Jeff Ayers beat cancer to earn his doctorate
A summer fellowship when he was in remission gave him the time he needed to complete his research.
Earning a doctorate is a challenge for anyone, but Jeff Ayers faced more than the typical academic hurdles.
Ayers arrived at UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall of 2019, after a professor from his undergraduate institution identified Carolina’s mathematics department as the best place to pursue his research interests. The doctoral candidate in mathematics works at the intersection of geometric representation theory, enumerative geometry and mathematical physics. He aims to apply lessons from the two geometry-related fields to results from physics, proving formulas and solving conjectures in the physical realm. But just as he was finding his footing as a graduate student, an unexpected diagnosis upended his plans.
Just after wrapping up his first year in Chapel Hill, Ayers was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. He spent most of his second year at home in Massachusetts, undergoing chemotherapy while teaching and attending lectures online. Because this happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, the courses Ayers needed to take and teach had shifted online, so he was able to manage his regular schedule of responsibilities while also undergoing chemotherapy. Ayers credits the online graduate community with providing a sense of connection during a time of isolation.
“The mathematics department has a very strong community of grad students. We really take care of each other,” Ayers said. “Getting to see my friends and interacting with my students online while going through this was very helpful. There was a part of me that needed that sense of community. I was able to focus on something other than my diagnosis.”
After six months of chemotherapy, Ayers entered remission. Now that he is closing in on the critical five-year milestone, he is optimistic about his long-term health.
But Ayers also had an academic challenge to overcome: making up for lost time. Unable to return to campus and without an online option, Ayers had taken a semester off from his studies to avoid missing a required comprehensive exam. As a result, he fell one semester behind his peers and had to play catch-up.
He was wrapping up his fourth year, uncertain if he would complete his degree by the December 2024 target. He thought that he, like many doctoral students, would have to spend the summer teaching instead of doing research. But funding from The Graduate School’s Glass summer research fellowship allowed him to dedicate himself exclusively to research.
That fellowship proved to be the turning point for Ayers. He was able to submit two manuscripts to journals and put out two results that eventually culminated in his dissertation. He has now completed his degree requirements and will graduate in December. “If I didn’t have that time to spend on research, I don’t know if I would have been able to catch up,” he said.
Despite the abstract nature of his research, Ayers hopes to use the knowledge he gained at Carolina to have a real-world impact. He is currently eyeing roles in government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he could apply his mathematical skills to solve complex problems like pollution and disease transmission.
“I love what I do, and I want to be able to use it to help others,” Ayers said. “For the longest time, teaching is what’s been scratching that itch. Now, hopefully, I can find something else where I can have an impact.”
