Louisiana State University VIGRE Proposal EMSW21-VIGRE

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

The VIGRE Project in the Department of Mathematics at Louisiana State University (LSU) will recruit and train mathematical scientists from the US to meet the demands of the scientific workplace in the twenty-first century. The program will focus on the integration of research and education at all levels: undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral. VIGRE ?research crews? (RCs), vertically integrated research groups, will provide dynamic research environments in which faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates work together to make discoveries and produce publishable results. In conjunction with LSU?s core mathematics curriculum and the RCs, the department will provide additional professional development opportunities for students and postdocs through a summer VIGRE program, through the Research Connections Program (internships in other departments on campus, in industry, or in national labs), and through various professional development workshops. The summer VIGRE program will involve participation from a consortium of regional colleges and universities. Students will participate in an REU and interact in education and outreach programs. With solid training and mentorship, the department will produce high quality graduates and postdocs for the mathematical science and teaching workforce. It will develop the RC model as a means of transforming graduate mathematics education at LSU and as a portable mechanism for doing the same in other mathematics programs around the country. LSU graduates, with their collaborative VIGRE experience, will be able to transfer this knowledge and expertise in their various professional career paths. The VIGRE summer program and VIGRE-related outreach activities will engage Louisiana K-12 teachers and thereby have a positive impact on education throughout the state. Finally, the Research Connections Program will foster interdisciplinary research at all levels by building contacts between the department and academic, industrial, and governmental agencies