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Math Department April Spotlight
Hagar Cobbinah
Hagar Cobbinah, a graduate student at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), is originally from Prestea, a mining town in Ghana’s Western Region. She credits her parents, Grace Quaicoe and Godson Cobbinah, for their unwavering support in shaping her academic journey. Hagar began her education at Prestea Goldfields School and Catholic Junior High School before advancing to Nsein Senior High School, where she majored in General Arts. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree in mathematics with a concentration in Applied Statistics at UTC.
Hagar is an active member of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), UTC Chapter, where she also serves as the chapter president. She is also a member of the Ghana Association of Statistics Students. She began her studies at UTC in August 2023, drawn to the program’s strong research opportunities and supportive academic environment.
Hagar’s biggest inspiration has always been her parents. Though they never had the opportunity to attend college, they instilled in her the importance of education and encouraged her to aim higher than they ever could have imagined. This motivation has helped her push through challenges, including adjusting to a new academic system and culture as an international student. Balancing coursework, research, and teaching responsibilities while being far from home has required resilience and faith, but she has embraced every challenge as part of her growth.
Hagar academic achievements speak to her dedication. At UCC, she received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence for two consecutive years and graduated as the best female student in Statistics in her department. At UTC, she has worked on several research projects as a Graduate Research Assistant. Under Dr. Lakmali Weerasena, she contributed to a project using Graph Convolutional Networks to tackle the Set Covering Problem in mathematical optimization. With Dr. Ziwei Ma, she participated in a biostatistics study analyzing risk factors associated with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency. Additionally, she collaborated with STEM department heads on a data analytics project examining high DFW (Drop, Fail, Withdraw) rates at UTC, exploring data-driven solutions to improve student success. These experiences have strengthened her analytical skills and prepared her for future doctoral studies in applied mathematics and biostatistics.
Among her proudest accomplishments are securing a competitive graduate assistantship in the U.S., contributing to cutting-edge research, and gaining confidence in teaching at the college level. When she’s not immersed in numbers, Hagar enjoys writing poetry, particularly reflections on faith, hope, and identity. She also finds comfort in watching African films, which keep her connected to her culture and home. To unwind after a long day, she reads Scriptures and occasionally watches movies.
Hagar chose mathematics because of her deep passion for problem-solving and pattern recognition. She sees math as a universal language that explains real-world phenomena, while statistics provide the tools to make sense of uncertainty. She is excited about how mathematics applies across disciplines, from public health to artificial intelligence.
Throughout her time at UTC, she has had the privilege of working with Dr. Lakmali Weerasena, Dr. Ziwei Ma, and Dr. Christopher Cox, all of whom have played a significant role in her academic journey. Hagar’s story is a testament to dedication, resilience, and the power of mentorship, and the UTC math community is proud to have her as part of the program.
