Year 2011–12

2011–2012 Monthly Meetings

1. August Meeting: 4:00–6:00 p.m. on August 28 (Stright 226/229)
2. September Meeting: 9:05–9:55 a.m. on September 28 (Stright 333)
3. October Meeting: 12:30–1:45 p.m. on October 20 (Stright 333)
4. December Meeting: 2:30–4:00 p.m. on December 9 (Stright 333)
5. January Meeting: 4:00–6:00 p.m. on January 22 (Stright 226/229)
6. February Meeting: 6:45–8:15 p.m. on February 20 (Stright 226/229)
7. March Meeting: 6:45–8:15 p.m. on March 28 (Stright 226/229)
8. April/May Meeting: 3:30–5:00 p.m. on May 4 (Stright 240)

Workshops: (Open to Public)

1. Mathematica Workshop I/II: 12:30–1:45 p.m. on September 13/15, 2011, in Stright 112A
   Presenter: Dr. Ed Donley
   
   Session I: This hands-on session will familiarize participants with the basic capabilities of Mathematica, including experience with Mathematica's notebook interface and syntax. Topics will include 2D, 3D, and parametric graphing; animations; and equation solving.
   
   Session II participants will learn to create their own customized functions in Mathematica. Examples will include drawing polygonal spirals and pyramids.

2. Scientific Visualization and Creating a Research Poster: 7:15–8:45 p.m. on November 3, 2011, in Stabley Library 201
   Presenters: Rick Adkins (Mathematics), Ellen Lamont (Geoscience), Dan O'Hara (Geoscience)
   
   This hands-on session will cover the basics of manipulating and visualizing large datasets and creation of large research posters suitable for conference presentation. Several data intensive graphical software packages will be illustrated with hands-on activities in the use of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. During the session, participants will create sample charts and a research poster. Participants will learn how to best organize their research results and how to select effective color schemes, layouts, and fonts.

3. Career Panel: 2:30–4:00 p.m. on December 2, 2011, in Stright Hall Room 340
   Presenters: Kwasi Abrefa-Kodom (Client Technical Specialist, IBM, Houston, TX), Ben Jarrett (Energy Industry Analyst, Federal Energy Regulator Commission, Washington, DC), Paul Rossman (Marketing Statistical Analyst, Sheetz), Dr. John Chrispell (India University of Pennsylvania) 

   The first three presenters are recent alumni of the M.S. in Applied Mathematics program. They will share their experiences and provide suggestions for working in industry and government agencies. Dr. John Chrispell will share his experience on pursuing a Ph.D. degree and working as a postdoctoral researcher.

4. Matlab Workshop: 6:35–8:35 p.m. on February 1, 2012, in Stright Hall Room 220
   Presenter: Rick Adkins 

5. WinEdt/LaTeX/Matlab Publishing: 6:35–8:35 p.m. on February 27, 2012, in Stright Hall Room 220
   Presenter: Yu-Ju Kuo/SaraJane Parsons 

6. Applications to Graduate Schools (Panel): 3:30–5:00 p.m. on March 30, 2012, in Stright Hall Room 327
   Presenters: Megan Agosti (Physics), Dane Alabran (M.S. in Applied Mathematics), Albert Harrison (M.S. in Applied Mathematics), SaraJane Parsons (Mathematics)
   
   These four presenters recently applied to various Ph.D. programs. They will share their experiences in preparing GRE and provide suggestions for preparing the application process.
   Light refreshement will be served.

Invited Speakers: (Open to Public)

1. October 12, 2011 — SIAM Visiting Lecturer Program
   Dr. William Browning, Applied Mathematics, Inc.
   • 1:25–2:15 p.m. (Eberly Auditorium, ECB 101)
     Title: Some Applications of Mathematics in Industry
     Applications of mathematics will be described in the areas of submarine warfare, ocean surface current estimation, and grape crop yield estimation.
   • 3:35–4:25 p.m. Stright Hall, Room 329
     Title: Career Planning for Math Majors
     A degree in the mathematical sciences is good preparation for a variety of careers. Some suggestions for preparing for a career in industry will be given.
   • 5:20–6:20 p.m. Stright Hall, Room 329
     Title: The Mathematics of Search and Rescue
     Search and rescue is a core mission of the U.S. Coast Guard. An introduction to mathematical methods used in search and rescue will be given.
   • About the Speaker:
     Dr. William J. Browning is founder and president of Applied Mathematics, Inc., Gales Ferry, Connecticut. He received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Purdue University. For the past thirty-seven years, his work has principally focused on applications of mathematics to naval operations. He has embarked as a technical adviser on over thirty U.S. and United Kingdom nuclear submarines and naval aircraft conducting operations throughout the world. He has led consulting projects in a variety of areas including submarine warfare, Coast Guard Search and Rescue, clinical informatics, fluid flow control, ship tracking, and viticulture. Dr. Browning received a Meritorious Public Service Citation from the chief of Naval Operations for his work in submarine search theory and sonar systems employment; a Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University College of Science; and the Naval Submarine League Distinguished Civilian Award.
2. April 20, 2012 — SIAM Visiting Lecturer Program
   Dr. Irene Fonseca, President-Elect, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 
   Mellon College of Science Professor of Mathematics
   Director, Center for Nonlinear Analysis
   Department of Mathematical Sciences
   Carnegie-Mellon University

• 1:25–2:15 p.m., Pratt Auditorium
  Title: Variational Methods in Materials Science and Image Processing
  
  Abstract: Several questions in applied analysis motivated by issues in computer vision, physics, materials sciences and other areas of engineering may be treated variationally leading to higher order problems and to models involving lower dimension density measures. Their study often requires state-of-the-art techniques, new ideas, and the introduction of innovative tools in partial differential equations, geometric measure theory, and the calculus of variations. In this talk it will be shown how some of these questions may be reduced to well understood first order problems, while in others the higher order plays a fundamental role. Applications to phase transitions, to the equilibrium of foams under the action of surfactants, imaging, micromagnetics, thin films, and quantum
  dots will be addressed.
• 2:45–3:35 p.m., Stright Hall, Room 226/229
  Title: Career in Mathematics
• 4:00–4:50 p.m., Stright Hall Room 226/229
  Title: Variational Methods for Crystal Surface Instability
  
  Abstract: Using the calculus of variations it is shown that important qualitative features of the equilibrium shape of a material void in a linearly elastic solid may be deduced from smoothness and convexity properties of the interfacial energy. In addition, short time existence, uniqueness, and regularity for an anisotropic surface diffusion evolution equation with curvature regularization are proved in the context of epitaxially strained two-dimensional films. This is achieved by using the $H^{-1}$-gradient flow structure of the evolution law, via De Giorgi's minimizing movements. This seems to be the first short time existence result for a surface diffusion type geometric evolution equation in the presence of elasticity.

Affiliated Events:

1. Mathematics Department Colloquium
   • Dates: November 17–18, 2011
     Speaker: Dr. Felix Famoye, Central Michigan University
     Title: Regression Models for Count Data 
   • Date: March 21, 2012
     Speaker: Dr. Sarah Lukens, University of Pittsburgh
     Title: Mathematical Modeling of Influenza infection
2. 2012 Undergraduate Scholars Forum
   
   Best Computational Science Poster Award
   David B. Williams-Young
   Title: “Predicting Relative Activities of Enzymes Using Computed Chemical Properties”
3. Women in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Program 
   
   Best Computational Science Poster Award
   Iryna Yavorska
   Title: "Do visual adoption aftereffects support a model of how neural interactions result in visual surface perception?"
4. Student Presentation Day, 2:00–5:00 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 2012
5. Mathematics Department Scholarship Awards Banquet 5:30–8:00 p.m., Friday, May 4, 2012
   Oak Room