2007 KUMUNU conference to be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, September 8-9. KUMUNU is an annual weekend conference anchored by the Universities of Kansas (KU), Missouri-Columbia (MU) and Nebraska-Lincoln (NU), promoting interaction among researchers, postdocs and graduate students in commutative algebra and related disciplines (such as algebraic geometry, representation theory, combinatorics, K-theory and coding theory) at regional schools. The KUMUNU triad has significant strength in these areas. The KUMUNU conference has a tradition of playing a strong regional mentoring role at all levels, including graduate students, recent PhD's and faculty at nonPhD granting institutions. KUMUNU accomplishes this by providing an annual venue bringing these groups together with senior researchers at KU, MU and NU in addition to one or two senior researchers from outside the region. KUMUNU stimulates interaction by having a series of 7 short (45 minute) talks, accessible to graduate students, by speakers representing a diverse mix of senior researchers, young faculty and postdocs, with plenty of time reserved outside of talks for additional interaction. In addition to faculty and postdocs at KU, MU and NU, speakers in the past have come from Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Michigan, Michigan State, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Texas Tech University, University of Texas-Austin, and Washington University. Other participants have come from such diverse institutions as Benedictine College, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Missouri State University, Georgia State University, University of Arkansas and Gustavus Adolphus College. Travel and lodging support, especially for graduate students, is a key element for KUMUNU to achieve its main goals of showcasing the research of postdocs and young faculty, and of helping recent Ph.D.s and graduate students in commutative algebra and related disciplines enrich their research programs by meeting experienced researchers based at KU, MU, NU and elsewhere, by learning about recent developments in commutative algebra, by exchanging ideas with one another, and by developing collaborations for future research.
