Mohamed Omar is a

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

interested in

combinatorics Combinatorics is an area of mathematics primarily concerned with counting, both as a means and an end in obtaining results, and certain properties of finite structures. It is closely related to many other areas of mathematics and has many appl ...

, and

algebra Algebra () is one of the broad areas of mathematics. Roughly speaking, algebra is the study of mathematical symbols and the rules for manipulating these symbols in formulas; it is a unifying thread of almost all of mathematics. Elementary a ...

. Omar is currently an

Associate Professor Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''. Overview In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and the Joseph B. Platt Chair in Effective Teaching at

Harvey Mudd College Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is a private college in Claremont, California, focused on science and engineering. It is part of the Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds and resources. The college enrolls 902 undergraduate students ...

Early life and education

Omar was born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

to an Egyptian mother and an Ethiopian father, but was raised in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. He attended the

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality ...

, where he received a bachelor's double degree in pure mathematics and combinatorics & optimization in 2006, followed by a master's degree in combinatorics & optimization in 2007. Omar's master's thesis was titled "Combinatorial Approaches to the Jacobian Conjecture" and was advised by Ian P. Goulden. Omar then attended graduate school in the

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

department at the

University of California Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

. He completed his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in mathematics in 2011. Omar's

doctoral advisor A doctoral advisor (also dissertation director, dissertation advisor; or doctoral supervisor) is a member of a university faculty whose role is to guide graduate students who are candidates for a doctorate, helping them select coursework, as well ...

was

Jesús A. De Loera Jesús Antonio De Loera (born January 18, 1966) is a Mexican-American mathematician at the University of California, Davis, specializing in discrete mathematics and discrete geometry.

, and his dissertation was titled "Applications of Convex and Algebraic Geometry to Graphs and Polytopes".

Career

After completion of his doctorate, Omar became the Harry Bateman Research Instructor at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

. In the fall of 2013 Omar moved to

and took a position as tenure track faculty in the mathematics department, where he has worked to this day. Beyond the classroom, Omar has been involved in numerous outreach efforts to promote diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, as well as mathematical enrichment for high school students. He has participated in the Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) program as an instructor. Omar has also served as faculty at the

Canada/USA Mathcamp Canada/USA Mathcamp is a five-week academic summer program for middle and high school students in mathematics. Mathcamp was founded in 1993 by Dr. George Thomas, who believed that students interested in mathematics frequently lacked the resources ...

, and eventually served on the board of directors for the Mathematics Foundation of America, which organizes the camp. Omar's work in promoting diversity has been written about in

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also repo ...

, and he has been a guest on the

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

podcast "My Favorite Theorem". He also maintains a

Youtube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel where he posts videos about advanced mathematical concepts as well as videos aimed at helping young students prepare for standardized tests.

Honors and awards

Omar has received several awards for the quality of his teaching. In the 2013-2014 academic year, he was awarded the Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology (ASCIT) Teaching Award. In 2018, the

Mathematical Association of America The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure a ...

awarded him the Henry L. Alder Award. In 2020, Omar was selected as a fellow in the 2020 Inaugural Class of Karen EDGE Fellows. Omar was also recognized by

Mathematically Gifted & Black Mathematically Gifted & Black (MGB) is a website that features the accomplishments of black scholars in mathematical sciences. In addition to highlighting the work and lives of established mathematicians in the African Diaspora, the platform aims ...

as a Black History Month 2017 Honoree. He was awarded the Inaugural AMS Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship in 2021.

References

External links

Homepage
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Omar, Mohamed Living people Year of birth missing (living people) University of California, Davis alumni Harvey Mudd College faculty 21st-century Canadian mathematicians People from Alexandria