The MSRI Undergraduate Program (MSRI-UP) is designed to provide the opportunity as well as the long-term support and mentorship that talented undergraduate students need in order to have access to research careers in science and mathematics. Each year, 18 students will participate in an intense six-week summer research experience where they will work in teams to complete a research project. The students will be led by a research director, a post-doc and two graduate student assistants. Students will also make a final presentation at MSRI. The topics for the summer program are of current mathematical interest and importance, and represent part of faculty research leader's research program. These include areas of combinatorics, finite geometry and computational algebra.
MSRI-UP aims to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in the mathematical sciences Ph.D. programs. The primary objective is to identify students with an interest in mathematics, and provide necessary experiences, tools, information and long-term support for them to have a viable option to pursue a graduate education in the mathematical sciences. In addition to the research component, the students will attend a series of professional development workshops and colloquia, including graduate school program information. After the summer, students will present their work in poster sessions at national conferences such as the Joint Mathematics Meetings and the annual meeting of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).
