McCleary Philbin

Where are you from?

I grew up mostly in Sherborn, MA, but we also lived in Hong Kong and Singapore before then. I went to Swarthmore College outside of Philadelphia, PA. I spent a year at the Smith College post-baccalaureate program, before starting at the University of Minnesota in 2016. 

Please describe an experience (or 2) that helped you discover/ cultivate your interest in the mathematical sciences.

In college, I barely passed Real Analysis. Up until that point, I hadn't struggled too much with math, but I also hadn't loved it. I had been taking math classes in college, because that's what I'd always done in school. This class was the first time I had struggled so much academically and still enjoyed the material. This experience was what emboldened me to pursue higher level mathematics. I took on Real Analysis again at Smith College and loved it! It was so rewarding to come back and understand material that had once baffled me. These days my mathematical interests lie more on the algebraic side of things, but Real Analysis will always be the subject that compelled me to pursue higher mathematics. 

What is/are your most proud accomplishment(s) in regards to your career in the mathematical sciences?

Thus far, my mathematical career is graduate school.  My most proud accomplishment in my personal life relates to my time in graduate school, so I'm going to combine this question with the next one. 

What is/are your most proud accomplishment(s) in regards to your personal life?

I am proudest of surviving my second year of graduate school. While supportive professors assisted with my academic success, my personal success is my own. I was quite sick for most of the year -- suffering from frequent migraines and the worsening of a chronic anxiety disorder. I spent the better part of that year trying out medications and going to regular therapy sessions. I am a happier healthier person now, and I have the capacity to love math (and many other things) again! My family and friends were wonderfully supportive, but in the end, I'm the one who pulled myself out of the hole I'd fallen into. I am extremely proud of that. 

Please share some words of wisdom/inspiration. Do math because you like it. You don't have to quit when you fail.  Mathematics needs more women, and we deserve the chance to revisit challenging material, just as much as our male colleagues.