The Office of Student Research is proud to feature Brandon Walters in this week’s “Scholar Story”.
Brandon Walters is a senior at Longwood University and is also a member of the Cormier Honors College for Citizen Scholars. Brandon is majoring in Mathematics and he also has a minor in Computer Science. In summer 2022, Brandon participated in Longwood’s PRISM summer research program. His research with his faculty mentor, Dr. Steven Hoehner, focused on the problem of placing seven or eight points on the unit sphere in three dimensions so that the surface area of the convex hull of the points is maximized. Brandon became involved in independent research because he has “always had a love for mathematics and had a strong desire to further explore mathematical topics. This research project allowed me to work with my mentor to develop new ideas and answer questions with real-world applications.”
Brandon said that participating in the PRISM program and conducting independent research had a positive impact on him because “it permitted me to step back and look at questions in a broader way while evaluating all possible solutions. I am confident this will help me when evaluating different questions during my professional career and in my personal life.”
One of the most important things Brandon learned by conducting independent research was “the different strategies and processes that go into conducting mathematical academic research. I also enjoyed broadening my knowledge of Euclidean geometry including the practical applications.”
Brandon has presented his research at multiple conferences including at West Virginia University in the summer of 2022 and at the SUMS conference at James Madison University in the fall of 2022. He also was selected to present his research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Wisconsin in April 2023.
After graduation, Brandon plans to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree in computational operations research.
Congratulations to Brandon on his successful research!
If you would like to have your research featured in a “Scholar Story”, or if you would like to learn more about getting involved in research at Longwood University, please visit Longwood’s Office of Student Research website http://www.longwood.edu/office-of-student-research/
or contact Amorette Barber, Director of the Office of Student Research (osr@longwood.edu or barberar@longwood.edu)
