Student Spotlight: Merlie Kirschenbaum, '25

Student Spotlight

Meet Merlie Kirschenbaum, a senior mathematics major at Rowan University who is the driving force and spirit behind the university’s Math Team.

"Hi everyone! I am currently a senior Math major, with a minor in Data Science and concentration in Statistics. I am also a member of the Bantivoglio Honors College. I transferred to Rowan in Fall 2023 after completing my associate degree at Brookdale Community College. I have found such a great community here at Rowan. I am an Information Services Specialist at the Student Center, a volunteer tutor in the Math Learning Center, and the treasurer of the Math Team. I have also been working really hard on maintaining our club social media and outreach, trying to grow our club as much as possible before my time at Rowan is done! Further, I am involved in a deep learning research project with Dr. Thanh Nguyen and Dr. Hieu Nguyen. This project has pushed me to learn and thrive beyond the classroom, learning new concepts and techniques that will likely be very helpful in my future career. I am very excited about what’s left for the Math Team to accomplish this semester. We are hoping to plan a few more fun events, club meetings, and even use our fundraising money to go on a trip. I am so proud of how far the Math Team has come since I first joined, and I hope that it continues to grow and thrive. Next fall, I am excited to be attending graduate school, working towards my Master’s in Statistics. I have been offered full scholarships and teaching assistantships from multiple schools–though I have yet to make that life-changing decision. I intend on doing this soon and am excited to move onto this new chapter! I hope to become a Data Scientist in the future, perhaps in an area where I can analyze public policy and social issues."