My training is in statistics, with interests in offline policy learning, causal inference, and statistical learning for sequential decision-making.

But a field of study is only one way to introduce a person. Much of what shapes me happens in the marginsShows an explanation. Press Arrow Down to enter the preview, or Escape to dismiss it.: a question that follows me home, a conversation I reconsider, a small decision nobody sees.

Above an early sketch of his evolutionary treeShows an explanation. Press Arrow Down to enter the preview, or Escape to dismiss it., Darwin wrote, “I think.” I like the room those words leave for doubt. KeatsShows an explanation. Press Arrow Down to enter the preview, or Escape to dismiss it., too, recognized the value of remaining with uncertainty rather than rushing toward an answer. That is a patience I hope to cultivate: holding an idea closely enough to examine it, and loosely enough to change my mind.

Yet learning is never entirely solitary. Marcus Aurelius began his MeditationsShows an explanation. Press Arrow Down to enter the preview, or Escape to dismiss it. by remembering what he had learned from others. I like that an account of the self could begin with gratitude. Whoever I become will carry traces of someone’s patience, someone’s difficult question, someone who made room for me before I knew how to ask. I hope to recognize those gifts and pass them on.