RE-C^2: Research Experiences in Community Colleges

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Community colleges are often overlooked in efforts to increase the number of students pursuing careers in the mathematical sciences. The RE-C^2 program will engage community college faculty and their selected students in meaningful research experiences led by California State University, Northridge (CSUN) faculty. The program will include both summer and academic year activities. The summer program will include an introductory boot camp and guest speakers, in addition to intensive work in research groups. During the academic year, students and community college and CSUN faculty will continue the research activities and also participate in workshops and conferences. RE-C^2 will identify and recruit talented and highly motivated students from the predominantly Hispanic/Latino area. By involving these students in mathematical research, we expect to increase the number and diversity of students who successfully transfer to universities and receive bachelor's degrees in the mathematical sciences. By engaging both community college faculty and their students in research, RE-C^2 has the potential to positively alter the intellectual atmosphere in the mathematics departments at these institutions. An expected, long-term outcome of this project is that participating community college faculty members will continue their research collaborations with CSUN faculty. RE-C^2 will give community college students the opportunity to grow mathematically through the excitement and challenge of doing research in the mathematical sciences. Selected students will have a strong background in calculus when they enter the program. During the program, students will develop the ability to transition from general coursework to independent study, and acquire the logical and abstract thinking necessary to succeed in university-level mathematics. The research topics include Fractals in Industrial Design, Genetic Algorithms for Scheduling Problems, Markov Chains and Gambling Strategies, Problems Arising from Mathematical Biology, Problems in Number Theory and in Differential Geometry. These topics will provide a rich intellectual environment for the research projects and strengthen the mathematical background of the participating students. During the project, students will be encouraged to present their research work, and community college faculty will be encouraged to continue their research collaborations with CSUN faculty.