2014 Industrial Math/Stat Modeling Workshop for Graduate Students - July 14-22, 2014

Application documents: Students are requested to submit a CV, a transcript, and a statement of interest. A letter of recommendation must be submitted by your advisor. Notification of acceptance is sent in early May.

Application deadline: 15 April 2014

Location: The 2014 IMSM workshop was held at North Carolina State University.

Objective: Graduate students in mathematics, engineering, and statistics were exposed to challenging and exciting real-world problems arising in industrial and government laboratory research. Students also experienced the team approach to problem solving.

Setup: The students were divided into six-member teams to collaborate on industrial projects presented by experienced scientists and engineers. The corresponding problems were not the kind of academic exercises often considered in classrooms. The challenges they raise typically require fresh new insight for both formulation and solution. During the workshop, each group were mentored by both the problem presenter and a faculty adviser.

Projects:

Agustin Calatroni (Rho), Herman Mitchell (Rho) and Sanvesh Srivastava (SAMSI):
Allergy, Asthma and Exposures in the Homes of the US Population

Simone Gray (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and Howard Chang (Emory University):
Geographic and Racial Differences of Persons Living with HIV in the Southern United States

Matthew Farthing (US Army Corps of Engineers ERDC) and Lea Jenkins (Clemson University):
Water Purification via Membrane Separation

John Peach (MIT Lincoln Laboratory) and Minh Pham (SAMSI):
The Hunt for Red Hot Rock-tober

Mark Wolff (SAS) and Kenneth Lopiano (SAMSI):
Analysis of Self-Reported Health Outcomes Data from Web-Based Media Sources

Benefits to students: Do you think your class work reflects how you will be using mathematics and statistics on the job? Sometimes the biggest challenge is figuring out what the real problem is. In the IMSM workshop, students will learn how to do this, and also how to get a usable result on a tight deadline. By providing a unique experience of how mathematics and statistics are applied outside Academia, the workshop has helped many students in deciding what kind of career they aspire to. In some cases, this help has been in the form of direct hiring by the participating companies. By broadening the horizon beyond what is usually presented in graduate education, students interested in academic careers will also find a renewed sense of excitement about their field. Additionally, students will gain experience working together toward producing an oral presentation and written report of their results (see related publications) which occasionally has led to later journal publications.

Benefits to companies: Often the student teams come up with useful solutions to a company's problem. Some companies also take advantage of the recruitment opportunity provided through direct contact with some of the most talented graduate students in the mathematical sciences. Moreover, several projects initially presented at the workshop have resulted in long term collaboration between applied mathematicians (students and faculty) and the companies involved. Many companies, large and small, have shown continued interest and enthusiasm about the IMSM workshop.

Cost: Local and travel expenses are covered.

Support: The workshop is supported by SAMSI and the Center for Research in Scientific Computation in collaboration with the NCSU Department of Mathematics.

Inquiries: Please send questions to [email protected]

IMSM Background:
History and Past Workshops
Reports, Presentations, and Computing
Related Publications