Edward Ohanian’s first published paper in a peer-reviewed journal, “Eradicating a Disease: Lessons from Mathematical Epidemiology,” may be an unusual topic for a typical law student, but it is consistent with his intention to carve out a career niche at the intersection of mathematics and the law.
The article, written with Professor Matthew Glomski of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was published in the Mathematical Association of America’s The College Mathematics Journal.
Ohanian explains, “in the article, we apply mathematical models to assess the efficacy of various control strategies used to combat viral infectious diseases. In particular, we discuss disease eradication and why smallpox is, so far, the only human infectious disease to be eliminated world-wide.”
“There are these really elegant mathematical models,” he said, “and I decided to go to law school to improve my ability to actually implement the models in the real world.”
Ohanian, a first-year law student and Latham, N.Y., native, initially majored in political science at Marist, where he graduated in 2010 with a major in mathematics and a minor in political science.
“I have always had an analytic mind, well suited to math classes, and I ended up taking enough classes to satisfy the major requirements,” said Ohanian, noting that both his major and minor backgrounds have been highly transferrable to the study of law.
Ohanian graduated from Marist one year early, and he spent the year prior to law school working on a grant through the New York State Department of Labor, measuring and analyzing the state’s green economy. The summer before law school, he also worked on his paper with Professor Glomski.
After graduating from Albany Law, Ohanian intends to pursue a graduate degree in public health, and then find a position where he can help shape health policy at a systemic level.
“Ideally I’d like to apply math and law simultaneously in my future endeavors, keeping one foot in each world,” he said.
In addition to his law classes, Ohanian is currently working as a research assistant for Professor Alicia Ouellette in the field of bioethics, as well as for Professor Christine Chung in the field of state and local finances. This summer, he will work as a summer associate at Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde, a firm that maintains one of the largest health care practices in New York state.