Timothy Tarter
About Timothy
Timothy is currently a rising junior at James Madison University triple-majoring in Quantitative Finance, Mathematics, and Economics; his research interests include Elliptic Curve Cryptography, Galois and Representation Theory, and applications of Stochastic Processes and Measure Theory to both Quantitative Finance and National Security matters. For the summer of 2025, Timothy is working as a Quantitative Research Intern on the Index Solutions team for Annexus Group, as well as researching properties of the Bruhat Order on the Finite Automorphic Group under the Brakke-Mason grant via JMU's College of Science and Mathematics. Following his expected graduation in 2027, Timothy hopes to pursue a PhD in Pure Mathematics at Princeton, Caltech, Stanford, University of Michigan at Dearborn, or Oxford. In the meanwhile, Timothy enjoys his free time by playing electric guitar, reading satire and theology, and spending time with his family and friends. For more information about what Timothy is up to, please visit his website at www.tartermathematics.com or message him on LinkedIn.
Timothy was apart of an interdisciplinary team were tasked with addressing a critical challenge at White Sands Missile Range: the difficulty of detecting and managing unauthorized drone activity in sensitive airspace. With traditional detection systems missing a wide range of unconventional drones and legal constraints preventing easy neutralization, the team had to think creatively within a limited budget and minimal data environment.
The project was split between technical and legal components. Timothy focused on creating a probabilistic model to predict drone trajectories using Kalman filtering and measure theory. The legal subteam developed a draft standard operating procedure to help guide policy decisions on drone mitigation within U.S. legal boundaries.
Interview
Q: What motivated you to take the H4D course?
“I’ve always been interested in intelligence and national security, and Hacking for Defense (H4D) seemed like a chance to take that interest and turn it into something practical.”
As a mathematics major with a research background in cryptography and quantitative finance, he was drawn to H4D’s emphasis on real-world problem-solving and its application of advanced technical skills. “The course description, especially the math prerequisites, told me this wasn’t just another class. It was a serious opportunity to contribute to real research.”
Q: What were some of the outcomes you accomplished with your team?
“H4D let us work on something that actually mattered. It gave our team a way to bring very different skill sets together and create something real.”
The H4D experience allowed Timothy to apply advanced mathematics to a high-impact national defense problem. Working with sparse data—often just two data points per drone—the technical team successfully designed a framework to interpolate flight paths and assess potential threats. Their work was documented in a white paper and formed the foundation for ongoing research that may continue with additional grant funding. Beyond sharpening his technical skills in mathematics, Timothy gained valuable experience working across disciplines. He credits the team’s success to the collaborative and interdisciplinary dynamic between engineering and legal teammates, each contributing to a unified solution.
Q: How has H4D shaped your career trajectory?
“I saw H4D kind of as this opportunity to do a cool project, work with some bright people, and do something cool and helpful for my nation.”
Participating in H4D reaffirmed Timothy’s passion for using mathematics to tackle complex, high-stakes problems. He plans to pursue a PhD in pure mathematics, continuing his research while keeping open the possibility of working in cryptography, quantitative finance, or academia. Inspired by mathematician Paul Erdős’s collaborative approach to problem-solving, Timothy sees his career as one built around meaningful partnerships and intellectually demanding challenges—and that was exactly the kind of experience the H4D classroom provided.