The Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University (ISU) will host a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) three times over five years. The goals of the ISU Math REU are to provide a supportive environment where students can discover the excitement of mathematical research, to increase the number of US citizens including women and minorities receiving Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences, and to produce high quality research suitable for publication in reputable journals. The REUs will conclude with presentations given by the participants. Many of the research teams submit papers for publication and most REU participants present their work at conferences. Participants will be provided a stipend, accommodation in student housing, and some travel and meal funding. Additional educational, community building, and social activities will be provided, both as part of this project and as part of the larger all-ISU REU summer program. Women and minorities are particularly encouraged to apply to this REU.
Each year the REU runs, approximately 15 students will be selected to spend eight weeks working on research projects in teams consisting of 3-5 student participants together with graduate student and faculty mentors. The projects are in a variety of mathematical areas, representing the diverse research interests of the ISU Mathematics Department including the following: graph theory and combinatorics, numerical analysis, algebra, analysis, data science, and probability. The offered topics will vary each year based on faculty availability. Previous projects are described in more detail on the REU website https://reu.math.iastate.edu. This REU is research focused, with the first week (approximately) being spent covering background information by the mentors and then transitions to where students spend their time conducting research in dedicated spaces receiving daily feedback from their mentors. Each week one or two hours are set aside for professional development, including issues such as preparing for graduate school, equity, working with collaborators, using LaTeX, and how to give professional presentations. This provides students with an experience of mathematical research and the skills needed to thrive in a demanding academic environment.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
