REU Site: Applied Mathematics Research Experience -- Theory, Applications, and Numerics

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This award provides support to the University of Houston-Downtown to host an interdisciplinary research experience for undergraduates (REU) program developed to build bridges between students with mathematical backgrounds and students interested in engineering and biological sciences. Students will conduct collaborative research projects requiring extensive application of mathematical skills in interdisciplinary research teams. The program consists of three major components: theory, experiments, and numerics, and it aims to provide students a complete and balanced research experience. The program will host ten undergraduate students each summer for eight weeks. The research experience has been designed with three specific aims: (1) increase the number of undergraduates, particularly under-represented groups, engaged in collaborative research on projects that require quantitative methods in the sciences; (2) train and educate students to communicate research findings effectively across both the sciences and mathematics; (3) encourage students to pursue careers employing the intellectual and computational skills featured in their REU experience. The students in this REU program will learn and participate in the applied mathematics research fields that include problems in solid mechanics and plant transport systems. The central theme is on the governing partial differential equations, which include equations of linear elasticity, transport equations, and diffusion equations. All projects also include a laboratory and/or fieldwork component that gives students a firsthand experience in collecting data underlying the models. These models will be studied through a combination of qualitative analysis and numerical simulation. Effects of parameter variation will be surveyed to interpret the results and to formulate practical conclusions. All student participants will apply a complete cycle of the scientific method.