Cougar alum shines post high school

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By Sage Tippie

Frame It!/ At UNLV, Michael Schwob poses with the Rebel Mascot during passing period. Schwob was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship on March 29 for his accomplishments at UNLV. Photo courtesy of Michael Schwob

The name Michael Schwob may sound familiar to upperclassmen, but eventually it may be a name all students know. Beyond his other countless achievements, Coronado alumni Schwob was awarded the Goldwater Scholarship on March 29, given to college students who “have impressive academic and research credentials that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship scholars.”

“When I read the email that delivered the news, I was completely stunned,” Schwob said. “I did not anticipate the award, and it certainly hasn’t sunk in yet. Winning the award provides me with more motivation to continue researching biomathematical problems as a means of ameliorating global public health. This year, six students in the nation were selected to be a Goldwater Scholar in the field of Bioinformatics. As one of these selected students, I feel more responsibility to continue my research.”

Schwob majors in mathematics, economics, and computer science at UNLV. He plans to pursue a PhD in Biostatistics or Statistics following graduation. Even with all his studies, Schwob is still not exactly sure what he wants to do career-wise. He considers being a professor, working for CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,) or even doing military research.

Throughout his past three years of college, Schwob has accomplished many other feats beyond winning the Goldwater Scholarship. He won the UNLV Sophomore of the Year and Nasser Daneshvary Scholarship for being one of UNLV’s top econ students. Schwob submitted two papers for publication, one on resolving Intravoxel White Matter using Bayesian and Elastic Net Regularization and the other on modeling cell communication using time-dependent signaling hypergraphs. Schwob finds himself involved in several research teams at UNLV: astrophysics, Gig Economy, Big Data, and Hospitality Analytics. He was accepted into the NIH-funded Summer Institute in Biostatistics at Emory University where he will conduct research with faculty and take graduate courses in Bioinformatics this summer. Along with this, Schwob will also be dividing his time this summer between Emory and the Air Force Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio working as a research contractor.

“I feel very fortunate for the opportunities that have been presented to me,” he said. “I think that what I have accomplished so far is a great foundation for graduate school, which is then a great foundation for a research career. Overall, I feel very honored to have the opportunities and awards that have been presented.”

Although Schwob has a lot on his name now, he was once just another high schooler who walked Coronado’s halls. He credits his growth to yearbook adviser Mrs.Thompson and math teacher Mr. Quijada who encouraged him to pursue a future in mathematics. He advises current students to take advantage of Coronado’s liberal arts education and extracurriculars.

“There were so many opportunities to learn whether I was in the classroom, on the soccer field, or in the yearbook room,” Schwob said. “I made sure my education wasn’t just confined to books; I took advantage of all that Coronado had to offer.”

Moving forward, Schwob still feels there is much left for him to do, and despite all his achievements, he continues to stay humble.

“I really haven’t accomplished much yet,” Schwob said. “It’s one thing to say my work has been recognized, but it’s entirely different to be recognized as a researcher. I hope to build momentum with my research career to accomplish much more than just earning awards.”

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Sage Tippie is a senior, and this is her fourth year as a member of “The Roar” staff. She is Co-Editor-in-Chief and manages all of the newsteam’s social media. Her favorite pieces to write are trends and lifestyle features, as well as humorous opinion articles. The majority of her free time is usually spent hanging out with friends or re-watching her favorite TV shows like “New Girl” and “That ‘70’s Show.” Her favorite things include dogs, shopping, and anything chocolate. She hopes to major in communications and pursue a career involving her two passions: fashion and journalism.