Difference between revisions of "Sean G. Carver's Biography"
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| − | Evidently I was interested in math and science at a very early age | + | Evidently, I was interested in math and science at a very early age. One of my first memories is of arguing with my mother, quite befuddled, about the sum of 2+2. She had told me that 1+1=2, so clearly, I reasoned, 2+2=3. I understood the concept of "successor" better than "sum", and I had incorrectly generalized. Unfortunately, I had to take my mother's word for it, for she was at a loss to explain. I hope to meet an infant someday (if not my own child) with the same confusion. I would love to show this child, with blocks, just what it means to add two numbers together. |
| − | In high school, a progressive alternative public school in Arlington, | + | In high school, a progressive alternative public school in Arlington, Virginia, my favorite subject was physics, probably because a superb teacher, Harvey Wynn, brought the subject to life and conveyed to me a deep fascination with the concepts. I started college as a physics major, but soon switched to Applied Mathematics after a magical Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. That summer, I fell in love with dynamical systems, and continued in this field as a graduate student. |
| − | In graduate school at Cornell University, I discovered that my favorite dynamical systems were animal nervous systems | + | In graduate school at Cornell University, I discovered that my favorite dynamical systems were models of animal nervous systems and control systems related to animals. I wrote my dissertation in Applied Mathematics, on a model of the control of human running, under the direction of the renowned Dr. John Guckenheimer. My association with Dr. Guckenheimer makes me the academic grandson of a Fields Medalist (Steven Smale). |
| − | By the time I first became a postdoctoral fellow, I had realized that I needed to tie my investigations to real experimental data. It was during this first postdoctoral experience, in John Jeka's lab at the University of Maryland, that I learned about systematic methods for fitting models to data and became fascinated by the clinical problem of applying these methods to identifying deficits in human balance. In 2006 I jumped at the chance to join Eric Fortune's lab at The Johns Hopkins University. The stint in Eric's lab broadened my perspective on sensorimotor processing | + | By the time I first became a postdoctoral fellow, I had realized that I needed to tie my investigations to real experimental data. It was during this first postdoctoral experience, in John Jeka's lab at the University of Maryland, that I learned about systematic methods for fitting models to data and became fascinated by the clinical problem of applying these methods to identifying deficits in human balance. In 2006, I jumped at the chance to join Eric Fortune's lab at The Johns Hopkins University. The stint in Eric's lab broadened my perspective on sensorimotor processing by introducing me to a level of analysis not possible with humans (for ethical reasons). |
| − | In September 2009 I began working with Michael Hines as an Associate Research Scientist in Gordon Shepard's lab in the Neurobiology Department at Yale University. I was hired to expand system identification functionality within the NEURON simulation environment. In September 2011, I returned to Johns Hopkins for two | + | In September 2009, I began working with Michael Hines as an Associate Research Scientist in Gordon Shepard's lab in the Neurobiology Department at Yale University. I was hired to expand system identification functionality within the NEURON simulation environment. |
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| + | In September 2011, I returned to Johns Hopkins for a two-year research stint in the Mechanical Engineering Department. | ||
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| + | In September 2013, I moved to American University to fulfill my ambition to mentor student research and to inspire undergraduates to love mathematics, statistics, and data science. | ||
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| + | In March 2020, I started working for Data Machines Corporation, a defense contractor. I worked on a project that the vice president of the company told me would "win the war against China. I did not want there to be a war against China, so I was happy to leave the company a year and a half later, while I was still waiting for my top-secret security clearance. | ||
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| + | In October 2021, I started working for Gainwell Technologies, a company that contracted with state governments to administer their Medicaid programs. I am still at Gainwell, and what I like about the role, in addition to all the fun, exciting, and career building project, the chance to help disadvantaged members of our society. | ||
Latest revision as of 01:56, 25 November 2025
Evidently, I was interested in math and science at a very early age. One of my first memories is of arguing with my mother, quite befuddled, about the sum of 2+2. She had told me that 1+1=2, so clearly, I reasoned, 2+2=3. I understood the concept of "successor" better than "sum", and I had incorrectly generalized. Unfortunately, I had to take my mother's word for it, for she was at a loss to explain. I hope to meet an infant someday (if not my own child) with the same confusion. I would love to show this child, with blocks, just what it means to add two numbers together.
In high school, a progressive alternative public school in Arlington, Virginia, my favorite subject was physics, probably because a superb teacher, Harvey Wynn, brought the subject to life and conveyed to me a deep fascination with the concepts. I started college as a physics major, but soon switched to Applied Mathematics after a magical Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. That summer, I fell in love with dynamical systems, and continued in this field as a graduate student.
In graduate school at Cornell University, I discovered that my favorite dynamical systems were models of animal nervous systems and control systems related to animals. I wrote my dissertation in Applied Mathematics, on a model of the control of human running, under the direction of the renowned Dr. John Guckenheimer. My association with Dr. Guckenheimer makes me the academic grandson of a Fields Medalist (Steven Smale).
By the time I first became a postdoctoral fellow, I had realized that I needed to tie my investigations to real experimental data. It was during this first postdoctoral experience, in John Jeka's lab at the University of Maryland, that I learned about systematic methods for fitting models to data and became fascinated by the clinical problem of applying these methods to identifying deficits in human balance. In 2006, I jumped at the chance to join Eric Fortune's lab at The Johns Hopkins University. The stint in Eric's lab broadened my perspective on sensorimotor processing by introducing me to a level of analysis not possible with humans (for ethical reasons).
In September 2009, I began working with Michael Hines as an Associate Research Scientist in Gordon Shepard's lab in the Neurobiology Department at Yale University. I was hired to expand system identification functionality within the NEURON simulation environment.
In September 2011, I returned to Johns Hopkins for a two-year research stint in the Mechanical Engineering Department.
In September 2013, I moved to American University to fulfill my ambition to mentor student research and to inspire undergraduates to love mathematics, statistics, and data science.
In March 2020, I started working for Data Machines Corporation, a defense contractor. I worked on a project that the vice president of the company told me would "win the war against China. I did not want there to be a war against China, so I was happy to leave the company a year and a half later, while I was still waiting for my top-secret security clearance.
In October 2021, I started working for Gainwell Technologies, a company that contracted with state governments to administer their Medicaid programs. I am still at Gainwell, and what I like about the role, in addition to all the fun, exciting, and career building project, the chance to help disadvantaged members of our society.
