About the USAMTS Staff

Brain Edwards

Brian Edwards

USAMTS Director

Brian Edwards (BA, Yale University; PhD, Northwestern University) has been the USAMTS Director since 2014. Brian is also currently an online course instructor and curriculum writer for Art of Problem Solving. Brian participated in math competitions throughout middle school and high school; his achievements include qualifying for the MATHCOUNTS National Competition and USA Mathematical Olympiad, and attending the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program. Additionally, he was a student participant in the USAMTS. As a Yale undergraduate, Brian founded MATHCOUNTS Outreach: a Yale Undergraduate Organization, which created math-enrichment opportunities for New Haven students from underserved communities.

Daniel Zaharopol

Daniel Zaharopol

BEAM Founder and AoPSI CEO

Daniel Zaharopol earned his SB in Mathematics from MIT in 2004, and masters degrees in both Mathematics and Teaching Mathematics from the University of Illinois in 2009. He is currently the CEO of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, which supports the mathematical development of youth in the United States. He founded Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), which creates a realistic pathway to STEM careers for students from low-income and historically marginalized communities. BEAM operates in both New York City and Los Angeles, and is beginning a new national program to make its work accessible nationwide. He is on the board of the Mathematics Foundation of America, which runs Canada/USA Mathcamp, and of the New York Math Circle. He is also a co-founder and past CEO of Learning Unlimited, an education nonprofit that helps college students run educational programs for middle and high school students. Additionally, he was a student participant in the USAMTS during the late ’90s.

Photo credit: Erin Patrice O’Brien.

James Rayman

James Rayman

USAMTS Web Developer and Administrator

James Rayman is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in computer science and math. He has been assisting with USAMTS website maintenance since 2020 (the same year he started grading), and in 2023, he redesigned the website to give it a modern look. James competed in the USAMTS in high school. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail from Katahdin, Maine to Waynesboro, Virginia.

Graders

Grading is done by a variety of mathematicians, including volunteers from the NSA and university students. Because mathematics is an enabling skill that opens the door to a diverse array of careers, these “mathematicians” include electrical engineers, computer scientists, physicists, math educators, and even managers.

The graders vary from round to round, depending on their schedules and commitments. We cannot thank these graders enough for giving us their time. Without their effort this competition could not exist.

Along with Brian and the NSA volunteers, the 2023–2024 grading team consists of: