MSU math research program attracts national field of students

Contact: Phil Hearn

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Eight students from colleges and universities across the country successfully completed a prestigious summer research program in applied mathematics at Mississippi State that concluded Friday [Aug. 5].

They had been selected from among more than 60 applicants for the 2005 Summer National Science Foundation-Research Experiences for Undergraduates Site in Applied Mathematics at MSU.

"In addition to the intensive research activities, the participants also attended several colloquia by our faculty, as well as by researchers from industry," said Ratnasingham Shivaji, the W.L. Giles Distinguished Professor in MSU's department of mathematics and statistics.

Among the students was MSU sophomore Brian L. Schilling, an aerospace engineering major from River Ridge, La. (He is the son of Emile and Patricia Schilling.)

The other student participants included Mike Borkowski of Simon's Rock College, Sylvia Kober of Binghamton University, Autumn von Flotow of the University of Oregon, Brian Wilson of the University of Oklahoma, Dave Perry of New York University, Jessica Schaefer of Northern Arizona University, and Matt Williams of Clarkson University.

Borkowski, Kober, von Flotow, and Wilson performed research in wave propagation under the direction of Tuncay Aktosun, an MSU professor of mathematics and statistics.

Schilling, Perry, Schaefer, and Williams performed research in population dynamics under the direction of Shivaji.

The REU program is supported by a grant from the NSF. Additional funds are provided by the offices of the provost and the vice president of research, and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Dr. Shivaji at (662) 325-2060 or shivaji@math.msstate.edu.