Eastern Illinois Integrated Conference in Geometry, Dynamics, and Topology

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston IL

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the Eastern Illinois Integrated Conference in Geometry, Dynamics, and Topology, which will occur the weekend of April 15-17, 2016, at Eastern Illinois University. This conference is integrated in the sense that it draws participants at every stage of their mathematical careers, with particular focus on both early-career graduate students and undergraduates. A meeting of this type brings together researchers from the academically young to the well-established, yet offers a more narrow research focus than is typically found at undergraduate-inclusive conferences. This narrow focus serves to promote more meaningful contact in the context of mathematical research. The conference is intended to fuel young mathematicians' interest in research mathematics, promote inter- and intra-generational research ties, and demonstrate how undergraduates can be incorporated into research programs in these fields. Three established speakers and three early-career speakers are invited by the organizing committee; these speakers are chosen both for their eminence in their respective fields and their ability to provide meaningful introductions to complex topics for audiences with a wide range of mathematical backgrounds. Invitations for submissions by graduate students and undergraduate students will be issued in mid-February. Submitted abstracts will be reviewed by subject-specific committees composed of faculty at Eastern Illinois University. Up to 6 graduate students and between 12 and 15 undergraduates will be invited to make presentations, either as talks or in poster sessions. In addition to the talks and poster sessions, the conference provides opportunities for less formal interaction, including social events on Friday and Saturday nights. Our increased focus on incorporating undergraduates into professional life includes panel discussions from funded graduate students and early-career mathematicians covering important but seldom-discussed aspects of attending graduate school and pursuing an academic career in mathematics. More information will be available at the conference website: https://ux1.eiu.edu/~gdt/2016.html