Katherine Miner

What’ve you enjoyed most about your area of study? Was there a particular discovery, new skill or way of thinking, or insight that you found especially valuable? Please share an example from your favorite class or experience.

I most enjoyed how political science is so applicable to the real world. I had the opportunity to learn about many facets of society- from areas such as elections and political misinformation all the way to the criminal justice system. My favorite experience is from 17.263 Electoral Politics, Public Opinion, and Democracy. In this class, I had the opportunity to work at a polling center for the 2022 midterm elections. I got to see first-hand how the election process works, and this experience has motivated me to be a poll worker again in the 2024 presidential election.

How does the knowledge from this field, or your interest in it, combine with your other major or minor studies at MIT?

Throughout my political science coursework, I’ve learned of different mathematical models used to describe political phenomena. Theories about how elections are decided and how people reason about current events can be described using math, and this is truly fascinating and beautiful.

An MIT education includes study in the scientific, technical, social science, arts, and humanities fields. How do you think that wide range of knowledge and perspectives will be valuable to you – for your career success and for your enjoyment of life?

The HASS component to my MIT education allowed me to broaden my horizons throughout my four years. Often, in math, it is very easy to get “lost in the calculations”, and forget about how it applies to peoples’ everyday experiences. Taking coursework in political science reminded me of my personal motivation to understand math and help others, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future are to pursue a PhD in Computational and Applied Mathematics at the University of Chicago.