AMS Honors Two Programs Promoting Diversity in Mathematics

April 11, 2007

The American Mathematical Society has singled out two university programs that have helped expand opportunities for minority students in mathematics.

The two programs are called Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE), which is a joint project of Bryn Mawr and Spelman Colleges, and the Mathematical Theoretical Biology Institute (MTBI), based at Arizona State University.

This is the second year that the AMS has honored "Mathematics Programs that Make a Difference."

EDGE was started in 1998 by Sylvia Bozeman (Spelman College) and Rhonda Hughes (Bryn Mawr College). The program stresses the idea that students who have excelled in early mathematics courses — but who may have limited exposure to more advanced mathematics — can still attain doctorates in the subject. One key element is a four-week summer program that provides two core courses in mathematics, giving students intense exposure to material through a combination of teamwork and individual effort. The second major component is a mentoring program, which lends support to the students as they embark on graduate studies.

From 1998 to 2006, 105 women were accepted into EDGE. Ninety women entered graduate programs, and more than 90 percent of those either earned a graduate degree or are still in graduate studies.

Since 1996, MTBI has offered research experiences for undergraduate and graduate students in applications of mathematics and statistics to questions in the biological and social sciences. MTBI participants have co-authored more than 100 technical reports since the program's inception. Some of these reports were published, and many became the basis for further research.

The program has mentored and supported 277 undergraduate and 30 graduate students. MTBI's summer program operates along the lines of research workshops. Students take three and a half weeks of intense training in dynamical systems and modeling in the biological and social sciences. The students set the research agenda, forming groups of three or four to work on projects of their choosing, with the advice of a faculty mentor.

In 2004, the MTBI merged with another program, the Institute for Strengthening Understanding of Mathematics and Science (SUMS). The founder of MTBI is Carlos Castillo-Chavez of Arizona State University, and the founder of SUMS was the late Joaquin Bustoz, Jr.

Source: American Mathematical Society