William Verreault - Dissertation du lauréat, 2023
During my first year of cégep, I was still uncertain about my future. That was when a fascinating mathematics professor sparked my interest in abstract mathematics. Through reading courses and math competitions, he taught me that mathematics is much more than rote learning and number crunching: it is both art and science. Fast forward a few years and that same professor is now my master’s supervisor at Université Laval (4.32/4.33 undergraduate and 4.33/4.33 graduate).
For my studies, I was awarded over twenty scholarships and honors, including the Governor General's Academic Medal, federal and provincial graduate scholarships, and Undergraduate Student Research Awards. My research experiences resulted in conference presentations worldwide and over a dozen papers in fundamental mathematics (in diverse areas such as analysis, geometry, number theory, probability, and combinatorics) and allowed me to collaborate with several bright students and experienced professors who shared their passion for mathematics with me and who taught me that mathematicians are more than researchers. I subsequently decided to work hard on promoting mathematics education and creating more opportunities for my peers, by sitting on different academic and outreach committees, on the Board of the Canadian Mathematical Society and as Chair on its Student Committee, for example, and by organizing varied student activities, including student conferences (provincial and national), research seminars, and a directed reading program.
As I have now seen more facets of the infinite world of mathematics, I look forward to the next step on my journey to becoming a mathematician: my PhD.