This project involves the development of an Applied mathematics Laboratory which will provide a new experience in the education and training of applied mathematics graduate students. Sophisticated experiments and mathematical modeling are combined in a way that not only teaches good mathematical modeling are combined in a way that not only teaches good mathematics but also helps the students develop critical professional skills. Unlike may class- room courses in mathematical modeling, in which problems are often studied in a way that is isolated from their physical origins, the proposed laboratory builds and examines models through hands on experimental work at a rather advanced level. this approach develops and sharpens a students intuition in a way that only direct observation can. In addition to the purely scientific content of the class the laboratory is designed to mature the students intellectually by exposing them to experiences that will teach them to think, compute, work as a team, communicate and prioritize. These are precisely the qualities that are sought by today's employers and that will be expected of graduates in the work place.
