{"593821":{"#nid":"593821","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clone of School of Mathematics Celebrates Summer of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA poster session in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u0026rsquo; School of Mathematics\u003C\/a\u003E last month showcased some of the different ways that the mathematical and biological sciences interact. \u0026nbsp;The lively event culminated an eight-week summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program associated with the School\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.impact2math.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInterdisciplinary Mathematics Preparation and Career Training (IMPACT) program\u003C\/a\u003E, a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E-based postdoctoral-training program for mathematicians.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFunded by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503627\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation workforce grant,\u003C\/a\u003E IMPACT is led by School of Mathematics \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~heitsch\/\u0022\u003EProfessor Christine Heitsch\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Our primary goal is to address the critical transition from graduate student to tenure-track faculty in terms of research expectations, teaching responsibilities, and professional commitments,\u0026rdquo; she said. IMPACT also includes an REU component, she added, because \u0026ldquo;one way that faculty expectations differ significantly from graduate school is in engaging students in research projects.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the REU participants, the summer program was an opportunity to gain valuable research experience and learn about mathematics not often covered in undergraduate courses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the graduate assistants \u0026ndash; School of Mathematics Ph.D. students \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/users\/akirkpatrick3\u0022\u003EAnna Kirkpatrick\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/users\/tprag3\u0022\u003EThomas Prag\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.math.gatech.edu\/users\/pralli3\u0022\u003EPeter Ralli\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026ndash; it was a way to gain new experiences in research and teaching.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd for the IMPACT postdoctoral fellows \u0026ndash; \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~mbernstein9\/\u0022\u003EMegan Bernstein\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~tgreenwood3\/\u0022\u003ETorin Greenwood\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~hsmith90\/\u0022\u003EHeather C. Smith\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026ndash; it was a chance to practice the mentoring skills that are essential for a successful academic career.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn keeping with IMPACT\u0026rsquo;s interdisciplinary emphasis, the REU projects focused on the interface of discrete mathematics with molecular biology, particularly on the interaction of probabilistic and algebraic combinatorics with the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/computational-nanogami-rna-sequence-search-stretches-across-georgia-tech-boundaries\u0022\u003Efolding of RNA molecules\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;Although the biological connections were new to all participants, Heitsch said, \u0026ldquo;everyone really rose to the challenge, and that made it a wonderful experience for all of us.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe six undergraduates came from five Atlanta-area institutions and worked on four projects:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIbrahim Apata, a junior from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.morehouse.edu\/\u0022\u003EMorehouse College\u003C\/a\u003E, examined a theoretical model of RNA folding using plane trees, a mathematical structure from the field of combinatorics.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIda De Vierno, a junior from Georgia Tech, and Isabella Nang, a senior from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gsu.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia State University\u003C\/a\u003E, studied the connectivity of meanders, another combinatorial structure that can be viewed as pairs of RNA foldings.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChelsea Huston, a senior from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.spelman.edu\/\u0022\u003ESpelman College\u003C\/a\u003E, explored the charactertistics of random plane trees using samples from a Markov chain under certain \u0026lsquo;biological\u0026rsquo; probability distributions and then compared the results with known RNA foldings.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EJason Kolbush, a senior from Georgia Tech, and Taylor Strickland, a junior from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.agnesscott.edu\/\u0022\u003EAgnes Scott College\u003C\/a\u003E, built\u0026nbsp; and trained a hidden Markov model to parse experimental data that can be used to improve predictions of RNA-folding patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experience was exciting and eye-opening for the IMPACT postdocs. The undergraduate students \u0026ldquo;showed an amazing amount of curiosity and creativity in approaching the problems,\u0026rdquo; Bernstein said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Greenwood, \u0026ldquo;the most exciting thing is watching the students themselves get excited about these projects. They come up with their own ideas of how to solve these open questions.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe students \u0026ldquo;helped me see the project in a new light,\u0026rdquo; Smith said. \u0026ldquo;The approach that they took was a little bit different; they noticed patterns that I hadn\u0026#39;t seen before.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite their inexperience with the material, the students accomplished much during eight weeks. \u0026ldquo;I was very impressed,\u0026rdquo; said School of Mathematics Interim Chair \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.math.gatech.edu\/~tetali\/\u0022\u003EPrasad V. Tetali\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026ldquo;Some of the research done this summer is substantial enough to lead to interesting publications.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESummer research programs such as Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s IMPACT REU are valuable for undergraduates, said \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.morehouse.edu\/facstaff\/dcooper\/\u0022\u003EDuane Cooper, an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Mathematics at Morehouse College\u003C\/a\u003E, as well as a Georgia Tech alumnus. They enable students \u0026ldquo;to appreciate the foundation we try to instill in them and to see the many ways that the mathematics they\u0026rsquo;re learning can be useful,\u0026rdquo; he explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOrganizers hope the IMPACT REU will spark future collaborations between Georgia Tech and surrounding schools, especially those with students who are underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One of the most impactful byproducts of the program is setting up contacts with Morehouse, Spelman, and Agnes Scott,\u0026rdquo; Tetali said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;This exchange of research interest even at the faculty level is valuable,\u0026rdquo; Cooper said, adding that \u0026ldquo;it\u0026rsquo;s good for our students, our \u0026lsquo;Men of Morehouse\u0026rsquo;.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFigure Caption:\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAt the 2016 IMPACT REU poster session were (from left to right) Prasad Tetali, Peter Ralli, Heather Smith, Isabella Nang, Ibrahim Apata, Ida De Vierno, Christine Heitsch, Anna Kirkpatrick, Torin Greenwood, Megan Bernstein, Jason Kolbush, Chelsea Huston, Taylor Strickland, and Thomas Prag. Photo courtesy of Heather Smith.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScott Smith\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EStudent Assistant, College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Guided by postdoctoral mentors, Atlanta-area undergrads discovered that math + biology = a great summer research experience."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGuided by postdoctoral mentors, Atlanta-area undergrads discovered that math + biology = a great summer research experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Guided by postdoctoral mentors, Atlanta-area undergrads discovered that math + biology = a great summer research experience."}],"uid":"34518","created_gmt":"2017-07-28 16:58:25","changed_gmt":"2022-05-26 17:09:36","author":"sbarone7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-08-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-08-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"565101":{"id":"565101","type":"image","title":"Participants of the 2016 IMPACT REU","body":null,"created":"1471545304","gmt_created":"2016-08-18 18:35:04","changed":"1475895369","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:09","alt":"Participants of the 2016 IMPACT REU","file":{"fid":"218295","name":"all_involved.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/all_involved.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/all_involved.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":134781,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/all_involved.jpg?itok=EUUsmtI9"}}},"media_ids":["565101"],"groups":[],"categories":[{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"170195","name":"Christine Heitsch"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172271","name":"Duane Cooper"},{"id":"170601","name":"IMPACT REU"},{"id":"12708","name":"prasad tetali"},{"id":"168854","name":"School of Mathematics"},{"id":"173647","name":"_for_math_site_"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDirector of Communications - College of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}