“Ever since I was a kid, my favorite class was mathematics. I was always fascinated with numbers, lines, and curves. However, my becoming a mathematician was never part of my family’s plan. No one in my family had ever known or met a mathematician. It was just too far beyond their imagination.

A math teacher in high school changed the direction of my life. I still remember the day I went to her office, trying to figure out what major to choose. She said ‘you like math, right? Why not try to become a mathematician? To address my doubts, she said ‘if you do not try, you may regret it one day.’ I think it was her saying ‘regret’ that touched me at that moment. Her advice continues to encourage me all these years later. I am really grateful to my teacher. Without her words, I may not have come this far.”

Siyuan works primarily on geometric analysis and partial differential equations. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Science and Technology of China, a national research university in Hefei, Anhui. Siyuan earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics at McGill University and worked as Hill Assistant Professor at Rutgers University before joining McMaster. Outside of work, Siyuan enjoys hiking, traveling and reading.