Daniel Wolf

Can you tell us a bit about your academic background?

I studied for my MMath Mathematics degree at the University of Warwick. I then went on to pursue a masters degree in philosophy at the University of Bristol, where I was also learning German alongside my studies.

Afterwards I moved to Berlin to improve my German. When I was there, I decided I wanted to go back into mathematics and my research into institutions showed that Leeds is one of the top places in Europe to study logic, my area of mathematics. 

You've also been involved in teaching whilst at Leeds haven't you?

I received a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, which was a fantastic way to fund my PhD.

It required me to do 250 hours of teaching, the maximum allowed, which was a challenge alongside completing my PhD, but I absolutely love teaching and it was a great opportunity.

I won a postgraduate teaching award for my efforts. I find teaching hugely rewarding and postgraduates do a lot of teaching, so it's good to see that recognised. 

Why did you choose to do your PhD at Leeds?

I had heard great things about Leeds whilst studying for my undergraduate and masters degrees, then did some research online and found out that Leeds is one of the best places in Europe for me to study my area of mathematics. 

The department is really well run at Leeds and there is a great community of PhD students here, with events going on all the time. Leeds as a city is fantastic too, there's lots to do and it has good transport links around the country. 

Do you have any advice for people considering doing a PhD?

If you're thinking about doing a PhD, I'd highly recommend talking to people including possible supervisors.

You should come and visit the University as you get a much better feel of the place and can see everything it has to offer, as well as the chance to meet current PhD students and chat to them. 

The University and all the staff here are really supportive too. My wife recently had a baby and the support we received from everyone was superb. 

What are your future plans?

I'm going to go back to Berlin with my wife and our son. I'm keen to take on a job that is a bit more practical, but I've not ruled out teaching for the future yet!