Meet, Noam, one of Emory recepients of the Goldwater Scholarship, the nation’s premier scholarship for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. When he’s not working number theory, he’s taking walks through Lullwater. Check out below for more on Noam!
Name: Noam Kantor
Major: Math 4-Year BS/MS
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Extracurricular Activities (on and off campus): Emory Hillel Board, chaiTunes aCapella, Inter-Religious Council, TableTalk.
Relationship Status: Accepting applications.
Greek Affiliation: Alpha Tau Omega
Tameka: What are three words that people use to describe you?
Noam: I asked my friends: “Brawny bearded bachelor.”
Tameka: Who is your biggest role model?
Noam: Alexander Grothendieck, one of the most badass mathematicians of all time. He reinvented an entire field of math, Euclid style, while still being an environmental and political activist. He was especially interested in questions like “What is Space?” Think about it: What if you tried to explain to a computer what the simplest geometric object, a point, is? After Grothendieck did all of this he got angry about the militarization of science funding and hid in the mountains of France. Like I said, this guy was intense, multifaceted, and incredibly insightful.
Tameka: What has been your greatest accomplishment/memory at Emory so far?
Noam: I really like the small moments, especially walking in Lullwater. There are so many quiet paths and trails in there, and it’s nice to think about how many generations of Emory students have used Lullwater as a refuge to escape from the academic madness.
Tameka: Tell us more about the Goldwater Scholarship. How did you feel when you found out?
Noam: It was really nice to get an external stamp of approval, because when I work in my own world there are always things that I don’t quite understand yet. The scholarship sort of helped me take a step back and say that even when I’m not understanding things, I’ve still learned so much in my studies so far.
Tameka: What is the next thing you want to cross off your bucket list?
Noam: I hiked in New Hampshire for a week last year, and I’d really like my next big adventure to be in some of the parks in the West, like Yellowstone.
Tameka: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Noam: My plan is to become a professor, but where and when I don’t know yet. I’m mostly excited to explore different places around the U.S. during grad school and post-doc and see what I like the best! Hopefully I’ll also be starting a family, or thinking about it.