VIGRE at UGA
Transforming the training of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs in mathematics
Dino's group, Fall 2006
The Mathematics Department of the University of Georgia is one of only 40 departments of mathematics or statistics to have been awarded VIGRE grants by the National Science Foundation since the inception of the program in 1999. Our grant was awarded in 2001 (UGA press release) and renewed in 2003, for a total of five academic years plus an unfunded one-year extension (2001-2007). The director of the VIGRE program at UGA for this period has been Clint McCrory.
The main goal of VIGRE - Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences - is to develop innovative research and mentoring programs in which undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty work together. VIGRE is one component of the National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences activity on Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce in the 21st Century (EMSW21).
VIGRE Seminar and Research Groups
VIGRE research groups at UGA are the main vehicles for mentoring and also for the vertical integration of teaching and research. The research groups include undergraduates and beginning graduate students under the leadership of faculty and postdoctoral fellows. The weekly VIGRE seminar features expository talks by faculty and graduate students, including reports by members of the research groups. The organizers of the 2006-07 VIGRE seminar were Emilie Wiesner and graduate students Emille Davie and Jerry Hower.
VIGRE research groups and the VIGRE seminar have become a permanent part of our graduate program, required of all graduate students in their first two years.
VIGRE research groups, Fall 2006
VIGRE research groups, Spring 2007
The Undergraduate Program
Undergraduates participate in VIGRE research groups during the academic year and during the summer term. VIGRE undergraduate summer research experiences are designed for students from UGA and other schools who want to do creative work in mathematics. In this program students work in a collaborative environment doing mathematical research under the direction of faculty members and graduate students.
Akos' group, Summer 2005
In the summer of 2001, Elham Izadi supervised students' research in algebraic geometry, and Malcolm Adams led a research group in differential equations. (See Rebecca Parker's 2001 VIGRE page.) We again ran two programs in the summer of 2002. Jo Hoffacker's group studied time scales, and Bill Rulla's group worked in computational algebraic geometry. (See Summer 2002 program announcement, pictures, Rebecca Parker's 2002 SURP report.) In the summer of 2003 Jason Cantarella led a group on massively parallel computation of geometrically optimal knots. Bob Rumely and Matt Baker's group studied analysis on metrized graphs. (See Summer 2003 program announcement, pictures.) In summer 2004 Jason Cantarella lead a research group on mathematical visualization, and Aaron Abrams lead a group on combinatorial configuration spaces (photos below). (See Summer 2004 program announcement, pictures.) In summer 2005 Akos Magyar led an undergraduate research group on Ramsey theory and Tatyana Sorokina lead a group on polynomial splines. (See Summer 2005 program announcement.)
Our summer undergraduate research program is continuing as an NSF REU site. (See the 2007 Summer REU Program.)
The Graduate Program
The graduate program has been the focus of the VIGRE grant. VIGRE fellowships have provided one to three years of research support (with no teaching duties) for selected students in a four to six year program leading to the PhD degree in mathematics. Students have been given opportunities to develop the teaching and communication skills which are needed for careers in pure and applied mathematics. The VIGRE research groups have proved to be an essential component of the training of new mathematics PhDs.
Jason's group, Fall 2006
The Postdoctoral Program
Our VIGRE grant has given postdoctoral fellows time to develop their research and teaching with guidance from our faculty. VIGRE postdocs have been appointed for two or three years, with teaching duties of two courses each academic year. They have been important contributors to VIGRE research groups and seminars. They have been encouraged to participate in the wider mathematical community by attending conferences and applying for research grants.
The 2001-02 and 2002-03 VIGRE postdocs were Aaron Abrams, Jim Solazzo, Bill Rulla, and Nancy Wrinkle. The 2003-04 VIGRE postdocs were Aaron Abrams, Jim Solazzo, Bill Rulla, and Jo Hoffacker. Our VIGRE postdocs for 2004-05 and 2005-06 were Kenneth Baker, Jason Parsley, Clay Petsche, and Tatyana Sorokina.
We've made our VIGRE initiatives a permanent part of our postdoctoral program. These initiatives include the assignment of research and teaching mentors to each postdoc, annual grant and job workshops, and postdoc participation in VIGRE research groups.
New VIGRE grant proposal
We've applied for a second VIGRE grant to start in 2008. The committee responsible for this proposal is Dan Nakano (chair), Jason Cantarella, and Clint McCrory.
This page was last modified on November 14, 2007.