Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce (EMSW21-VIGRE)

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The Department of Mathematics and the Program in Applied Mathematics at the University of Arizona propose a far-reaching workforce-enhancement program that will prepare young American men and women for careers as professional mathematicians. The mathematical sciences workforce of the 21st century must be diverse not only with respect to gender and ethnicity but also with respect to training, to ensure that it can serve the full spectrum of societal needs in mathematical research and education. Furthermore, in order to be truly effective at the national level, such a training program must reach far beyond local institutional boundaries---both geographically and culturally---in order to maximize its impact on the growth and development of the professional community. This project builds upon and makes permanent many of the programs initiated during our first VIGRE project. These include graduate fellowships awarded strategically via a competitive proposal process, unique laboratory and internship opportunities, innovative undergraduate research and teaching assistantship programs, vertically integrated research and outreach opportunities with participants at all academic levels ranging from high-school students through senior faculty, and mentoring programs carefully designed to assist students with critical transitions such as becoming a mathematics major, entering graduate school, or beginning a career. Our project also includes a new summer research program for undergraduates which will make Arizona's unique integration of the creation, application, and communication of mathematics available to a wider audience. An important new aspect of our VIGRE program is a regional network involving undergraduate and graduate institutions throughout the Southwest. Within this network, ideas, students, and faculty will move in several directions. Arizona will benefit from the insights and experience of our colleagues at regional and minority-serving institutions, thereby increasing our capabilities to recruit and retain underrepresented students and opening new channels to place our graduates. Faculty from regional institutions will participate in activities such as the summer research program, supporting their intellectual and professional development and allowing them to start new programs which their institutions would not normally have the resources to initiate. Ultimately, our VIGRE program will have a large impact on the quality and quantity of the entire mathematical sciences workforce pipeline, from undergraduates through faculty, throughout the region.