This award supports participation in the thirty-fourth Southeastern-Atlantic Regional Conference on Differential Equations (SEARCDE) conference, held at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN on October 11 and 12, 2014. The SEARCDE, initiated by members of the Department of Mathematics at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, has met annually since 1981. Since then, the meeting has rotated among various research institutions in the Southeast. The primary objective of SEARCDE is to promote research and education in the field of differential equations by bringing together established and beginning researchers, including advanced undergraduate and graduates students as well as recent PhDs. In addition to the four plenary lectures given by outstanding internationally recognized scholars, there are twenty minute contributed talks given in parallel sessions. SEARCDE provides opportunities for all participants to present their own work in these twenty minute contributed talks. The sessions are organized so that talks by established researchers are interspersed with talks by beginning researchers. Detailed information about the conference can be found at the conference's website, www.searcde.org .
The principal goal of the SEARCDE meeting is to provide a platform to exchange ideas, to discuss recent developments in the field, and to provide important opportunities for networking and the creation of new research collaborations. The meeting provides a platform to exchange ideas and to discuss recent developments in both theoretical and applied differential equations. SEARCDE particularly encourages the participation of beginning researchers who get to meet and hear renowned plenary speakers plus leading regional experts. This typically has led to new contacts, collaboration opportunities, and broader interests. These features are important for young researchers, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups. For the past three decades, SEARCDE has been the setting for many talks given by graduate students on the topics of their dissertation research. Often this is their first experience giving a formal conference presentations. NSF funding ensures that many talented young researchers will have the opportunity to participate in SEARCDE 2014.
