Harrison Potter
9/30/2010
Resume Raw Material
Gates Chili High School Years: Fall 2000 - Spring 2004
Gates Chili High School June 2004 Graduate:
Valedictorian with class rank 1/354
Test Scores:
ACT was 36
SAT was 1540: 800 Math, 740 Verbal
AP Tests:
5 on Global History
5 on Statistics
4 on American History
5 on Physics B
5 on Macroeconomics
4 on Microeconomics
4 on English Literature
5 on American Government
3 on Comparative Politics
5 on Chemistry
5 on Physics C Mechanics
5 on Physics C Electricity and Magnetism
5 on Calculus BC
5 on Calculus AB sub-score
College Board AP Scholar
Honor Roll with Distinction:
Every quarter throughout high school.
Certificates for Outstanding Achievement:
2001 in Honors Geometry
2002 in Honors Chemistry, Honors Trigonometry
2003 in Honors Pre-calculus, AP Statistics, APB Physics
Academic Varsity Letter:
Lettered Spring 2003
Received Chevron Spring 2004
National Honor Society:
Inducted Spring 2003
Treasurer of Gates Chili Chapter: Fall 2003, Spring 2004
National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Student
Caltech Signature Award, for excellence in science and mathematics.
I received a signed copy of Black Holes and Time Warps by Kip Thorne.
Unites States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award
American Chemical Society Chemistry Awards:
2002 Honors Chemistry
2004 Advanced Placement Chemistry
Masterminds:
Fall 2001 to Spring 2004
Math League:
Fall 2000 to Spring 2004.
2001 Monroe County Math League 1st Freshman Award
2003 Certificate of Excellent Leadership in Math League.
2003 Monroe County Math League Individual High Scorer
2003 New York State Math League Meet
– Most Valuable Monroe County Team Member
2004 Monroe County Math League 2nd Senior Award
2004 Monroe County Math League Individual High Scorer
2004 New York State Math League Meet
– Most Valuable Monroe County Team Member
Cross Country:
Fall 2000 to Fall 2003
2002 Most Improved Runner Award
2003 One of Three Tri-captains
- Brian Mooney, Harrison Potter, James Richards
Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field:
Fall 2001 to Spring 2004
Distance Runner Captain
New York State Public High School Athletic Association
Indoor Track Championships:
2003: 2nd in 1600m
2004: 4th in 3200m, 3rd in 1600m, leg of 3rd team in 4 by 800m relay
Tri-M Music Honor Society:
Inducted Spring 2002
Treasurer: Fall 2002, Spring 2003
Senior High School All County Band
Trombonist: Spring 2002
Marching Band:
Trombonist: Fall 2000 to Spring 2003
Concert Band:
Trombonist: Fall 2000 to Spring 2003
Jazz Band:
Trombonist: Fall 2000 to Spring 2003
Piano Lessons:
Fall 2001 to Spring 2003
Transition to College
Outside Scholarships:
Rochester Chapter of New York State Credit Union League Scholarship ($1,000)
Thrivent Member Scholarship ($1,000 per year)
Robert C. Byrd Scholarship ($1,500 per year)
Admissions Decisions:
Accepted into Marietta College:
Rickey Physics Scholarship ($18,000 per year)
John G. McCoy Scholarship (full tuition, room, board, and a computer)
Accepted into Valparaiso University:
Founders Scholarship (full tuition)
Marietta College Undergraduate Years: Fall 2004 - Spring 2008
Rickey Physics Scholarship
The Rickey scholarships in physics support the study of physics at Marietta
College. The scholarships are competitive and are available to full-time students
who intend to major in physics with the goal of continuing on to graduate school
and a scientific or technical career. Recipients are selected based on excellent
academic achievement. A scholarship is renewable on an annual basis provided
the recipient continues to major in physics while making normal progress in the
physics major curriculum, and maintains a grade-point average of at least 3.25,
both overall and in the courses required for the physics major. In addition,
recipients of Rickey scholarships in physics are automatically eligible to receive
up to two summer research grants. The Rickey scholarships in physics were
established by David M. Rickey '78 and Jan Rickey through their J&D Family
Foundation.
The 2004 John G. McCoy Scholarship
Valued at over $120,000 across four years, the McCoy scholarship provides a
guarantee of total direct costs equal to tuition, room and board at Marietta College
for four years. This award supersedes all other college funded awards.
Dean’s High Honors List:
Fall 2004 to Spring 2007
Volunteer Tutoring:
Spring 2005 to Fall 2006
Work-Study Mathematics Help Sessions:
Spring 2006 to Spring 2008
Society of Physics Students
– The Professional Society for Physics Students and their Mentors:
Fall 2004 to Spring 2008
Treasurer of Marietta College Chapter Fall 2006, Spring 2007
Sigma Pi Sigma
- The National Physics Honor Society:
Inducted Spring 2006
Marietta College Math Club:
President:
Fall 2006 to Spring 2008.
William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition:
2004: Scored 2 points
2005: Scored 0 points
2006: Scored 6 points
2007: Scored 24 points; Top 500
The Mathematical Association of America Ohio Section Meeting:
2006: Attended meeting at the University of Akron;
member of team that participated in mathematics competition
2008: Attended meeting at Marietta College;
member of 3rd place team in mathematics competition;
presented “Conformal Mappings and Vector Fields” on Friday April 11th
from 4:25pm to 4:40pm in Rickey 239 with session chair Dr. John Tynan
of Marietta College
East Central Colleges Undergraduate Mathematics Competition:
2005: Member of 3rd place team
2006: Member of 4th place team, other team placed 2nd
2007: Member of 1st place team, other teams placed 2nd and 5th
2008: Member of 2nd place team, other team placed 1st
Kappa Mu Epsilon
– Mathematics Honor Society:
Inducted Spring 2005
Cross Country:
Fall 2004 to Fall 2007
2005 Team Captain, by peer election
2006 Most Valuable Runner
Assisted with flood clean up in Fall 2004
Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field:
Runner Fall 2004 to Spring 2008
Fall 2005, Spring 2006 Team Leadership Council Member, by peer election
2006 Academic All Ohio Athletic Conference Honorable Mention
2007 Academic All Ohio Athletic Conference
2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District
Fall 2007, Spring 2008 One of the Team Captains
2008 Academic All Ohio Athletic Conference
Student Athletic Advisory Committee:
Fall 2005 to Spring 2007
Summer 2006 Kansas State University “Brainstorming and Barnstorming”
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Mathematics Program:
REU led by Dr. Dave Auckly; I worked with Jennifer Anderson and Alexis
Brownell as a member of the abstract algebra research group under the direction
of Dr. David Yetter. We studied quandles and wrote “Quandle Basics,” which
can be found at
http://www.math.ksu.edu/main/events/KSU-REU/events/KSUREU/quandle06.pdf
and at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/KSU1.pdf.
Attended NSF-CBMS Regional Conference on the Interplay between Convex
Geometry and Harmonic Analysis at Kansas State University with principle
speaker Alexander Koldobsky.
Summer 2007 Brigham Young University
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Mathematics Program:
REU led by Dr. Michael Dorff; I worked with Vinh Xuan Dang, Maxx Cho, and
Aaron Smith as a member of the mathematical physics research group under the
direction of Dr. Scott Glasgow. We studied financial mathematics using the
techniques of stochastic calculus with the assistance of graduate student Stephen
Taylor. Vinh and I wrote “Pricing the Asian Call Option,” which can be found at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/BYU2.pdf .
Undergraduate Mathematics Day
- University of Dayton on 3 November 2007:
I presented a 15 minute contributed paper entitled “Pricing the Asian Call Option”
at 3:55pm in Science Center room 216. This paper was then published in the
electronic proceedings of the conference and can be found at
http://academic.udayton.edu/EPUMD/Vol3/EPUMD_Vol3_No3.pdf .
Citation:
V. X. Dang, S. Glasgow, H. Potter and S. Taylor. Pricing the Asian Call Option.
Electronic Proceedings of Undergraduate Mathematics Days, Vol. 3 (2008), No. 3, 26 pp.
Published in Spring 2007 Volume 66 Number 2 of
The Pentagon: A Mathematics Magazine for Students
The Official Journal of Kappa Mu Epsilon, ©2007, edited by Charles N. Curtis
I am mentioned as having solved Problem 585 (p.58); found 3 of 4 solutions to
Problem 589 (p.58); solved Problem 597 (p.59); solved Problem 598 (p.59);
solved Problem 599 (p.60); and my solution to Problem 603 was printed (p.63).
Joint Mathematics Meetings
- San Diego Convention Center, 6 January to 9 January 2008:
I attended talks and participated in various activities throughout the four day
conference. I also delivered a 15 minute presentation entitled “Pricing the Asian
Call Option” as part of the AMS-MAA-SIAM Special Session on Research in
Mathematics by Undergraduates III at 2:30pm on Tuesday 8 January 2008.
Marietta College Senior Capstone Project
I completed a year-long research project pertaining to applications of complex
analysis to two-dimensional vector fields. I presented “Conformal Mappings and
Vector Fields” on 4/24/2008 in the Rickey Science Center and wrote “On
Conformal Mappings and Vector Fields.” The presentation can be found at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/Capstone1.pdf
and the paper can be found in physics format at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/Capstone3.pdf
and in mathematics format at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/Capstone2.pdf
and at
http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/sendpdf.cgi/Potter%20Harrison%20D.%20P.pdf?acc_num=marhonors1210888378 .
I also presented a poster entitled “Conformal Mapping as a Tool for Solving
Laplacian Problems in Physics” at the 2008 Spring Meeting of the Ohio Region of
the American Physical Society on Saturday March 29, 2008 in Youngstown, OH.
I also gave a talk entitled “Conformal Mappings and Vector Fields” at the 2008
Spring Meeting of the Ohio Section of the Mathematical Association of America
on Friday April 11, 2008 in Marietta, OH.
Graduate Record Examinations:
General Record Examination General Test:
Analytical Writing 5.0; 71st percentile
Verbal 630; 90th percentile
Quantitative 800; 94th percentile. Taken in June 2007.
General Record Examination Mathematics (Rescaled) Subject Test:
780; 86th percentile. Taken on 4/7/2007.
General Record Examination Physics Subject Test was:
750; 68th percentile. Taken on 11/3/2007.
The 2007 Theodore Bennett Mathematics Award
Presented by Dr. Mark Miller, chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science
Department, on Sunday April 15th, 2007.
The Theodore Bennett Memorial Fund is awarded to the member of the junior
class who is considered by the Department of Mathematics to be most outstanding
in the department. The award consists of tuition credit, membership in the
Mathematical Association of America, and placement of the recipient’s name on a
plaque. Dr. Bennett taught mathematics at Marietta College from 1937 to 1970
and chaired the department for 25 years.
The 2007 William O. Whetsell Award
Presented by Debora Lazorik, director of athletics, physical education and
recreation, on Sunday April 15th, 2007.
The William O. Whetsell Award was established inn 1983 in memory of William
O. Whetsell by former students and friends of the retired professor or physical
education (1947-1983); athletic director (1959-1969); coach of varsity sports:
basketball (1947-1960), cross country (1964-1978), golf (1955-1987); and
intramurals director (1959-1983). Selections are made by the faculty and coaches
of the Department of Health and Physical Education.
Named in 2007 and 2008 Who’s Who
Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.
Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges exists as one
of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation,
having earned the overwhelming respect of college faculties and administrations.
Selections to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
are made each fall. Created to nominate the upperclassmen and graduate students
eligible for the program, campus nominating committees are composed of
representatives from the faculty, administration and student body. Each nominee
selected for the program receives a personalized commemorative certificate,
suitable for framing to be presented by his or her school.
The 2008 Marietta College Male Clyde Lamb Award
Presented by Dr. Robert Chase, chair of the Department of Petroleum Engineering
and student-athlete faculty representative, on Monday May 12th, 2008.
The Clyde A. Lamb Scholar-Athlete Awards are presented annually to a single
male and a single female from each institution in the Ohio Athletic Conference as
voted on by the coaching staff. The award winners are honored at the OAC
Spring Awards Banquet. Criteria for the award include at least two years of
participation in an OAC-sponsored sport, senior status, a minimum grade point
average of 3.00, and sportsmanlike conduct in a manner that has brought credit to
the student-athlete and his or her institution.
The award was founded in 1985 and is named in honor of Clyde A. Lamb. Lamb
organized the department of health and physical education at Ohio Northern
University in 1929 and served as a coach, department chairman, and athletics
director at ONU from 1929 to 1964. He continued to teach full-time until his
death in 1969. Lamb, who received his bachelor’s degree from Coe College in
1923 and a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1929, coached
numerous sports at ONU during his tenure. In 1959 he was elected to the NAIA
Helms Hall of Fame. He was honored as Ada’s Distinguished Citizen in 1956
and was inducted into the ONU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.
Marietta College May 2008 Graduate:
The degree of Bachelor of Science with majors in physics and mathematics was
awarded summa cum laude (GPA 3.935) with curriculum and college honors on
May 17th, 2008. An unofficial transcript can be viewed at
http://www.duke.edu/~hdp2/MyWork.html.
Asa Shinn McCoy Award
The Asa Shinn McCoy Award is given to a member of the graduating class who
receives her or his degree summa cum laude or magna cum laude and who is, in
the opinion of the Faculty Council, worthy of the honor. Nominations for the
award are solicited from members of the faculty and administration. A fund for
the fellowship to be used for graduate study was established by the late James C.
McCoy of Grasse, France, as a memorial to his father, the Reverend Asa Shinn
McCoy, valedictorian of the class of 1849, a clergyman of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and President of the Illinois Female College of Jacksonville.
The award consists of a cash prize in the amount of $807.00.
Transition to Graduate School
Admissions Decisions:
Denied Admission:
University of Notre Dame
University of Chicago
Johns Hopkins University
Yale University
Brown University
Harvard University
University of Wisconsin at Madison
University of Boston
Offered Admission:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
No financial aid
Purdue University:
Teaching Assistantship
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Teaching Assistantship
Rutgers University:
Teaching Assistantship
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor:
Teaching Assistantship
Duke University:
Teaching Assistantship
University of Pennsylvania:
Benjamin Franklin Fellowship
Duke University Graduate School Years: Fall 2008 – Spring 2013
Pre-Qualifying Examinations:
Review Week: 8/11/08 to 8/15/08
First Linear Algebra Exam:
Taken and Passed with 60/60 on 8/16/08
First Real Analysis Exam:
Taken and Failed with 41/100 on 8/16/08
Second Real Analysis Exam:
Taken and Passed with 89/100 on 1/10/09
Qualifying Examination:
Topics Chosen:
Real Analysis and Complex Analysis
Committee Members:
Dr. Stephanos Venakides, Real Analysis; Dr. William K. Allard, Complex
Analysis; Dr. Xin Zhou, Committee Chair
Result:
Taken and Passed on 11/20/09 at 12:00 noon.
Teaching Experience:
Laboratory Instructor:
- Fall 2008 Math 31L: Laboratory Calculus I Section 7; Class Instructor was
Jason Wilson
Class Instructor:
- Fall 2009 Math 31L: Laboratory Calculus I Section 8; 32 students