REU Site: Youngstown State University Beginning Undergraduates Mathematical Research Preparation

YSU-Bump(扬斯敦州立大学开始本科数学研究准备)是为大学头两年数学专业的学生提供的暑期研究体验。YSU-Bump的设计针对的是研究文献，该文献认为头两年是留住学生数学专业的关键时期，特别是女学生和那些来自代表性不足的少数族裔的学生。这种经历的三个方面预计会保留和提高成功：早期参与严格的研究项目，接触到数学科学中的各种职业，以及密集和有意的指导部分。学生将通过与各种各样的演讲者接触来探索可能的职业，这些演讲者在与工业、政府和学术界的工作中使用更高水平的数学，并将就从事这些类型的职业提供建议。在项目期间和之后以及至少在学生毕业期间进行指导，将加强参与者通过研究在数学学习方面取得的成果，以及他们在数学科学领域寻求职业生涯的动机。这次REU的研究项目将涵盖广泛的主题。例如，学生将学习和使用数据分析工具来可视化枪支暴力数据，然后使用这些可视化和其他工作来解决有关随时间变化的趋势以及按地理和时间位置划分的相对发病率的问题。参与者还将参与理论但仍可接触的主题，如图论项目，他们将探索彩虹着色，一种特殊类型的适当顶点着色，并寻求发现和证明新的数学结果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

YSU-BUMP (Youngstown State University Beginning Undergraduate Mathematical Research Preparation) is a summer research experience for students who are in their first two years of college and are majoring in mathematics. YSU-BUMP’s design addresses the research literature that identifies the first two years as a critical time for retention of students in mathematics, particularly of female students and those from underrepresented minorities. Retention and enhanced success are expected as a result of three facets of the experience: an early engagement in a rigorous research project, exposure to a variety of careers in the mathematical sciences, and an intensive and intentional mentoring component. Students will explore possible careers by engaging with a wide variety of speakers who employ higher-level mathematics in their work with industry, government and academia; and who will offer advice regarding pursuing these types of careers. Mentoring during and after the program and at least through students’ graduation will reinforce the gains made in the participants’ mathematical learning through research, and in their motivation regarding seeking careers in the mathematical sciences. Research projects for this REU will cover a wide variety of topics. For example, students will learn and employ data analysis tools to visualize gun violence data, then use these visualizations and other work to address questions regarding trends over time, and relative incidence rates by geographical and temporal locations. Participants will also engage with theoretical yet still accessible topics, such as a project in graph theory where they will explore rainbow coloring, a special type of proper vertex coloring, and seek to discover and prove new mathematical results.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.