At Rutgers–Camden, undergraduates can truly have the best of everything, including small classes, taught by world-class faculty, and the opportunity to engage in high-level research. Millicent Kipp, a mathematics major and computer science minor, is a perfect example of a student who has taken advantage of what Rutgers–Camden has to offer, and thrived.
During the past academic year, Millicent worked with Dr. Benedetto Piccoli, Associate Provost for Research and the Joseph and Loretta Lopez Endowed Chair Professor of Mathematics, and Dr. Maria Laura Delle Monache, a post-doctoral researcher, on the research project “Monday Syndrome,” which hypothesized that traffic flow is worse on Mondays than other days of the week. Concentrating on the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the state of California, Millicent gathered data on congestion, speeds, and other traffic statistics. Then, using her computer science background, Millicent wrote her own codes to analyze the data, and presented her work at the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in April. While laborious, Millicent credits this research experience with “helping me tremendously with computer science coding and my mathematics critical thinking.” Millicent also received the Dean’s Undergraduate Research Prize in recognition of her outstanding work.
Millicent’s path to success started with her decision to attend Rutgers–Camden. Initially unsure about whether she wanted to live away from home or commute, Rutgers-Camden quickly rose to the top. “Rutgers–Camden stood out to me not only because of its excellent value but also for its well-known excellence in education and location. The highly acclaimed name of Rutgers sealed the deal in determining which school would best suit my needs both in the level of education and financially.”
Always interested in mathematics, Millicent was clear on her choice of major. “I love the precision, the well-defined nature, and the accuracy of mathematics,” she says. Prior to college, Millicent was unfamiliar with computer science, and it was only after discussing the subject with students majoring in computer science that Millicent felt it would be a good fit as a minor. “It still amazes me that someone can write lines of code and produce a functioning and effective program, but this is why computer science is not only extremely interesting and efficient but practical as well,” Millicent says.
A member of the Civic Scholars, Millicent has also found a way to connect her interest in math with her volunteer work. On Saturday mornings, Millicent volunteers with the program TeenSharp, teaching mathematics (and more) to eighth grade students. “Along with mathematical concepts, I have been able to talk about my research, coding, and the importance of hard work and precision in the mathematics field while learning effective ways to stimulate growth and learning for the students.”
A former member of the cross-country team, Millicent served as the Vice Co-Chair of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC). Millicent was able to carry over her commitment to civic engagement through her leadership of SAAC, planning many community and university events, including organizing student-athletes to work together to buy presents for local families during the holiday season.
While Millicent is still working toward her bachelor’s degree, she has her eye on the future. She definitely plans to earn her master’s degree in applied mathematics, either immediately after graduation or after she has entered the workforce. “Either way, I know that I will be able to use my analytical skills and coding knowledge to make a difference in the STEM field wherever I go,” she says. Given Millicent’s many achievements as a student, she is sure to accomplish much as a graduate, and continue to be a perfect example of a student who has taken advantage of what Rutgers–Camden has to offer, and thrived.
About Millicent Kipp
Class Year: 2017
Major: Mathematics
Minor: Computer Science
Hometown: West Deptford, NJ
Written by Julie Roncinske