Math Dept 2014-2015 Newsletter 14

 

Monday, 2 February 2015

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Past newsletters can now be reached via the department website.

Click on ŇRead the NewsletterÓ in the bottom.

Newsletter is sent out when there is something new.

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

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MEETINGS AND SEMINARS IN THE DEPARTMENT 

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Mondays

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Geometry & Topology Seminar 

Speaker: Joseph Yeager

Topic: Torus Actions on Manifolds of Positive Curvature, Exotic Spheres

Place: Mathematics Department Room: ASB-B 213.

Time: 3.10PM -4.00PM.

Coordinator:  Stanley M. Einstein-Matthews

 

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Tuesdays

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Topological Semigroups and Ramsey Theory Seminar

12:10-1:00 in Annex III room 231.

Neil Hindman will be speaking on "Some Ramsey type theorems for k-term sums in R".

Coordinator: Neil Hindman

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Wednesdays 

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Combinatorics Seminar

2 to 3 pm, 201 or 203 ASB-B

 

Coordinator: Lou Shapiro

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Differential Equations & Dynamical Systems seminar

Topics: Evolution Equations, Difference Equations, Dynamical Systems, Stochastic Differential Equations, Fractional Differential Equations, Integrodifferential Equations, Partial Differential Equations.

More details TBA

 

Organizer: Toka Diagana

 

Thursday, February 5

 

Tutorial Lab Open House

 

There will be an open house for the Math Lab on Thursday Feb 5th from 5 to 8pm. There will be food, drinks and door prizes. Please tell your students in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, Applied Calculus, and Calculus 1&2&3.

There are still too many struggling students that don't know that there are free tutors at the Math Lab.

The Professor with the most students present will receive a valuable gift.

Organizer: Lifoma Salaam

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Fridays

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Mathematics Department Colloquium

Friday, Feb 6, 2015 4.10 to 5 pm, ASB-B 213

Walter Morris, GMU

The Erdos-Szekeres theorem: Connection to Chromatic and Clique numbers of graphs

 

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 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 WORKSHOPS OUTSIDE DEPARTMENT

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1. Metro Area Differential Geometry Seminar (MadGuys)

The Baltimore-Washington Metro Area Differential Geometry Seminar (MADGuyS for short) is a new joint seminar between the math departments of University of Maryland - College Park , Howard University and of Johns Hopkins University.

We meet twice a year, alternating between locations, for a day of talks on various topics in geometry. The next meeting will be held at JHU in Spring of 2015.

For further information, please contact Roberto De Leo or Stanley Einstein-Matthews.

2. AWM Symposium showcasing Women MathematiciansŐ Research

As a member of the Executive Committee of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), Talitha Washington would like to share information about the upcoming AWM Research Symposium 2015 that will be held at the University of Maryland, College Park, April 11-12, 2015. The symposium will showcase the research of women in the mathematical professions. It will feature four plenary talks, special sessions on a broad range of research in pure and applied mathematics, and poster sessions for graduate students and recent PhDs

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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1.  Paul Bezandry and Roberto de Leo

 

    The Office of the Associate Provost funded with $39,000, as part of the 2014 Research Resources and

Small Equipment program, a proposal by Roberto de Leo, J. Harkless (Chemistry

Dept.) and Paul Bezandry to build up a computational cluster for the CoAS.

It is estimated that buying and building the cluster will take the next two

months, after which there will be finally a good number of powerful CPUs

available for those of us that run heavy calculations.

 

2.   Call For Papers: Howard Workshop on Management of Natural Resources this summer

To maintain the long-term well being of the global population, management of the world's natural resources must emphasize conservation and renewal over depletion and spending. Natural resource management is a broad topic with both national and international policy implications. This workshop will investigate challenges for the mathematical sciences including models that describe processes affecting water, forests, and food supplies. They involve complex adaptive systems that interconnect natural systems with human ones, thus calling for understanding of both types of systems. To support this initiative, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) will sponsor a workshop on Management of Natural Resources as part of a special program called Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013+ (http://mpe2013.org/mpe2013index/). The workshop will be held at Howard University in Washington, DC on June 4-6, 2015.

For more details including program and guideline for submission go to:

http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/Workshops/NaturalResources/

 

 Aziz Yakubu will be one of the speakers.

 

 

 

 

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 SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES (from various sources)

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1. (via Aziz Yakubu) Program Associate position at Mathematica Policy Research (MPR), a social policy and research firm headquartered in Princeton, NJ, is interested in recruiting undergraduates from Howard for our Program Associate- entry level position. This position is available in our 4 office locations (Ann Arbor, MI; Princeton, NJ; Cambridge, MA; Washington, DC). For application and more details go to https://careers.peopleclick.com/careerscp/client_mathematica/external/gateway.do?functionName=viewFromLink&jobPostId=795&localeCode=en-us

    

2. (via Aziz Yakubu)  Mathematica Summer Research Programmer internship. 

Summer tasks will include working on health and human service projects, opportunities to program in SAS, presenting summer research project completed by intern during the duration of the internship, and the opportunity to work with other programmers in a corporate environment.

Please see the following details:

á      Who: Students enrolled in a MasterŐs Degree program in in a Statistical Science or other computational program.  Minority students are strongly encouraged to apply.  What: 8-10 week Research Programmer internship, 20-40 hours per week

á      When: June 1st through August 7th

á      Why: To exercise and learn research programming skills in a policy research environment, working with health care data

á      Where: MathematicaŐs Washington, DC office

á      How to apply:  Please submit a cover letter and resume to Christina Alva at CAlva@MAthematica-mpr.com or Afia Owusu-Forfie at AOwusu-Forfie@mathematica-mpr.com by February 28, 2014

3. Congresswoman NortonŐs Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarships

 

Details and Applications here

 

CBCF General Mills Health Scholarship: This scholarship program focusing on health was established in 1998 as the CBC partnered with the naming sponsor, General Mills, to increase the number of minority students pursuing degrees in the fields of medicine, engineering, technology, nutrition and other health-related professions. Deadline: February 28, 2015

 

CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship: The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship was established in 2006 for students who are pursuing a career in the visual arts. Deadline: May 1, 2015

 

CBC Spouses Heineken USA Performing Arts Scholarship: Established in the year 2000, the CBC Spouses Heineken USA Performing Arts scholarship program was developed in honor of the late Curtis Mayfield to ensure that students pursuing a career in the performing arts receive the financial assistance to achieve their goals. Deadline: May 1 2015

 

CBC Spouses Education Scholarship: The CBC Spouses Education scholarship is a national program that awards scholarships to academically talented and highly motivated students who intend to pursue full-time undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degrees. Deadline: may 22nd 2015

 For more information contact Del. NortonŐs N.E. District Office @ (202) 408-9041

 

 

4. Nebraska summer research program

 

2015 Nebraska Summer Research Program housed on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

 

Due to funding restrictions, participation is limited to U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents (those holding a green card.)

 

 All programs for 2015 are listed at http://www.unl.edu/summerprogram and include projects in Applied Mathematics, Biochemistry, Bioenergy Systems, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Microbiology, Minority Health Disparities, Nanotechnology, Optics and Laser Physics, Redox Biology, and Virology.

 

Our online application makes it easy for students to apply. Priority review of applications begins Monday, February 2 and all applications are due by Monday, March 2.

 

 

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INTERESTING ARTICLES AND WEBSITES

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1. A great story on the inspiring life and work of Yitang Zhang

 

 He recently received the Macarthur genius award among other prizes for providing a breakthrough on the twin prime conjecture.

This article describes his long struggle in pursuit of a solution in virtual anonymity and his passion for mathematics.

 

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/02/pursuit-beauty

 

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