Statistician and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Michael Schuckers believes that his research and training help students take a fresh perspective on learning. To remember the large picture is one of the fundamental goals in the classroom at a liberal arts institution such as St. Lawrence University.

“One of the most important things in solving a real problem is to remember your goal,” he says. For Schuckers, the classroom is a dynamic place where he can apply his research in statistical methods for biometric identification, used in iris scanners and fingerprint readers for security purposes, and give students a place where they may see the real-world applications of their studies.

When students step into Schuckers’ classroom, he believes that they need to keep an open mind. “This means actively engaging in many things until you find the one that is right for you,” he says. “I started college headed toward a history major but I was good at math so I kept taking math courses.  About the end of my second year, the math courses were too cool to stop taking them!”

The academic freedom to pursue a wide variety of intellectual interests is what makes St. Lawrence a fantastic place to do research, says Schuckers. “One week I'm working on bioidentification, the next I'm working on porcupine data, the next I'm working on wind farm data,” he says. “I get to work with dynamic and interested students on a daily basis. The faculty in the mathematics, computer science, and statistics department are a fantastic group of energetic people.  Together, the faculty and students make it a joy to come to work every day.”