Math 1234: Honors Seminar in Mathematics

Professor Matt Jones

E-mail: jonesmatt@apsu.edu

Office: Clement 110

Phone: 931/221-7814

Office Hours:    MW 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm,    TTH 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, or by appointment

Tentative Schedule

      Date                      Speaker                                               Tentative Topic

Eligibility

Students may enroll if their Composite ACT score is 26 or higher OR their Mathematics ACT score is 24 or higher OR they have been admitted to the APSU Honors Program OR they have obtained permission of the instructor or Department Chair.  Both freshmen and upper division students are welcome to enroll.

Goals of the Course

This course is designed to be part of the university Honors Program.  Its purpose is to expose students to research topics appropriate for undergraduates and to acquaint them with the types of topics they might eventually study in graduate school in mathematics or related fields (such as operations research, statistics, physics).  Students will also become acquainted with opportunities for fellowships and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) nationally and abroad.

 Course Requirements and Grading

 The course will be graded based on attendance, on a journal, and on an annotated bibliography.  The journal and annotated bibliography will have equal weight in the course grade.

 Attendance Policy

Each two unexcused absences will result in a reduction of the course grade by one letter.  Absences will be excused at the discretion of the instructor and only for unavoidable circumstances.  The instructor will require proof of illness or other emergency. Students who are excessively or habitually late may be marked absent. 

Disability Issues

Any student who has a disability that might affect his/her academic performance is encouraged to make an appointment with me to discuss the matter, or you may contact the Office of Disability Services; telephone 221-6230; tty 221-6278; fax 221-7102.

Minors in the Classroom

Minors (any non-student under the age of 18) accompanying staff, faculty, students, or visitors on campus are not permitted in the classroom.

Standards of Conduct

Students are expected to conduct themselves appropriately at all times.  Academic and classroom misconduct will not be tolerated.  Students must read the “Code of Student Conduct” in the new Student Handbook for an understanding of what will be expected of them within the academic setting.

Mid-term Grade

A mid-term grade shall be awarded for all students in this course.  The grade awarded may not necessarily be based on 50% of the course requirements and may or may not differ from the final grade. Your mid-term grade will be posted on AP Web. 

Note

The above procedures are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. 

The Journal Assignment

Due Date

Your journal is due on Tuesday, December 14 (during final exam week).  I will take up the journals on Tuesday, September 28 for the purpose of giving you feedback on your journal entries to that point. 

Description

Your journal will contain one page for each lecture.  At the top of the page put the title of the lecture, the name of the speaker, and the date.  Then give a brief reflection on the lecture.  Some things you might include are what aspects of the topic interested you most, what question you have after hearing the lecture, what parts of the lecture (if any) you didn’t understand (and that’s OK!), etc.  Following this reflection, give your response to the follow-up question for that lecture.

Fine Print 

Please print or type your journal entries.  You are expected to adhere to the standards of good grammar, sentence structure, spelling punctuation, etc.  Please do not use the backs of pages. 

The Annotated Bibliography Assignment

Due Date

The annotated bibliography is due Tuesday, November 9. 

Description

Select at least 10 REU programs in mathematics or related fields that interest you.  For each REU, give the primary reference (usually a web page address).  Underneath the reference provide one paragraph of information about that REU.  Be sure to indicate the mathematical topic(s) which are explored in that REU.  Indicate the approximate date at which applications are due.  (The webpage http://www.ams.org/employment/reu.html contains a list of REUs.)

Give an annotation for the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics.  The primary reference is http://www.budapestsemesters.com/  Underneath the reference provide one paragraph of information about the program.  Be sure to include the approximate date at which applications are due.

Give an annotation for the APSU Presidential Research Scholars Program (http://www.apsu.edu/our/presidential-research-scholars-program).  Underneath the reference provide one paragraph of information about the program.  Be sure to include the approximate date at which applications are due. 

Select at least five universities which provide their own funding for graduate students in mathematics or a related field.  For each university, give the primary reference (usually a web page address) for that university’s graduate mathematics (or mathematics-related program).  Underneath the reference provide one paragraph of information about a mathematics (or related) graduate program at that university.  If possible, include information about the approximate time of year that applications are due.  The AMS booklet at http://www.ams.org/employment/asst.pdf lists, by state, over 200 graduate programs in mathematics which offer funding to students. 

Select at least five national and/or international scholarship/fellowship programs which provide funding for graduate study in mathematics or a related field.  For each scholarship, give the primary reference (usually a webpage address) for information about that scholarship.  Underneath the reference provide one paragraph of information about that scholarship.  Your paragraph should include (but should not be limited to) who is eligible and what, exactly, is funded.  If possible, also indicate the approximate time of year that applications are due.  A list (by no means extensive) of national and international scholarships is attached. 

Some Fine Print

Your annotated bibliography must be typed.  You are expected to adhere to standards of good grammar, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, etc.  Although it is not a hard and fast rule, it is my assumption that you can get about three annotations on each page.  Please do not use the backs of the pages.  You are, of course, expected to adhere to standards of good grammar, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, etc. 

Some National and International Programs

Rhodes

Marshall

Mitchell

Churchill

Fulbright

Goldwater

Gates Cambridge

Glamour Magazine Top Ten College Women Contest

NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program

Newton Fellowships

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities

GEM Fellowships for Minorities in Engineering and Science

Hertz Fellowships

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Graduate Fellowships

National Physical Science Consortium

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships

AMS China Exchange Program: Fan Fund Travel Grants from the AMS

AMS –AAAS Mass Media Fellowship Program (for graduate students)

AMS Prizes

AMS-AAAS Congressional Fellowship

Travel Grants for ICM 2010

Stipends for Study and Travel (http://www.ams.org/employment/stipends-list.html)

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

The National Academies Fellowships in Science, Engineering, and Medicine

NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences – Enhancing the Mathematical Sciences Workforce in the 21^st Century (EMSW21)

NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

NSF-AWM Travel Grants for Women

National Security Agency (NSA) Grants and Sabbaticals

Other Programs (http://www.ams.org/employment/gradinfo.html)

-----The above material is subject to change on a whim.---------