“I looked forward to returning to a place where I had a great experience and passing that experience on to current and future students.” 

These were the words of Matthew Wascher, a CWRU alumni and now assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics and Statistics.

Receiving his bachelor’s degree in math and music from CWRU, Wascher completed his PhD at The Ohio State University before serving as assistant professor at the University of Dayton. He focused his studies on tools from probability and statistics to understand problems in biology and public health. Wascher’s interest in models for the spread of infectious diseases and people’s behavior towards outbreaks were particularly present when he served on The Ohio State University’s Comprehensive Monitoring Team during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To Wascher, statistics allows him to tell a story on how mathematics and statistics give us insight into an interesting problem in the world. Presenting those discoveries by telling a compelling and honest story impacts how audiences will find it useful, inspiring and impactful. 

Wascher is excited to be part of the reopening of the PhD Statistics program at CWRU with a brand new cohort that started this past fall. His favorite courses to teach are those covering probability and stochastic processes, fields that focus on how to build models of random phenomena and how to use them to understand the behaviors of such phenomena.

When asked what piece of advice he gives to students, Wascher said how easy it is to agonize over a big decision like a major or graduate school, with the question of whether it was the right choice. 

“The reality is that there are often many good choices that might allow one to thrive, rather than a singular “right” choice,” he added. “Committing to a good choice and giving things a chance without constantly looking over one’s shoulder to wonder what might have been is just as important to success as making a good choice in the first place.” 

In his free time, Wascher plays the flute and enjoys hiking in the beautiful parks of Cleveland, playing board games with friends, and cooking. He likes visiting all the great restaurants that Cleveland offers.