College of Arts and Sciences

Faculty & Staff Profiles

Dr. Abernathy graduated from Wake Forest University in 2006 with a B.S. in mathematics and a B.S. in physics, and continued on to North Carolina State University to earn his Ph.D. in mathematics in 2011. Abernathy then joined the Winthrop Department of Mathematics in 2011, where he currently teaches a variety of mathematics and data science courses and serves as the director for Winthrop’s Bachelor of Arts in Data Science degree program. In addition, Abernathy also enjoys doing research in the areas of infectious disease modeling as well as applications of data science and machine learning to various domains in industry, science, and education. He has been a part of several external research grants and has mentored over 50 undergraduate students on various research projects, with topics ranging from mathematical models of cancer treatments to machine learning enhanced design of RNA-based fluorescent biosensors. Abernathy also works as an Educational Data Scientist for the Department of Institutional Effectiveness, where he assists the university with recruitment/retention efforts, academic master planning, budget planning, and automated reporting efforts using data science tools and methodologies.

 

Some of his other hobbies include piano, composing, running, hiking, weightlifting, reading, gaming, and basketball. Most of all, he looks forward to time spent with his wife and three sons, as well as visiting family and friends in the Carolinas.