Dixie State University has selected four students to participate in its Enhancing Advancement to Graduate Education through Research experience, made possible by a grant from the Mathematical Association of America.
The $27,575 Mathematical Association of America grant, funded through the National Science Foundation to host a summer National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, provides students with the opportunity to participate in full-time research for seven consecutive weeks. Dixie State students Rosa Flores, Brandon Payne, Christian Riordan and Lori Smith were selected to participate.
“I am very excited to receive this competitive grant, as only 8-9 universities across the nation receive this grant every year,” Vinodh Chellamuthu, an assistant professor of math at Dixie State, said. “This grant exemplifies undergraduate research and dramatically aligns with our mission. I firmly believe this opportunity will expand the minority/underrepresented student participation in the STEM pipeline and increase future students’ opportunities at DSU.”
As part of their research, students participating in the program will develop control mechanisms to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Specifically, they will create mathematical models to decrease dengue and build differential equations and parameter estimations to reduce Chytridiomycosis within frog populations.
The program provides participants with meaningful research experience, increases undergraduate completion rates and encourages students from underrepresented groups to pursue advanced degrees and careers in mathematics by exposing them to a challenging research experience.
“The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program gives students a taste of the culture of research and life in a graduate school, which ultimately helps students in choosing their career paths,” Chellamuthu said. “Introducing students to this kind of research significantly impacts students’ success on graduate school applications and their future job opportunities. This experience opens up many opportunities for students and builds an amazing career path.”