04/13/2026 02:03:02 PMMathematicsStudent SuccessUndergraduatearticle Jonathan Leung is a mathematics major at UNT currently conducting research in pure math and fractal geometry under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Prokaj and Dr. Kiko Kawamura. His work focuses on a concept called Levy’s Dragon curve, which is created by taking a triangle and modifying it repeatedly. He initially got curious about pursuing this research as a high school student at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences (TAMS).  “After attending one of the math department’s STaRs Talks and getting curious, my friends encouraged me to reach out to Dr. Kawamura,” said Jonathan. “I had always known about fractals, but learning how they actually work was awe-inspiring to me, and I have been hooked ever since.”  Jonthan has excelled in his studies at UNT, making the President’s List seven semesters. Now in his fourth year as an undergrad, he has presented his own STaRs Talk, shared his research at UNT Scholars Day (where he earned an Undergraduate Research Fellowship), and presented at a Math Club Colloquium. He also gave a talk at the Texas Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (TUMC) last fall which earned him a COS Science Undergraduate Research Presentation Award.  “This semester I have been working to create and defend a thesis for an Honors College Award, as well as finishing a joint paper with my mentor Dr. Prokaj that we can hopefully publish before I graduate in May,” said Jonathan. “Throughout my undergrad, Dr. Prokaj’s door has always been open to answer any question no matter how small, and he is a pillar that my fellow students and I know we can rely on anytime we needed help.”    Outside the classroom, Jonathan enjoys playing video games, Magic the Gathering, and French Horn. As well as being a part of the UNT Math Club, he is also on the UNT Ultimate Frisbee Team and is a volunteer at Elm Fork Home Schooling.  “Playing frisbee has really shown me the value of working as a team, and how important interpersonal connections and camaraderie are to have an enjoyable college experience,” he said. “And Elm Fork is the part of my week that I always look forward to, it is fun to teach kids new things for the first time and see the wonder light up in their eyes.”  Jonathan’s choice to stay at UNT after TAMS was inspired by the friends he made and professors he loved learning from as a high schooler. Working on his minor in biology while getting his math degree was a strategic decision for his future plans.   “Though I spent a large part of my undergraduate career in mathematics, it was simply because I am interested in the subject. My primary goal is to become a medical doctor, more specifically a pediatrician,” said Jonathan, who has been studying for the MCAT outside of class and hopes to apply in May. “I was raised in a community where money was tight, and often the best medicine we could afford was: just wait it out. I want to help people receive medicine without the fear of bankruptcy; I believe healthcare is a basic human right.”