Iain Moyles
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
The answer to this question is similar to what I hope to accomplish. I've never been satisfied with the idea that learning has to have a terminus point. I've always desired to learn more than I knew before and to understand as much as possible. I knew that conducting academic research would provide me the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom and textbooks, offering the opportunity for innovative ideas.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I've always been attracted to the west coast of Canada and upon finishing my undergraduate degree in 2009, I knew that I would want to study Applied Mathematics, a topic for which UBC is world renowned. I knew that if I hoped to become the best, I'd need to study under the best.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
The best surprise about graduate life was the rapport that is instantly built with other students and faculty; feeling like an equal in an academic community provides motivation and determination to succeed. My biggest surprise about UBC and Vancouver in general was the beautiful scenery. There is no better distraction from frustrations with work than to walk around UBC campus, down to Granville Island, or some other beautiful place the city has to offer!
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
I recommend attending many orientation events and information nights for UBC and the city of Vancouver. This provides you the chance early on to meet friends and blossom interests in the city. By the time the workload picks up intensely, you've already established yourself in the city and have the opportunity to balance work and leisure.
Learn more about Iain's research
We will be analyzing various mathematical problems from real industrial fields such as energy and soil remediation; searching for analytic expressions which extract crucial parameters of interest and then use numerical methods to simulate processes to confirm results. We seek to find simple, tractable models that can yield accurate results while still allowing for intelligent system design, i.e. being able to simulate phenomena with a complete understanding of the variables of the problem.
