The University of Washington VIGRE Project involves a broad spectrum of faculty in the departments of Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, and Statistics at the University of Washington. This builds on an inter-departmental program, the Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences (ACMS), which was recently implemented at the undergraduate level and is jointly administered by these three departments together with the Department of Computer Science & Engineering.
A key component of the UW VIGRE Project is the use of cross-disciplinary research groups to increase the involvement of students from all three departments, at all levels, in group-oriented research. There are also a number of existing programs such as the Statistical Consulting Service, the Applied Math Clinic, and Journal Clubs, which introduce graduate students to research and consulting. All of these will be developed further to include a broader set of students and be better integrated between departments.
The new ACMS major requires all students to take several courses in mathematical modeling. These involve case studies, group projects, and write-ups that are critiqued and rewritten. The growth of these courses has resulted in new staffing needs, which presents an excellent opportunity for vertical integration. By using TAs to work intensively with groups of undergraduates, the courses can be an extremely valuable experience for both sets of students. Postdoctoral Fellows, with student TAs, will teach additional sections of the courses and help develop new case studies and projects based on their own research expertise. A new course on Communication in the Mathematical Sciences is being developed which will teach students to communicate mathematical ideas both orally and in writing, to non-mathematicians as well as to specialists. This curriculum will be used by students in all three departments, at both the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate level. A diverse internship program is also being developed and all students will be encouraged to participate.
A number of K-12 outreach programs have already been developed within the mathematical sciences departments. VIGRE-supported graduate students and Postdoctoral Fellows will be encouraged to get involved in these activities. This involvement will provide valuable training for our Fellows and introduce them to the culture of outreach, as well as providing a service to the community.
This award will support 18 graduate students per year on VIGRE Fellowships, spread between the three departments, with 2 quarters of support each year plus summer. This will be combined with 1 quarter each year of a University-supported TA position, with training and mentoring. Students will typically receive three years of such support, augmented by other funding. Over the 5-year grant period we intend to support 6 Postdoctoral Fellows, with 3 years of support for each (half coming from University for half-time teaching). Each Fellow's teaching will be spread between the three departments and each Fellow will have faculty mentors in at least two of the departments, and will be required to be involved in inter-departmental activities. The best undergraduates will be encouraged to become involved in research through the research groups, the ACMS Honors Program, an active REU program,and mentoring by graduate and postdoctoral Fellows. Funding for 9 undergraduate research experiences each year will help to support this activity.
This project is being supported by the Division of Mathematical Sciences, the MPS Office of Multidisciplinary Activities and the Division of Elementary, Secondary and Informal Education.
