An Innovative Bridge Program for Mentoring BS-MS Fast-Track Students towards PhDs in Mathematical Sciences

University Of Texas At Arlington, Arlington TX

Investigators

Abstract

The Mathematics Department at the University of Texas Arlington will run a three-year bridge project involving 30 students to transition them to doctoral programs in the mathematical sciences. The targeted students are those, especially from underrepresented or underserved groups, who are not yet as competitive for doctoral programs as those who already had strong preparation in analysis and advanced linear algebra. The project is intended to be a comprehensive support system that benefits from the existing mathematics learning community in the mathematics doctoral program at the University of Texas Arlington and faculty mentoring and peer mentoring. This project will provide participating students with the opportunity to develop their full intellectual and academic potential in the mathematical sciences, by providing them with a comprehensive preparation and an innovative curricular and training program that emphasizes transition from an undergraduate program to a comprehensive PhD program. By addressing critical issues related to transition to doctoral studies in the mathematical sciences, particularly for those from underrepresented or underserved groups, the project has the potential to contribute to a significant increase in the quantity, quality, and diversity of the future leaders in the mathematical sciences, by serving as a model program for other institutions or other Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This project has also the potential to impact curriculum improvements in the undergraduate mathematical training in underserved institutions in the nation through collaboration with institutions offering doctoral programs, benefiting both parties. By addressing critical issues related to transition to doctoral studies in the mathematical sciences, particularly for those from underrepresented or underserved groups, the project also has the potential to contribute to a significant increase in the quantity, quality, and diversity of the future leaders in the mathematical sciences. This project has also the potential to impact curriculum improvements in the undergraduate mathematical training in underserved institutions in the nation through collaboration with institutions offering doctoral programs, benefiting both parties. This three-year project aims at increasing the quality and quantity of US doctoral students in the mathematical sciences, particularly those among underrepresented or underserved groups, through strong mentoring and a bridge-to-doctorate program with a BS-MS fast-track component. It targets those talented students among underrepresented groups or from small colleges or minority serving institutions, who are not yet considered competitive for rigorous national doctoral programs due to deficiency especially in analysis and advanced linear algebra. The project aims to train and mentor the participating students to make them well prepared in analysis and advanced linear algebra and to become competitive for a comprehensive PhD program in Mathematical Sciences. The project builds on two cornerstones: (1) a bridge-to-doctorate program with a BS-MS fast track that focuses on students in transition from undergraduate to graduate programs to strengthen their background in analysis and advanced linear algebra, and (2) a comprehensive system for such students providing strong mentoring and aggressive recruitment in the Gulf States Math Alliance, a regional branch of the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences covering the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.