation was entitled, “Geometry of Severi Varieties and the Moduli Space of Curves”-and prior to arriving at Boston College he was an assistant professor at Columbia University. Fedorchuk now currently teaches courses and collaboratively researches algebraic geometry at BC.
Within the realm of algebraic geometry, Fedorchuk studies dimensionality, moduli spaces, and geometric structures. Such conceptual spaces are the constructs Fedorchuk referred to as algebraic geometers.
Fellowships from the Sloan Foundation are supplemented with $50,000 in research funding.
When discussing the work that went into his application and eventual selection for the research fellowship, Fedorchuk credited his award to his colleagues and collaborators, stating that without their contributions his work would not have achieved the recognition it has.
“The collaboration goes back to grad school … I totally owe the fellowship to my collaborators, to people outside of BC, too,” Fedorchuk said. “Again, three letters were written on my behalf … people who are experts in the area wrote on my behalf, and I’m grateful to them-without their support I would not have gotten the fellowship.”
Fedorchuk also helps organize periodic mathematic conferences at BC where professors from colleges throughout Boston are able to share research and collectively address mathematical theory.
“At BC we have an active algebraic geometry group, which includes an assistant professor, Dawei Chen, assistant professor David Treuman, and we also have a visiting assistant professor, Ana Patel,” Fedorchuk said. “And so we have an active seminar where people come here for organized conferences.”
Dawei Chen, an active member within BC’s math research circles, recently garnered financially backed support toward advanced mathematical study through a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation-a five-year, $429,359 grant for his research on Teichmueller dynamics.
David Treumann was also selected as a recipient of a Sloan Fellowship last year. Fedorchuk’s reception of the award marks the third Sloan Fellowship to a BC faculty member since 2012.
Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded for a two-year period, and extension dates can be applied for if all funds are not spent within the two-year period-remaining funds after the extended period must be returned to the foundation.
“The Sloan Fellowship will allow me to devote more time to my research and to collaborate with my colleagues at BC and at other universities,” Fedorchuk said in a statement to the Office of News and Public Affairs.
