World-class mathematics

After moving from Moscow, Russa to Cedar City, College of Computing, Integrated Engineering and Technology Dean Mikhail Bouniaev is known as a kind and intelligent professor at SUU.

Dean Secretary Michele DeMille said she has worked with Bouniaev for the last five years.

"He is very intelligent and personable," she said. "He has a good sense of humor."

Eric Freden, associate professor of mathematics, said he agrees that Bouniaev is a great asset to SUU.

"Dean Bouniaev has ambitious plans for CIET, several of which are beginning to bear fruit," he said. "Some of these include an aggressive recruitment effort, creation of an applied research center, and acquisition of a 120-processor Linux cluster (supercomputer)."

He said he first met Bouniaev after being hired as a part of the staff in 1997.

"I recall that he informally mentored me for my first year here," Freden said. "His impressive vita at the time included over 40 published papers and several books. Almost all in Russian."

Prior to moving to Cedar City, Bouniaev said he was the dean of the math college at one of the universities in Moscow.

"It was the second-largest university in Moscow," he said.

He said he was offered many positions from universities all over the nation but chose to come to SUU because there were openings for both he and his wife.

"I also liked Cedar City," he said. "My first time here was 14 years ago when I gave a talk at (a) convocation and I fell in love with it. It's wonderful."

After producing some 60 publications, some in English and Russian, he said his talent of teaching lies in his family.

"My dad was a professor of economics and I grew up with it," he said.

Bouniaev said he loves to teach because it is a way of "staying young forever."

"I love the young people," he said. "I like their attitude with life. It's very energetic. Young people inspire me."

DeMille said Bouniaev has visited diverse places throughout the world.

"He talks with other faculty and administration from other universities out of the country," she said.

Bouniaev said he goes to other universities to help set up ways of communication and ties for Study Abroad programs within the CIET programs.

"I was just in Sweden visiting the Jönköping University," he said. "I also went to three universities in Ireland."

Out of all of his traveling, Bouniaev said his favorite place is where he lives.

"Cedar City is a fun place," he said. "I also have three cities I enjoy: Paris, Jerusalem and Galway, Ireland."

Bouniaev said other than traveling, he loves participating in sports.

"I like to ski, snowboard, play tennis, go scuba diving and go wind surfing," he said. "When I was young, I played hockey…I almost played professionally. Most of my old teammates went on to play in the Olympics."

He said that although he enjoyed playing hockey, he decided to become a professor because he wanted to contribute to society as much as possible.

"We have a great college," he said. "It is the best opportunity to get a degree in all of our disciplines. We have great professionals and wonderful people."