Name: Kalina Mincheva
AUBG Class of: 2008
Major: COS, MAT
Graduate/Advanced degree: MSc Mathematics (CEU, Hungary), PhD Mathematics (Johns Hopkins University, USA)
Home country: Bulgaria
Current occupation: Gibbs Assistant Professor, Yale University
• Where do we find you at this moment?
I have a postdoc position (Gibbs Assistant Professor) at Yale University at the Mathematics Department.
• What was your first destination after AUBG? Describe your career path.
Right after graduation I took a job as a software engineer at Postpath (since then acquisitioned by CISCO). However, I only worked there for 3 months since I was accepted to a Master’s program in math at CEU. After that, I moved to the US for a PhD in math.
• How have the years at AUBG prepared you for your career?
Clearly! But apart from all the things I learned in class, AUBG also taught me resilience, hard work and creative problem solving.
• What class had the most significant impact on you?
In my sophomore year I took a math elective class called “Ideals, Varieties and Algorithms” taught by Prof. Tamara Ivanova. It was advertised as math class for computer scientists but it was really a gentle introduction to algebraic geometry. That was when I realized I wanted to learn more mathematics and in particular, this type of mathematics and I declared a math major.
• Knowing what you know now, what would you want to tell your student self? If you could change something back what would it be?
I think I had a college experience one can be jealous of. So honestly, I would not change a thing, well, maybe other than study more math, haha.
• What are the things that make you tick? What is your greatest passion or motivation at present?
So hobbies? I do yoga and Argentine tango – which have become a way of life rather than hobbies. I still play computer games (DotA2) and currently run a D&D game for some colleagues at work.
• Future projects and plans that you look forward to with anticipation?
I am excited for the next stage of my career – after postdoc, which is coming soon.
• May fellow alumni keep in touch with you for mentorship and career advice?
Sure
