Math Dept 2013-2014 Newsletter 16

 

Monday, 10 February 2014

 

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Newsletter is sent out when there is something new.

Please send entries by the end of the week  --Ed

 

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MEETINGS AND SEMINARS IN THE DEPARTMENT

 

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Every Monday

 

1. Combinatorics Seminar

 

Details TBA.

 

Organizers: Alex Burstein and Lou Shapiro

 

 

2. Geometry and Topology Seminar

 

ASB-B 213 3.00 to 4pm

Speaker: Professor Joseph Yeager

Topic: SYMPLECTIC  AND CONTACT GEOMETRY.

 

Stanley M. Einstein-Matthews

Coordinator

 

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Every Tuesday

 

The Seminar on Topological Semigroups and Ramsey Theory

 

Tuesdays at 11:10 a.m in room 233 of Annex III

Neil Hindman will be speaking on separating subrings of the rationals by partition regular matrices.

 

Organizer: Neil Hindman

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Friday Feb 14

 

Mathematics Department Colloquium

 

4.10 to 5 pm, ASB-B 213

 

 

 

 

Jane Hawkins, University of North Carolina  & NSF

Title: ÒTopological and dynamical properties of Julia sets on the real projective planeÓ

 

Fluid dynamics seminar

 

Seminar will take place after colloquium, and at 4.30 if there is no colloquium.

 

 

Abstract:  (Neil Hindman)

The "Fluid" refers to soda and beer.  The "Dynamics" refers to the topics of conversation, which is as likely as anything to deal with RGIII and the Washington Football Club. Pizza, including a vegetarian option, and wings are provided.

 

 

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TALKS AND EVENTS OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT 

                

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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(Talitha Washington) Advanced Computational Biology Symposium will take place at Howard on March 26, 2014.

Topics include Molecular Simulation & Design, Systems Biology, Genomics and Big Data. 

See http://CompBioSymposium.com for further details.

 

 

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SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES (from various sources)

 

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1. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

SunShot Postdoctoral Research Awards

 

The SunShot Postdoctoral Research Awards support innovative solar research by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied R&D at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities.

Application Deadline: April 30, 2014

For more information and to apply, visit:

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/postdoctoral

 

2. (Aziz Yakubu) AMS-Simons Travel Grants

 

Applications are now being accepted, with support provided by the Simons Foundation. The grant provides an early-career mathematician with $2,000 per year for two years to be used for research-related travel.

 

The application period for 2014 is February 1, 2014 through 11:59 pm eastern time on March 31, 2014.  

To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit

 

http://www.ams.org/programs/travel-grants/AMS-SimonsTG

 

 

3. Support to Attend a Workshop ÒMathematics of Planet Earth: Challenges and OpportunitiesÓ 

(Thanks to Aziz Yakubu)

A workshop ÒMathematics of Planet Earth: Challenges and OpportunitiesÓ will be held at Arizona State University January 7-10, 2014. The workshop aims to expose students and junior researchers to the challenges facing our planet, the role of the mathematical sciences in addressing those challenges, and the opportunities to get involved in the effort. Funds are available to support participants to attend this workshop and to participate in follow-up activities. Workshop speakers include  Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Arizona State University, and Abdul-Aziz Yakubu, Howard University

 

The workshop will provide introductions to the role of the mathematical sciences in addressing problems of the planet. There will be an introduction to the five major workshop themes of MPE 2013+ through expository lectures and discussions. All participants will be invited to participate in one of the following workshops, which could include the Education for the Planet Earth of Tomorrow.

An application form can be found at http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Workshops/MPE2013PreWorkshop/.   

Review of applications will begin October 1, 2013, and will continue until all slots are filled.

 

For more information about Challenges and Opportunities workshop as well as the MPE2013+ program, please contact Dr. Eugene Fiorini at mpe2013-plus@dimacs.rutgers.edu.

 

4. From Oak Ridge Labs (Thanks to Louise Raphael)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has a long history and interest in providing hands-on research experiences to students at all academic levels.  

 

Please visit http://www.orau.org/ornl and click on your academic level to learn more about educational programs at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Complete your profile in the Talent and Opportunity System (TOppS) system and then apply to one or all of the program postings. Applications must be submitted visa the TOppS system.  See the programs web sites for suggested deadline dates.

 

Among opportunities available: Higher Education Research Experiences (HERE) and Nuclear Engineering (NESLS)

 

 

5. (From Aziz Yakubu) Opportunities at the Navy

 

HBCU Undergradute Program:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Education-Outreach/HBCU-MI-Historically-Black-Colleges/NRL-HBCU-MI-Undergraduate-Internship.aspx

 

NREIP Program:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/en/Education-Outreach/undergraduate-graduate/NREIP-naval-internship.aspx

 

Summer Faculty Program:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Education-Outreach/Summer-Faculty-Research-Sabbatical.aspx

 

6. (From Aziz Yakubu) Opportunities at NASA

 

Spring 2014 throug spring of 2015 NASA will have workshops, research projects and internship opportunities for undergrads in STEM programs.

Howard students are especially encouraged to apply.

More information at  http://DCSpaceGrant.org/STEM

 

7. NebraskaÕs Summer Research Program

 

NebraskaÕs summer program offers research opportunities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields in addition to a new interdisciplinary Minority Health Disparities program doing research in and around the social sciences. A complete listing of faculty mentors and research project descriptions can be found on our website at http://www.unl.edu/summerprogram.

 

8. Opportunity in China for graduate students and post-docs.  OTS and the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical (XTBG: Chinese Academy of Sciences) are offering a new course on  ÒThe Ecology of Climate Change in the Tropics and Sub-TropicsÓ.  The course dates are June 16-July 16, 2014.

More information: Go to http://ots.ac.cr/ and look under ÒGraduate Programs.Ó

 

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INTERESTING ARTICLES AND WEBSITES

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1. (Louise Raphael) A free pdf link to the National Academy of Sciences report on Math Sciences in 2025 is here:

 

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=15269

 

 

2. (From Aziz Yakubu) Improving minority participation in STEM education

 

Stereotypes are dangerous—they hurt, they mislead and they ultimately diminish us all. When whole groups are stereotyped, prejudices that damage the social and educational fabric result.  This problem is evident when women and minorities are stereotyped in the science, technology, engineering and math fields known as STEM. The challenge of enrolling and graduating more women and minorities in STEM fields has drawn national attention. The College Board has undertaken an initiative to enroll more young women and minority students in STEM advanced placement courses and the American Association of University Women has a large outreach program for young women wishing to enter STEM fields.

 

As part of this national conversation, AIRÕs Center for STEM Education and Innovation<http://www.air.org/focus-area/education/?id=10> held a two-day symposium in late September on using research to inform policies and practices<http://www.air.org/focus-area/education/index.cfm?fa=viewContent&content_id=2305&id=10> in STEM education, particularly in higher education.

 

 

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