EMSW21-MCTP Attracting, Motivating and Preparing Mathemtics students in the Southwest by building an energetic community

在2008年至2011年的三年中，美国国家科学基金会资助了新墨西哥大学（UNM）的MCTP项目（关键转折点指导）。该项目由新墨西哥大学数学与统计学系领导，将为学生提供一个学习纯数学、应用数学和计算数学的重要思想，探索和参与这些领域的研究项目，并通过与研究生的接触，探索和准备可能的研究生学习的机会。他们将在数学科学的职业生涯中得到鼓励和洞察力，同时参与一个支持性的社会网络。同时，该计划将通过加强他们的知识以及他们的教学和沟通技巧来培养研究生的成功。首先，我们将举行为期五周的密集夏季研讨会，在此期间，参与者将学习数学建模，代数结构，傅立叶分析和小波以及流体动力学等主题。在研究生的支持下，每个主题在上午的讲座和下午的实验中有一周的时间。由于研讨会的一个重要组成部分是建立一个支持性的学生社区，我们还计划了活动和为期一周的假期，在我们美丽的州组织旅行，如露营旅行和参观洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室和圣达菲。虽然研讨会对所有感兴趣的人开放，但每年平均有18名来自该州和邻近州的本科生能够参加，并获得全额资助，包括交通、住宿和津贴。该计划还将支付2-4名研究生，他们将协助实验室并帮助指导学生。其次，在研讨会之后的一学年，6-8名新墨大高级本科生参与者将进行研究项目，并最终完成一篇荣誉论文。学生将以两人一组的形式与系里的一名教员一起学习。他们将在秋季学期的大部分时间里学习必要的项目具体背景知识，然后在春季学期完成他们的项目。在接下来的夏天，他们将完成他们的研究，写一篇论文，并可能准备一篇相应的论文发表。他们将在本科生会议上展示他们的作品，有时也会在专业期刊上发表。学生将全年获得助学金资助。第三，即将入学的研究生将被邀请在新墨西哥大学开始学习之前参加暑期课程。其中两名将获得全额资助，为期一年，他们将帮助指导本科生，并在接下来的夏季研讨会上帮助培训研究生助理。他们还将在一般课程中发挥主导作用，旨在为研究生的资格考试做准备，并成为有效的教师。该项目建立在现有的教师培训项目、暑期学习项目和其他旨在加强研究生社区并帮助他们取得成功的活动的基础上。我们的长期目标是在西南地区创造一个蓬勃发展，自我维持，支持创造性探索的氛围，所有对数学感兴趣的学生，无论是纯数学还是应用数学，都受到欢迎，并有机会扩大他们的智力视野，最大限度地发挥他们的专业潜力。国家科学基金会资助的MCTP资助使该项目成为可能，由Cristina Pereyra教授领导，Jens Lorenz教授，Michael Nakamaye教授和Monika Nitsche教授共同研究。资助的学生必须是美国公民或居民，特别鼓励代表性不足的群体申请。

Over the three years 2008-2011 the National Science Foundation is funding an MCTP Program (Mentoring through Critical Transition Points) at the University of New Mexico (UNM). The program, led by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UNM, will build an energetic opportunity to learn important ideas in pure, applied, and computational mathematics, to explore and participate in research projects in these areas, and, through contact with graduate students, to explore and prepare for possible graduate studies. They will get encouragement and insight into a career in the mathematical sciences, while participating in a supportive social network. Simultaneously, the program will foster graduate student success by strengthening their knowledge as well as their teaching and communication skills. First, we will hold a five-week intensive summer workshop during which the participants will learn about topics in Mathematical Modeling, Algebraic structures, Fourier Analysis and Wavelets, and Fluid Dynamics. One week is devoted to each topic in morning lectures and afternoon laboratories, with the support of graduate students. Since an important component of the workshop is to build a supportive student community we also plan activities and a week-long break with organized trips in our beautiful state, such as a camping trip and visits to Los Alamos National Laboratories, and Santa Fe. While the workshop is open to anyone interested, an average of 18 undergraduate students throughout the state and neighboring states will be able to participate each year with full funding, including transportation, accommodation and a stipend. The program will also pay 2-4 graduate students that will assist with the laboratories and help mentor the students. Secondly, during the academic year following the workshop, 6-8 advanced UNM undergraduate participants will undertake research projects that will lead to an honors thesis. The students will work in groups of two with a faculty member of the department. They will spend most of the fall semester learning the necessary project-specific background, and then spend the spring working on their project. In the following summer they will complete their research, write a thesis, and possibly prepare a corresponding paper for publication. They will present their work at undergraduate student conferences and in some cases in professional journals. The students will be funded by the grant throughout the year. Thirdly, incoming graduate students will be invited to attend the Summer program before beginning their studies at UNM. Two of them, who will be fully funded by the grant for one year, will help mentor the undergraduates throughout the year and will help train the graduate assistants in the following summer's workshop. They will also have leading roles in a general program designed to prepare our graduate students for their qualifying examinations and to be effective teachers. This program builds on an existing teacher-training program, a summer study program, and other activities meant to strengthen the graduate community and help them succeed.Our long-term goal is to produce a thriving, self sustaining, supportive atmosphere of creative enquiry in the Southwest, where all students interested in mathematics, pure or applied, feel welcome and have the opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons and maximize their professional potential. The NSF funded MCTP grant that makes this program possible is headed by Professor Cristina Pereyra, with Professors Jens Lorenz, Michael Nakamaye and Monika Nitsche as co-investigators. The students funded must be U.S. citizens or residents and underrepresented groups are specially encouraged to apply.