REU Site: Pure and Applied Mathematics at UC Davis

University Of California-Davis, Davis CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program "Pure and Applied Mathematics at UC Davis" hosted by the Department of Mathematics at UC Davis will provide early training in mathematics research for leaders in the mathematical sciences. The program will broadly cover the research areas of the mathematics department, including both pure and applied mathematics. Recruitment of women, underrepresented minorities, and students with disadvantaged backgrounds will be emphasized. The program will accept 12 students each year, who will work under the supervision of UC Davis mathematics faculty, and in collaboration with postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. The research training will include a lecture on ethics in the mathematical sciences, and field trips to sites in the Bay Area. Students will be encouraged present their results at mathematics conferences and local venues after the summer program. On a multi-year basis, the UC Davis Math REU will cover most of the research areas of the mathematics department. These areas include mathematical biology, probability, geometry/topology, algebra, combinatorics, partial differential equations, applied mathematics, and quantum mathematics. Four to six projects will be offered every year with at least two students recruited to each project, for a total of 12 students per year. The program will be evaluated with formative and summative assessments, and program organizers will stay in contact with students after each summer ends. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.