Program Description

The Dr. Albert H. & Greta A. Bryan Summer Research Program in Mathematics at Simpson College is an opportunity to spend eight weeks of the summer engaging in mathematics.  Each summer six students are selected to work on undergraduate research projects with Simpson College faculty members.  Each student receives a stipend around $3000 and paid on-campus housing during the program.  In addition, the students and professors attend a mathematics conference; for example, MathFest in Madison, Wisconsin, in August 2012, and the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Francisco, California, in January 2010.  The program also pays for various social activities during the summer.

2013 Dates

Summer Program:  Monday, June 10 – Friday, August 2, 2013
MAA-AMS Joint Mathematics Meetings:  January 15-18, 2014, Baltimore, Maryland

2013 Research Topics and Faculty Advisors 

This summer, Dr. Deb Czarneski will lead a project on modeling critical locations in the infrastructure of a city and Dr. Bill Schellhorn will lead a project on analyzing large data sets of sports statistics.  Click on the link above for more detailed descriptions of these projects.  The two research groups will give at least four talks at Simpson College (at the conclusion of the program in Summer 2013, at the Summer Research Symposium in Fall 2013, at the Midwest Undergraduate Mathematics Symposium in Spring 2014, and at the Simpson College Undergraduate Symposium in Spring 2014) as well as a talk at the MAA-AMS Joint Mathematics Meetings in January 2014.

Requirements

To apply for the program, a student must satisfy the following requirements.

1.  Complete Calculus II by the start of the summer.
2.  Graduate from Simpson College in April 2015 or after April 2015.
3.  Declared a major or minor in Mathematics or Actuarial Science, although preference will be given to majors.
4.  Commit at least 40 hours each week to the program (a participant may take a class or have a part-time job if approved by his or her faculty advisor).
5.  Participate in all required program activities, including making presentations about your research several times.

Application Process

Applicants must submit a mathematical resume and a personal statement by 4:00pm on Monday, February 25, 2013, to Dr. Deb Czarneski in Carver 331A.  A description of the information that should be included in each of these documents appears below.  The Mathematics Department will meet to review the applications and applicants will be notified as soon as selections are made.

Mathematical Resume

Your mathematical resume should contain the following information.

1.  Overall GPA and your GPA in the Mathematics or Actuarial Science major (this information can be found on your degree audit).
2.  All declared majors and minors.
3.  List of the mathematics courses you have completed.
4.  All participation in Mathematics Department activities.
5.  Participation in other relevant activities since arriving at Simpson College.
6.  The name and office phone number of one Simpson College faculty member who is not in the Mathematics Department to serve as a reference.

Personal Statement

Your personal statement should contain the following information and should be no longer than two pages.

1.  Why should you be selected to participate in this program?  How would you benefit from participation in the program?
2.  What special skills would you bring to the program?
3.  What are your goals for the summer?
4.  What are your career goals and/or graduate school goals?
5.  Specify which project is most appealing to you.

Past Research Topics and Faculty Advisors

• Summer 2012

Mathematical biology of prairie restoration – Dr. Heidi Berger
Number theory – Dr. Murphy Waggoner

• Summer 2011

Ramsey numbers - Dr. Deb Czarneski
Coloring knots and tangles – Dr. Bill Schellhorn

• Summer 2010

Time scales and stable flies – Dr. Heidi Berger
The evolution of cooperation in the face of competition – Dr. Rick Spellerberg

• Summer 2009

Time scales and the emerald ash borer – Dr. Heidi Berger
Knot theory and DNA – Dr. Bill Schellhorn

• Summer 2008

Graph labeling – Dr. Deb Czarneski
Auction Theory – Dr. Rick Spellerberg