REU Site: Discrete and Continuous Analysis in Appalachia

Fairmont State University, Fairmont WV

Investigators

Abstract

The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics at Fairmont State University will host an eight-week REU Site during the summers of 2022, 2023, and 2024. A primary goal of the site is to increase the preparedness of undergraduate students from the Appalachian region to pursue graduate school and STEM-focused careers. The program emphasizes the participation of students from groups that are underrepresented in mathematics, especially students from rural areas, first-generation college students, and students from a low socioeconomic status. The REU provides research experiences in calculus on time scales, a branch of mathematics that unifies and extends the common calculus and related theories, and has applications in mathematical biology, engineering, finance, and statistics, among others. Students improve their research abilities as well as their technical, oral, and written communication skills and acquire an understanding of educational and career opportunities available beyond an undergraduate degree. Participants are required to present their work based on the program projects at an annual local undergraduate research symposium and encouraged and assisted in preparing peer-reviewed publications. Each summer, ten undergraduate students, with roughly half from schools in the Appalachian region, are recruited to attend an eight-week long REU site. The first week of the program is dedicated to building the mathematical and programming prerequisites of participants, and to the formulation of research projects connecting calculus on time scales with control theory, special functions theory, and probability theory. Students provide reports of progress to advisors each week and present their work to all participants on Fridays. Professional development opportunities are offered on how to apply for graduate school, on strategies for effectively working in a group environment, on software systems for scientific document preparation, and on giving technical presentations. Participants are also exposed to other research areas in mathematics through a weekly Distinguished Speakers Series. This project is jointly funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.