One outcome of the project will have ACMS students more involved in faculty research. For a number of years, cross-disciplinary research groups involving faculty from the three departments, as well as industry representatives, have existed. They will learn what research is all about, and as a result their classes will become more meaningful. A new course in mathematical communication, which will be inaugurated this winter quarter for graduate students and advanced ACMS undergraduates, is intended to bolster students' mathematical writing and oral communication skills. Graduate students supported by the program also will be recruited into a research group upon their arrival.
Students typically spend a lot of time looking around before affiliating with a project.
We believe that giving graduate students a taste of research early in their time here will both enhance their coursework and help to focus their attention on the research topics they want to pursue. Each postdoctoral student will be assigned two faculty members from two different departments as mentors. Postdocs will be mentored by faculty. Graduate students will be mentored by postdocs and faculty. Undergraduates will be mentored by all three.