He came to New York for a master’s degree. He found pizza instead. Atalay holds an undergraduate degree in engineering. He arrived in New York to continue his studies. The kitchen at 105 E 9th Street is what happened next. The move from engineering student to pizza maker was not a departure from the discipline, it was an application of it. Every variable that defines a great pizza has a measurable answer. The pH of the sauce. The viscosity. The rate of fermentation. The temperature at which ingredients emulsify.