The REU program at North Carolina State University (NCSU) aims to get more undergraduates interested in pursuing academic and nonacademic careers in mathematics. We do this by giving students the opportunity to work on applied research problems in a supportive, collaborative environment that is part of a vibrant research department with collaborations in industry and government laboratories. The interdisciplinary nature of our REU program attracts students who do not necessarily think of themselves as primarily interested in mathematics (some are double majors, or have math minors). Through this summer experience we hope to show them the power of mathematical models and redirect them toward a career in the mathematical sciences.
In our REU program students are exposed to challenging and exciting real-world problems arising in industrial and government laboratory research. This experience benefits its participants in ways not possible with traditional coursework. Students learn valuable techniques of applied mathematics and work in teams to accomplish common objectives. The complexity and open-endedness of our REU problems provides a challenge that makes learning new techniques worthwhile. The fact that there may be no ready-made structures or body of results to cover the final problem formulation only compounds the excitement. These REU students see the value placed on their work by those outside the University and learn to appreciate the utility of mathematics in business and industry.
