The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is the recipient of funds from the National Science Foundation to renovate mathematical research and research training space. Currently, the Department of Mathematics is housed in the oldest building on campus that was built in 1902. Research activities have been inhibited by inadequate space configuration, faulty cabling and electrical connections, poor ventilation, lighting, and HVAC systems, and an electrical system that has reached its capacity. The facility is also inaccessible to the disabled. Specifically, NSF funds will be used to replace the existing amount of square footage of space dedicated to the mathematical sciences, which includes creating space for a laboratory, research-based interdisciplinary approach to training students in mathematics. The renovations will allow for the enhancement and expansion of current research in statistics and applied probability simulations, such as Monte Carol techniques. Activities will also be enhanced in the area of inverse scattering, optimization, control and PDE, to include environmental and resource modeling. New research methods will be developed in the areas of wave propagation, industrial math, matrix theory, and statistical finance modeling. It is anticipated with modernized facilities the department will attract more students into the math career pipeline by providing increased opportunities for research experiences and access to state of the art technology. The project will increase collaborations with faculty from other regional and national institutions, as well as provide the foundation for a graduate program.
