EMSW21-MCTP Attracting, Motivating and Preparing Mathemtics students in the Southwest by building an energetic community

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Over the three years 2008-2011 the National Science Foundation is funding an MCTP Program (Mentoring through Critical Transition Points) at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The program, led by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UNM, will build an energetic opportunity to learn important ideas in pure, applied, and computational mathematics, to explore and participate in research projects in these areas, and, through contact with graduate students, to explore and prepare for possible graduate studies. They will get encouragement and insight into a career in the mathematical sciences, while participating in a supportive social network. Simultaneously, the program will foster graduate student success by strengthening their knowledge as well as their teaching and communication skills. First, we will hold a five-week intensive summer workshop during which the participants will learn about topics in Mathematical Modeling, Algebraic structures, Fourier Analysis and Wavelets, and Fluid Dynamics. One week is devoted to each topic in morning lectures and afternoon laboratories, with the support of graduate students. Since an important component of the workshop is to build a supportive student community we also plan activities and a week-long break with organized trips in our beautiful state, such as a camping trip and visits to Los Alamos National Laboratories, and Santa Fe. While the workshop is open to anyone interested, an average of 18 undergraduate students throughout the state and neighboring states will be able to participate each year with full funding, including transportation, accommodation and a stipend. The program will also pay 2-4 graduate students that will assist with the laboratories and help mentor the students. Secondly, during the academic year following the workshop, 6-8 advanced UNM undergraduate participants will undertake research projects that will lead to an honors thesis. The students will work in groups of two with a faculty member of the department. They will spend most of the fall semester learning the necessary project-specific background, and then spend the spring working on their project. In the following summer they will complete their research, write a thesis, and possibly prepare a corresponding paper for publication. They will present their work at undergraduate student conferences and in some cases in professional journals. The students will be funded by the grant throughout the year. Thirdly, incoming graduate students will be invited to attend the Summer program before beginning their studies at UNM. Two of them, who will be fully funded by the grant for one year, will help mentor the undergraduates throughout the year and will help train the graduate assistants in the following summer's workshop. They will also have leading roles in a general program designed to prepare our graduate students for their qualifying examinations and to be effective teachers. This program builds on an existing teacher-training program, a summer study program, and other activities meant to strengthen the graduate community and help them succeed. Our long-term goal is to produce a thriving, self sustaining, supportive atmosphere of creative enquiry in the Southwest, where all students interested in mathematics, pure or applied, feel welcome and have the opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons and maximize their professional potential. The NSF funded MCTP grant that makes this program possible is headed by Professor Cristina Pereyra, with Professors Jens Lorenz, Michael Nakamaye and Monika Nitsche as co-investigators. The students funded must be U.S. citizens or residents and underrepresented groups are specially encouraged to apply.