Undergraduate Research and Internships
Holly Abrams, Alex Edwards, Erin Sherman, Madisson Russell, and Joseph Semler presented research and competed in the Math Jeopardy competition at the 2022 MAA Southeast Section Conference at Berry College.
Undergraduate Research Enrichment Funds Program
The Undergraduate Research Enrichment Funds (UREF) grant program, formerly known as the Presidential Research Scholars Program prior to 2018, awards up to $3000 to student-faculty teams in support of scholarly and creative activity. The APSU Mathematics department is proud of its recipients. They are
- Joseph Semler - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2021 on "Rational-Logarithmic 4th Order Method and Application to a First-Order Pantograph Equation"
- Madisson Russell - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2021 on "Forest Preservation via Statistical Analysis"
- Sara Grey - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2020 on "The Gender Gap of Doubt: Investigating Student Self-Efficacy in Mathematics Assessments"
- Isac VanWormer - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2020 on "Domination Numbers of Graphs and Their Applications"
- Derrick Jator - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2020 on "Value-at-Risk: Benchmark for Portfolio Value"
- Kindyl King - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2017 on "Fractional Calculus in Analyzing Hepatic Fibrosis"
- Ryan Honea - with Dr. Matt Jones in 2017
- Jordan Taylor - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2015
- Paul Watkins - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2015
- Krissy Knight - with Dr. Fola Agusto in 2014
- Andrew Kerr - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2013
- Casey McKnight - with Dr. Matt Jones in 2011
- John Salter - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2010
All full-time undergraduate students with the support of a faculty mentor are eligible to apply on the Office of Student Research and Innovation website.
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Summer REUs)
Interested in a really, really great summer job? A summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) can be the experience of a lifetime. REU participants typically spend several weeks at a host university working with a faculty mentor and other undergraduate students on a research problem. Most living expenses are typically covered and most programs pay a stipend.
Programs are competitive, so students are encourage to apply to several and to apply early. Most applications are due in early Spring, but some are due in late Fall. Here is a link to the official National Science Foundation REU site: http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/.
The AMS (American Mathematical Society) also maintains a list of REU's.
The Office of Student Research and Innovation at APSU can help you locate REU's which match your interests and can assist you with the application process.
Previous students who participated in REU's:
- Madisson Russell - Mathematical Biosciences hosted by the Ohio State University in 2021
- Nathan Nickelson - Arctic Amplification at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2018
- Emily Stark - Social and Decision Analytics Laboratory at Virginia Tech in 2016
- Elisha Hall - Biomathematics and Bioinformatics at Fisk University in 2014
Malori Cloys working on undergraduate research involving neighborhood-prime labelings of graphs, a discrete math research project conducted with Professor Brad Fox
Undergraduate Research on Campus
Instead of traveling to another campus to conduct research during the summer, you can work with APSU's very own professors on exciting research projects. Students can work side-by-side with a research mentor throughout the summer with one of many active researchers in areas such as Numerical Analysis, Graph Theory, Knot Theory, and Statistics. No need for applications or deadlines; just find talk to a professor whose field is of interest to you about starting an undergraduate research project.
Your work could result in a presentation at a regional or national conference including the MAA Southeast Sectional Meeting, the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics, or the Joint Mathematics Meetings, or potentially as a published research article.
Students that participate in supervised research activities with an APSU faculty member that go to present their work can register for MATH 490H: Independent Study with High Impact Practices that counts as up to 5 hours of honors credit as a recognition of your achievements. Participation in an REU or in an internship (see more below) also can earn credit through this course.
In addition to the UREF recipients listed at the top of the page, the following student have conducted undergraduate research with a mentor in our department, many of which have earned credit through MATH 490H:
- Camryn Igo and Sage Patten - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2023 on Graceful Graph Labelings
- Emily Ender - with Dr. Kelly Buch in 2023 on Mathematical Models of Tumor Growth
- Laina Skaggs - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2021 on the Statistical Analysis of Waterborne Illnesses and Precipitation
- Holly Abrams - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2021 on the topic of Odd Prime Graph Labelings
- Tate Williams - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2020 on Predictive Analytics in Baseball
- Holly Abrams - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2020 studying the Mathematics of Gerrymandering
- Derrick Jator - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2020 on the topic of the Logistic Regression Model in Life Insurance
- Zachary Marlow - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2019 studying Portfolio Risk Analysis
- Courtney Frazier - with Dr. Ramanjit Sahi in 2019 on Connections of Molecular Symmetry with Mathematics
- Joseph Mathews - with Dr. Sumen Sen in 2017, research paper was published in STEAM-H: Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Mathematics, & Health
- Malori Cloys - with Dr. Brad Fox in 2017, research paper was published in Pi Mu Epsilon Journal
- Kindyl King - with Dr. Samuel Jator in 2017, research paper was published in Mathematical Problems in Engineering
Mackenzie Carr posing with a class at the Brown Basic (Elementary) School in Clarendon, Jamaica during her study abroad trip in January 2023.
Study Abroad Programs
If you want to study math while seeing the world, you can apply for one of several study abroad programs that will broaden your horizons geographically and mathematically. The Budapest Semesters in Mathematics features 8-week summer or 15-week academic year programs that allow you to take upper-level math courses in the beautiful and historic capital of Hungary. The Math in Moscow program is another terrific opportunity to study and conduct mathematical research with high quality students and professors in Russia. The APSU Math Department can provide funding support to help our students take part in these unique experiences.
For a great learning experience without the international travel, there are great programs such as the MASS (Mathematics Advanced Study Semesters) Program at Penn State or the Junior Year for Women at Smith College. These are excellent opportunities to study math at an advanced level and prepare you for future research experience or graduate school while keeping you closer to home. More information on these programs or other opportunities can be found at http://www.maa.org/programs/students/semester-and-summer-programs
Our students that have participated in study abroad programs:
- Mackenzie Carr - Study abroad course in Jamaica during Winter Term 2023
- Sara Gray - Study abroad course in Jamaica during Wintermester 2019
- Katherine Kreuser - Budapest Semesters in Mathematics in Summer 2017
- Emily Stark - Budapest Semesters in Mathematics in Summer 2015
Internships
Internships are another great opportunity to further your education, develop your mathematical skills, and prepare yourself for a career after graduation. They can be great sources of income during the summer break as well as providing valuable experience that will help set you apart from other graduates when entering the job market. See below for some resources for information about internship opportunities.
- Purdue University Professor Richard Penney's List of Math Career Resources
- SMART (Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Service Program)
- The Washington, D.C.-London Internship Program
- AMS's List of Internship Opportunities
APSU mathematics or statistics students that have completed internships:
- Mackenzie Carr - CVS/Aetna in Summer 2022
- Kindyl King - U.S. Department of Energy in Summer 2018
- Ryan Honea - Electrolux R&D in Springfield, TN in Summer 2017
- Sabrina Nieves - HCA Healthcare in Summer 2017