AMSI grant recipient profile: Diego Plumed Beortegui

My name is Diego Plumed and I come from Zaragoza, Spain.

In primary school, I never stood out in anything in particular and had a rather normal lifestyle; I practiced several sports such as tennis, swimming, basketball, and skating, my favourite subject was P.E., and I loved playing video games with my mates. My high school had the peculiarity of offering a German Bilingual Program, in which I took part. Besides, I started developing my desire for studying and focused more seriously on my tennis career. I was especially keen on sciences and followed the secondary school technical branch, with the intention of becoming an engineer. Furthermore, the several exchange programs to Germany I participated in gave birth to my interest in their culture. I successfully completed my high school with excellent grades, which enabled me to surprisingly enrol in Mathematics at Universidad de Zaragoza.

Without any previous expectations, I enjoyed my first university year, despite combining my studies with the workload as a tennis coach, a job that I maintained throughout my degree. After my second year of university, I decided to look for alternative working opportunities and hence managed to obtain an internship at Zittau/Görlitz Hochschule in Zittau, Germany. There, I undertook a project regarding TurtleBot4 units, a topic completely out of the scope of my knowledge. Once I completed my third year, I packed my staff and headed to Sydney, Australia, where I would be finalising my mathematics degree at UTS. Despite being settled as a worker as a waiter, I sought activities regarding mathematics that entertained me during summer. During such search, Professor Anthony Dooley introduced me to AMSI and, that way, I ended up taking part in AMSI Summer School 2026.

Give me a quick overview of the type of mathematics you are studying, and/or the aims of your research and its potential applications/outcomes

I am specialising in the algebra concerning Machine Learning Algorithms. Thus, I am also learning about measure theory, functional analysis, and probability, since the main purpose of such algorithms is function approximation. This mystified field is nothing but function generation given a set of data, which enables us to make further predictions not regarded in our initial data. Its general impact is such that it currently represents a necessary tool in biotechnology, physics, medicine, and AI, with its applications in image recognition standing out in particular.

How did you get into the mathematical sciences? Was there someone or something that inspired you to this field?

I actually got into mathematics by chance. Initially, without any clear idea, I was aiming for engineering degrees. However, shortly before the university enrolment process, I changed my mind and enrolled in mathematics. My major influence could have been my last year mathematics teacher, who introduced us to real mathematics and encouraged us to think as mathematicians.

You received a grant to attend AMSI Summer School. How important was this in terms of your ability to attend, fully participate in the program and meet others studying in similar fields?

It was determinative in my case. As an exchange student who has to pay rent in Sydney, I did not have enough spare money to move to Melbourne for a month. Besides, since this programme is academically demanding, I would not have been able to combine work and studies, as I am used to doing.

Attendance in person is a completely different experience, through which one is able to extract the maximum potential from the opportunity that AMSI Summer School represents. The close contact with leading lecturers, the valuable opinions of your colleagues, and the socially distant meetings are not transferable through a camera.

What was the most valuable part of the program for you?

In my opinion, the bonds one creates, not only with one’s mates but also with the lecturers, are invaluable. After a month of daily contact, one generates relationships that are as incredible as they are interesting, with people who come from all over Australia and who would be difficult to contact without an event like this.

In the long-term, what do you think are the benefits of having attended Summer School?

Overcoming challenges, unforgettable friendships, and valuable and genuine knowledge.

Summer School included a special Careers Day program which aims to help give students an idea of the kinds of career paths available to maths graduates in industry and private sector research areas. Do you feel better equipped to explore career options in the mathematical sciences after attending AMSI Summer School?

Yes, definitely. I had no idea about the scope of job possibilities I had as a mathematician, and this event not only provides you with direct contact with important companies but also guides you on the professional paths one could follow.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering applying for Summer School in 2027? Should they apply and why?

I would not think twice about it; I would strongly recommend anyone to apply. A piece of advice I would give is to complete the subject quizzes to have a general idea of what the subject will be offering. Moreover, I would like to guarantee to them that everyone is open to making new friends and helping each other with the subject: it is not a competitive atmosphere at all.

What are your current career ambitions in the mathematical sciences sector?

In the imminent future, I am planning to undertake a master’s degree in Mathematics at TUM (Technical University of Munich), with the intention of researching Machine Learning or becoming a Data Scientist.

How did connecting with the community at AMSI Summer School support your experience?

It helped me in both an academic and a non-academic manner. Brilliant people from all over Australia gather together in summer, a season when everyone is keen to enjoy themselves and have fun.

Any other feedback/comments you would like to provide on the AMSI Travel Grant or AMSI Summer School 2026?

Just keep on doing this remarkable event, and thank you so much for your hard work in making this year’s event happen.