Cambridge’s Clare Hall elects Schenck to lifetime membership

During a visiting fellowship at the University of Cambridge, mathematician Hal Schenck found himself immersed in a world of high-level research, formal college dinners, and competitive rowing.

“The food was good, and the math was great…but rowing was the best,” he quipped.

This fall, Cambridge’s Clare Hall elected Schenck to lifetime membership in recognition of his continued engagement with the college. Schenck, Professor and Rosemary Kopel Brown Chair in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, sees the honor as a chance to help Auburn students access the kind of academic communities he experienced while abroad.

“My goal is for these relationships to open more doors for Auburn students,” he said.

Those months at Cambridge, along with an earlier visiting professorship at the University of Oxford, gave Schenck a close look at how the two universities build intellectual bridges through daily contact across disciplines, a model that shapes both the culture and the classroom.

“The interactions between researchers from different disciplines are a key part of life at these universities,” he said. “It was eye opening to teach in such a completely different system.”

Schenck taught in Cambridge’s tutorial system, meeting with students in one-on-one and two-on-one sessions for guided problem solving and discussion. He said the structure offered a level of individualized attention that had a clear impact on learning.

“It's terrific for the students,” he said. “The focused attention really helps them develop a deep understanding of the material.”

Seeing how students responded to the tutorial model also sharpened his thinking about teaching at Auburn, where he often leads some of the university’s largest undergraduate mathematics courses. The scale is different, but Schenck said the underlying goal is the same.

“We should be laser focused on ensuring that every Auburn student who puts in the work ends up crossing the finish line and achieves their goals,” he said.

Schenck’s UK experience has already opened doors for the students he mentors. During a recent trip, he arranged for PhD student Joanie Morris to visit the Oxford Mathematical Institute and give a seminar talk on her research.

"The opportunity to give a talk at Oxford and discuss math with researchers was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Morris said.

Membership at Clare Hall will keep Schenck connected with a global network of scholars whose work spans mathematics, physics, biology and data science. He continues to collaborate with colleagues from Oxford and Cambridge on projects that bring together algebraic geometry, topological data analysis and interdisciplinary applications.

Schenck said these connections not only strengthen Auburn’s presence in international research projects but also expand the possibilities available to Auburn students.

Ultimately, the goal is for these international ties to lead to more opportunities for Auburn students to learn, collaborate and see what is possible beyond the classroom.

“I want Auburn students to experience the world,” he said. “And I want the world to experience what Auburn students can do.”