Math Dept 2019-2020
Newsletter 14
Monday, 13 April 2020
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Past
newsletters can now be reached via the department website.
[Click on “About” and
then “News and Events”].
Newsletter is sent
out when there is something new.
Please send entries
by the end of the workweek –Ed
Note from the editor:
The University has been closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak, since 3-23-2020.
During this time, we heard that our beloved colleague Todd Drumm passed away. With
much sorrow we include his obituary below. He will be missed by all.
As of now while
classes are going on online, as far as I know
the only other event
happening during this semester is Eric Ngang Che’s
thesis defense and that is included below as well.
This will be the last
newsletter of this academic year and I wish everyone a safe and productive rest
of the semester and summer.
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MEETINGS
AND SEMINARS IN THE DEPARTMENT
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Mondays
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Combinatorics Seminar
Mondays at 3pm in
room 213.
Coordinator: Louis
Shapiro
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TUESDAYS
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Seminar On Topological Semigroups
10:10 AM to 11:00
AM, Annex III lab.
The seminar started
on Tuesday, January 28th.
Neil Hindman was
talking about some of his recent work.
Coordinator Dennis
Davenport
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Wednesdays
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Graduate Student
Seminar
12.10 to 1pm ASB-B 213
Coordinator: Matthew
Cavallo
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Math team/Math Club
meetings
Wednesdays at 5pm, room 213.
Organizers: Jill McGowan (math club), Sankar Sitaraman (math team)
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Thursday, April 23
Eric Ngang Che's Dissertation Defense
Time: 1:00 pm-4:00 pm
Title: Continuous-Time
and Discrete-Time Models of Cholera Infections in Cameroon
Abstract:
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Fridays
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Clifford Algebras
Seminar
3 pm, Graduate
School, 317A
Starting Feb 21, Tim
Myers had been giving a series of talks on new developments in this field.
Coordinators: Dennis
Davenport and Tim Myers
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Geometry Seminar
Friday, 2 pm,
Departmental Lounge (Room 201)
Speaker: Todd Drumm
Abstract: In this
first series of seminars, Todd Drumm was going over a seminal paper by Fields
medalists Milnor and Thurston on the dynamics of maps on the real line.
We mourn the passing
of Todd Drumm. This was among his many valuable contributions to the
department.
Coordinator: Roberto
de Leo
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Mathematics
Department Colloquium
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Fridays 4.10 to
5 pm, Room 213, ASB-B
Friday, Mar 27.
Nathan McNew, Towson University
Cancelled due to
Covid-19.
Previous speaker:
Feb 28, Naiomi Cameron, Spelman
College.
A sign-reversing
involution on peakless Motzkin
paths.
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TALKS AND
WORKSHOPS OUTSIDE DEPARTMENT
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|
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1. ORAU WEBINAR on NASA Research Funding
on April 15th.
Register Here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GpaCt5PnT9CI6i12OjKBqA
2. NIMBIOS webinar : Modeling for a Globally Connected World:
What Models are Good
for and How They Work
3:30 p.m. EDT,
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Dr. Louis Gross
NIMBioS Director and
Chancellor's Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Register here: https://tennessee.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OukVZGNUSheB70XjlGd-Tw
3. (Thanks to Dennis Davenport) Math Modeling Workshop for Graduate
Students, July 12-22, 2020
CANCELED DUE TO
COVID-19
The 26th Industrial Mathematical & Statistical Modeling
(IMSM) Workshop for Graduate Students will take place at North Carolina
State University in Raleigh, NC, between July 12-22, 2020. The
IMSM workshop exposes graduate students in mathematics, statistics and
engineering to exciting real-world problems from industry and government.
Local expenses and travel support will be covered for graduate students at US
institutions that are admitted to the workshop.
The official application deadline is April 2, 2020, but full
consideration will be given to all applications received prior to April 15,
2020.
Further Information is available at: http://www.samsi.info/imsm-20
and questions can
be directed to grad@samsi.info
In
past newsletters:
Dimacs Workshop Reconnect 2020: Optimization, June 2020
Howard University Research Symposium,
April 16-17.
2020 Summer
African Diaspora Joint Mathematics Workshop (ADJOINT), June 2020
QUBES Faculty Mentoring Network (FMN)
Opportunities Spring 2020
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
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1. Todd Drumm Obituary
(Jill
McGowan is in touch with the family)
Associate professor in the
Department of Mathematics, Dr. Drumm was a talented mathematician, who
specialized in differential geometry, to include Complex Hyperbolic Geometry
and the Geometry of Crooked Planes. He received his bachelor’s degree from
Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa., and his Ph.D. from the University of
Maryland, College Park.
Dr. Drumm joined the Howard faculty in 2008 and was an active and energetic
member of the faculty throughout his tenure. An outstanding teacher, Dr. Drumm
mentored undergraduate, and Ph.D. students. He was frequently lauded as a
dedicated teacher who genuinely cared for his students and colleagues. Dr.
Drumm participated in and organized the geometry seminar and the departmental
colloquium series, as well as several national and international conferences.
Before joining the faculty at Howard, he taught at the University of
Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Bryn Mawr
College and Yale University.
The Department of Mathematics will conduct a ceremony in honor of Dr. Drumm at
a time to be scheduled in the future. Please keep his wife Aimee Johnson,
professor of mathematics at Swarthmore College, and his sons, Zakk and Maxx in
your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.
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SCHOLARSHIP AND
FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
(from various
sources)
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1. (Thanks to Mohammad Mahmood)
Opportunities at
FDA, Silver Spring
Opportunities
available at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), located in
Silver Spring, Maryland. A Biostatistical Research Fellowship is currently
available. Information and Application at
https://www.zintellect.com/Opportunity/Details/FDA-CDRH-2020-0003
MSI
Stem Peer Review Program
The DOE will provide
student researchers an opportunity to join experts in the field of building
technology on a peer review session from May 4 to 7 in Arlington, VA. This will
provide opportunity to network with professionals and to learn about research.
Applications due March 27.
Details at https://www.msrdconsortium.org/blogs/post/doe-2020ppr
2. (Thanks to Dennis Davenport) Teaching Positions at VA Community Colleges
The Virginia community college system
has several openings for math Instructors. They are very keen on hiring Howard
graduates.
Please
share these opportunities with Howard graduate students and recent master’s or
doctorate level graduates. At the community college level, only a master’s
degree is required for teaching positions. There are openings at Germanna
Community College (near Fredericksburg), Piedmont Virginia Community College
(Charlottesville), John Tyler Community College (Richmond area)
and Thomas Nelson Community College (Hampton).
Please go to https://jobs.vccs.edu for details.
3. (Thanks to Aziz Yakubu) Positions at NSA
The NSA has several summer internships,
full time positions and sabbatical research opportunities for mathematicians
and students. Please go to
https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/nsa/index.html
for details.
In previous newsletters:
QEM/NSF Summer Internship
U.S. DHS Opportunities for Student
Workforce to Experience Research
Preparation for Industrial Careers in
Mathematics (PIC Math)
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INTERESTING ARTICLES
AND WEBSITES
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1. (Thanks to Katie Gurski) A
new math video about the COV-19 epidemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kas0tIxDvrg.
3blue1brown has lots of
fabulous math videos.
2. Katherine Johnson passes away
Katherine
Johnson, NASA mathematician who helped the US land on the moon, and was featured
in “Hidden Figures,” passed away at age 101.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/science/katherine-johnson-dead.html