Iowa State Mathematics Ph.D. Student Receives Prestigious Simons Dissertation Fellowship
Author: vsiefken
The Department of Mathematics is proud to announce that Md Shahriar Mahmud, a Ph.D. candidate in mathematics at Iowa State University, has been selected as a recipient of the Simons Dissertation Fellowship in Mathematics for 2025–2027.
This highly competitive fellowship, awarded by the Simons Foundation, recognizes outstanding graduate students in mathematics and provides substantial support during the final years of their doctoral studies. Mahmud is one of only 40 students nationwide to receive this honor.
The fellowship includes:
$30,000 in research support over two years
$2,000 in departmental support
Mahmud’s research focuses on mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, including pandemic forecasting, vaccination strategies, and public health interventions. His work combines theoretical mathematics with real-world applications in epidemiology.
We are thrilled to see Shahriar’s hard work and talent recognized at the national level. This award reflects both his dedication and the strength of our graduate program.
The Simons Dissertation Fellowship was established to honor the legacy of Jim Simons and to support the next generation of mathematical researchers. The 2025 cohort includes students from institutions such as MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and UC Berkeley—placing Iowa State among the top mathematics departments in the country.