Peer Concentration Advisors (PCA) Program
PCAs serve as peer advisors for pre-concentrators (and current concentrators), providing a valuable perspective and helping students to discover additional resources and opportunities.
If you would like to be matched to a PCA, you can do one of the following:
- Reach out by email to a PCA with similar academic, career, or extracurricular interests by exploring their bios below.
- Get paired with a PCA by filling out the Find my PCA Google Form. While we recognize some students might know exactly what they are looking for, we are happy to help pair you.
If you are interested in becoming a PCA, contact am-advising@seas.harvard.edu.
Matthew Andrews (Co-Captain)
Email: matthew_andrews@college.harvard.edu
Hey! My name is Matthew and I am a junior studying Applied Math with a focus in Economics in Eliot House hailing from Pretoria, South Africa. On campus I’m the co-president of Woodbridge (the international student society), a CS 50 TF, a PAF, and do research. I'm interested in finance, economics, and economic policy and I spent my sophomore summer doing.research on industrial policy in Malaysia. I've benefited a lot from reaching out and asking my PCAs for advice so I'd love to help wherever I can be it classes, extracurriculars, teaching, research, finance or anything else.
Janice Nam (Co-Captain)
Email: janicenam@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Janice, and I am a junior living in Quincy House studying Applied Math on the Sociology Track with a secondary in CS + citation in Spanish. On campus, I’m involved with PBHA’s Boston Refugee Youth Enrichment (BRYE) 1-2-1, the Harvard Korean Association, and the Harvard College Consulting Group. I’ve also studied abroad in Spain and interned with a healthcare non-profit in Burundi! I love reading (just finished The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion!), cooking, and trying new restaurants in my free time. If you want to chat or ask any questions about the Sociology Track, choosing courses, etc. feel free to reach out! I’m happy to meet you!
Mayesha Soshi (Co-Captain)
Email: maysoshi@college.harvard.edu
Hi everyone! My name is May Soshi and I am a senior at Adams House studying Applied Mathematics on the Computer Science track. I am also pursuing a concurrent masters in Computational Science and Engineering. I chose AM because AM provides me with the flexibility to study and explore my wide range of interests while giving me a strong mathematical foundation on these subjects. On campus, I am heavily involved with The Harvard Crimson, the Bengali Student Association, and Harvard Data Analytics Group. I also have experience conducting data science research in various fields and am open to talk about anything related to research and internships. I am very excited to be a peer concentration advisor this year and welcome you to the wonderful AM community. Please feel free to reach out with any questions and/or concerns.
Raquel "Rocky" Aguirre
Email: raquelaguirre@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Rocky Aguirre; I'm a junior in Eliot House studying Applied Math on the biological sciences track with a secondary in Molecular & Cellular Biology. I have always been very drawn to the sciences and analytics, so AM was the perfect mix for me. On campus, I am involved with the Fuerza Latina club and also a part of the Varsity Women’s Volleyball team. Outside of school, I’ve worked in the consulting industry but I am also interested in pursuing data science as a profession. During my free time, I enjoy reading (all kinds of genres) and watching movies (big Marvel and Harry Potter fan). Please reach out with any questions about AM-bio or if you just want to chat!
Cyrus Asgari
Email: cyrusasgari@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Cyrus and I am a senior studying Applied Math with a focus in Computer Science in Kirkland House. On campus I’m involved with a number of organizations such as Harvard Undergraduate Robotics and Product Lab. I am really interested in the intersection of math and computer science with applications in machine learning. I’ve also worked in the tech industry at companies like Linkedin and Amazon. I’m really excited to be a PCA this year, so please reach out if you’d like to talk about AM or CS courses, getting into the tech industry, or anything else in general.
Kushal Chattopadhyay
Email: kchattopadhyay@college.harvard.edu
Hey! I'm Kushal Chattopadhyay, a junior studying Applied Math with a specialization in Economics and Computer Science. I'm in Adams House and am originally from sunny Fremont, California! Some of my interests include theoretical and applied machine learning research, which I pursue with the IACS here at Harvard as well as with various labs at MIT, urban economics, and data science. I'm currently exploring deep learning such as computer vision and natural language processing, especially with regards to self-driving cars! On campus, I'm involved in organizations such as the Harvard Undergraduate Machine Intelligence Community, MIT's autonomous boat team Arcturus, and the Harvard Open Data Project, as well as the Bengali Association for Students at Harvard and various courses as a TF (most recently Econ 50). I also love learning languages (am currently improving my German and Japanese), trying new food from around the world, and hip-hop music! I have experience in ML / DL research, urban economics, quantitative finance, software development, and management consulting among many other fields! Happy to chat about any of the aforementioned topics, as well as about MIT cross-enrollment and research or economics / computer science / math and stats coursework!
Victoria Eisenhauer
Email: veisenhauer@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Victoria Eisenhauer and I am a senior in Pfoho studying AM on the Economics track with a secondary in Mind, Brain, Behavior. I am fascinated by behavioral economics, specifically how social factors and human emotions can shape decision-making. On campus, I’m part of the Women's Swim and Dive Team, Smart Women Securities & Project SWIM. I am currently working on completing my thesis research to model episodic memory and decision-making in humans. In my free time, I love playing various sports and card games along with finding the tastiest Italian & dessert places in the area (feel free to send any recommendations my way!). I am super excited to be a PCA this year and support the AM community as best as I can! Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about AM/Ec, AM application areas, writing a thesis, balancing extracurriculars, or anything in between! I'm always open to chat and grab coffee :)
Emily Figueiredo
Email: emilyfigueiredo@college.harvard.Edu
Hi! My name is Emily Figueiredo, and I am a junior in Quincy House. I am studying Applied Mathematics on the Data Science track, with a secondary in Computer Science. In addition to being a peer concentration advisor, I am also a course assistant for Math 1a. Outside of academics, I love hiking, reading, traveling, soccer, and board games. I’m very excited to be a PCA this year, and I can’t wait to connect with you. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or simply want to chat!
Kinara Gasper
Email: kgasper@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Kinara and I am a senior in Winthrop House studying AM with a focus in psychology. My previous summer, I was a Biostatistics Intern studying the socio-economic background of ACL injuries in the United States. This past summer, I interned at a consulting firm in New York. In my free time, I enjoy running down the Charles River and exploring new restaurants. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions at all. The AM concentration has truly allowed me to explore a host of different opportunities and I would love to discuss them with you. I am super excited to meet you all!
Mads Groeholdt
Email: madsgroeholdt@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Mads and I am a junior from Oslo, Norway living in Eliot House and studying AM-Ec with a secondary in Statistics. Outside of academics, I am an athlete on the varsity ski team and do research in Economics. As for my professional career, I have gained experience in Software Engineering, Data Analytics, and software-focused Private Equity over the summers in college as well as over a gap-year before beginning school. Outside of school I enjoy sports, poker, and trying out new places to eat ice cream (like this little shop in Croatia). Feel free to reach out if you have questions related to academics, student-athletics, professional life, or anything else!
Madeline Kitch
Email: mckitch@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Madeline, and I am a senior living in Pfoho. I am doing an AB/SM in Applied Math Economics with an interest in environmental policy design. Since coming to Harvard, I’ve worked on a few economics and legal research projects (topics like sea-level rise and sustainable cities) and interned at environmental research organizations, both domestic and international. This summer, I was in Norway helping make systems that use industrial clusters in the energy transition. I’ve also been part of the Nordic Ski Team and floated concentration ideas from social studies to math. In my free time, I like to be outdoors, learn cool bits of math, and visit cafes (life alive, pavement, bagelasaurus). Happy to talk with people who have questions about climate policy work, choosing plans of study, and the student-athlete life :)
Jessica Liang
Email: jessicaliang@college.harvard.edu
Hi everyone! My name is Jess and I'm a junior in Currier studying AM/Bio with a secondary in chemistry. I'm really interested in biochemistry, computational biology, and octopuses, and I do research in the CCB department studying all of these! On campus, I'm pretty involved in research and hope to go to grad school in a biology-flavored field. I'm also a member of Harvard Taekwondo and a course assistant for LS50. I'm super excited to be a PCA this year, and please reach out about AM/Bio, research, grad school, martial arts, or anything else you have questions about!
Arjun Nageswaran
Email: anageswaran@college.harvard.edu
Hi, I'm Arjun! I'm a junior concentrating in applied math-economics in Quincy House. I'm interested in government policy and economic research, and my favorite thing about the concentration is the flexible way you get to pick and choose the classes to build a course schedule that supports your interests. Happy to talk anytime about courses or anything else applied math/econ related!
Danielle Ordemann
Email: dordemann@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Danielle, and I’m a senior in Dunster House studying Applied Math. My area of concentration is Psychology, but I’m also interested in Data Science, Economics, and Computer Science! I currently work as a Peer Tutor for the ARC, and I’m a member of HCCG. I spent my past two summers interning at Lazard in NYC and studying abroad in Italy. I’m happy to chat about anything AM-related, as well as internships, studying abroad, and securing funding from Harvard. I’m excited to be a PCA for the second time this upcoming year, and I can’t wait to meet you! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or simply want to grab a coffee or some Jefe’s and meet more people in AM!
Lillian Peterson
Email: lillianpetersen@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Lillian Petersen and I am a senior in Pfoho studying AM with an application in Biology, and am also pursuing a citation in Czech! I devote a lot of time to research and plan on going to graduate school in a biology-related field. Outside of classes, I am an avid long-distance runner with the goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon before I graduate. I love camping, hiking, biking, climbing, travelling, playing acoustic guitar, and listening to historical audiobooks. Please reach out to talk about anything from classes to research to graduate school to running!
Emma Salafsky
Email: esalafsky@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Emma and I’m a senior in Winthrop studying Applied Math with a focus in Biology! Deciding to do Applied Math was one of the best decisions I made at Harvard, and I’ve really enjoyed the flexibility and support of the concentration. I’m CA for AM120 and AM108, and I love figuring out which classes work best for different schedules, so I’m happy to talk through courses if you have any AM questions. I’m also writing a thesis in a Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology lab this upcoming year and always excited to talk about my research. On campus, I play on the women’s club ultimate frisbee team, tutor for the ARC, and am a leader for FOP. I also love to read, bike, and bake in my free time! Definitely reach out if you want to chat about anything!
Bridget Sands
Email: bridgetsands@college.harvard.edu
Heyo! My name is Bridget!!! I am a senior studying AM with a subject focus of Data Science, and a secondary in Computer Science. I live in Eliot, and some of the things I do on campus include writing for the Sports section of The Crimson, being a FOP leader, as well as a member of the Harvard Baseball Analytics team. I've spent the last few summers working within the professional sports industry at FanDuel, MLB Headquarters, and the Worcester Red Sox, all in analytical positions. I also worked with a minor league soccer team during my covid induced gap year, as I was originally the class of 2023 but reclassified to 2024. Finally, I spent my junior fall studying abroad in Madrid- and got two full concentration course credits- because studying abroad during term time is more than possible as an AM concentrator!! I'm psyched to be a part of the AM PCA team, so if you have any questions or are even slightly thinking about studying abroad, working in sports, are considering the Data Science focus, or anything else please feel free to reach out!
Caleb Saul
Email: cbsaul@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Caleb and I’m a senior in Kirkland House studying Applied Math with a focus in Statistics. I’m broadly interested in the application of mathematical techniques to the fields of machine learning, data science, and quantitative finance. On campus, I’m involved in a variety of organizations, including the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers and Harvard’s Black Men’s Forum. I’ve also spent 2+ years as a peer tutor at the Academic Resource Center for several introductory math and CS courses, so I’m really familiar with first and second-year AM coursework. During my summers, I’ve done machine learning research as part of REU programs and worked in industry as a Quantitative Strategist at Goldman Sachs. I’m super excited to be a PCA this year, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to talk about AM/Stat/CS courses, navigating the research world, working in industry, or anything else!
Luke Stevens
Email: lukestevens@college.harvard.edu
Hi there! I'm Luke, a senior in Lowell House studying Applied Math with a focus in Economics and Computer Science. This combination has allowed me to explore my interests in data science, technology, and business. On campus, you can find me on the rugby field or leading tours with the Crimson Key Society. I've also gained experience in tech and finance, realizing how valuable an AM background can be in both fields. If you're interested, I'm happy to share more about my concentration and job experiences. Feel free to reach out with any questions, and we can chat over email or grab a coffee!
Gabriel Sun
Email: gabrielsun@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Gabe, and I’m a junior in Cabot House originally from Palm Beach County, Florida. I’m concentrating in Applied Math (Ec & CS) and am pursuing a concurrent master’s in Statistics. I'm interested in utilizing data science to improve human decision-making in a variety of contexts. At Harvard, I’ve worked as a research assistant and a course assistant in the Economics Department. I’m the Co-Director of Research for the Harvard College Economics Labs, through which I’ve worked with partner organizations such as the U.S. Department of Commerce and Department of Transportation. I’ve also previously interned at a climate tech startup. Some of my other interests include piano, tennis, speedcubing, and foreign languages. Feel free to reach out to me about classes, research, internships, or anything else you want to chat about!
Alan Wang
Email: acwang@college.harvard.edu
Hey! I'm Alan and I'm a senior in Leverett excited to do math with magnitude AND direction. My application area is economics and I'm also pursuing a secondary in organismic and evolutionary biology. I've been working on biomechanics research the past few summers with an emphasis on computation and veterinarian training. One of my favorite parts of the concentration is the diversity of the opportunities it prepares students for, and this is something that I'd love to share about. I spend much of my free time doing long runs around the Boston area and swimming in any freshwater I can find. Feel free to reach out if you ever want to talk about the urban environment or exercise (and math of course)!
Tianming Xie
Email: tex_xie@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Tianming Xie (also go by Tex!). I'm a senior in Winthrop house, studying Applied Math with a primary interest in market design and venture capital. On campus, I'm a Peer Advising Fellow (PAF) for Wigg E and am heavily involved in Harvard Undergraduate Capital Partners (HUCP)! I wish to be even a fraction as worldly as my peers, but admittedly my experiences outside of these are heavily focused on table tennis and chess, two games I just love to death. That being said, whatever it might be, I'm happy to chat about anything and will try my best to help or point you toward someone who can! I'll try my best to help you put yourself in a position where you can do what you love for a very long time!
Jennifer Xiong
Email: jxiong@college.harvard.edu
Hi! My name is Jennifer, and I'm a junior in Lowell House studying Applied Math on the Economics and Computer Science track with a secondary in Philosophy. On campus, I'm Co-President of the Harvard Undergraduate Association for U.S.-China Relations and a Teaching Fellow for CS50. In my free time, I love to dance and travel. Don't hesitate to reach out about classes, the Ec/CS track, or AM in general - I'd love to meet you!
Dina Zeldin
Email: dzeldin@college.harvard.edu
Hello! My name is Dina Zeldin and I’m a junior in Quincy House studying Applied Math with biology as my application area. I’m also pre-med. Outside of class, I’m an editor at The Harvard Crimson’s magazine, a peer educator for the Center for Wellness at HUHS, a course assistant for Math 19A, and a boba tea enthusiast. I’m happy to chat about navigating applied math and pre-med requirements, share advice on courses, and help you explore research and extracurricular opportunities, so please reach out!
Nathan Zhao
Email: nathanzhao@college.harvard.edu
Hey everyone! My name is Nathan Zhao, and I'm a senior in Lowell studying AM/Econ, with a secondary in Philosophy. I have a wide range of interests in Economics, Government, Statistics, CS, and Data Science, and very much appreciate how AM has let me explore all of these subjects. On campus, I'm involved in FOP, Model Congress, HUCP, and the Outing Club. Feel free to reach out about switching to AM, AM/Ec, choosing between AM & the humanities, being a Product Manager in the tech industry, and/or the startup/venture space on campus.