Infinite Possibilities Conference - College of Science
Transcription
Infinite Possibilities Conference - College of Science
Infinite Possibilities Conference March 1 -‐ 3, 2015 Corvallis, Oregon It is an enormous pleasure to welcome you to the 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC). Little did anyone know that an inspiring gathering at Spelman College in 2005 would create enough interest and momentum that almost ten years later, we’d be celebrating with a fifth conference, IPC 2015. We are delighted to hold the conference for the first time in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, at Oregon State University. For each of us, this journey has held special moments. The conferences have been the result of many volunteer hours, each time with a new Steering Committee building on past structures but bringing fresh ideas. A common through-line, though, has been the inspiration that we take from coming together. We hope you will use this time to meet one another; pick up good advice; learn new mathematical and statistical ideas; share any up and downs; and be propelled in your academic, career, and life goals, with incentive to add new ones along the way. We would like to give a special thank you to the IPC Steering Committee members, for their contribution to making IPC possible. We extend especially warm thanks to the Local Organizing Committee at Oregon State University. We are also grateful to the Mathematical Biosciences Institute for organizing the Short Course and to all our conference sponsors, particularly our two premier sponsors, the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency. Please enjoy the meeting and take advantage of all the possibilities! Warmly, Lily Khadjavi & Tanya Moore IPC 2015 Co-Chairs Board members, Building Diversity in Science 2 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference College of Science, Office of the Dean Oregon State University, 128 Kidder Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-4608 T 541-737-4811 | F 541-737-1009 | www.science.oregonstate.edu | [email protected] 2015 IPC Program – A warm welcome Welcome to the 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference! We, at Oregon State University, are thrilled to have so many women of color in the statistical, mathematical and computational sciences on our beautiful campus. It is an exciting time to be a woman in these fields! There are so many opportunities, infinite possibilities, for you—please seek them out. While you are here, I hope you take the opportunity to make connections with other women in science, and with our extraordinary mathematics and statistics faculty and students in the College of Science. You never know where you might meet your mentor or someone who can help you find your true North. I am passionate about mentorship because it contributes to a student’s success. It is what transforms good students into great leaders in science. As an African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I strongly believe that many of us benefit from having many mentors in our lives, formal or informal. Not a single mentor, but a collection of them. In my own life, I am motived by a passion and commitment to seeing women in leadership roles. And I strongly believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to enhance diversity through mentoring, and excellence through diversity. Mentoring helps you navigate the world. It is not a weakness to lean on others, in fact, it is a strength to lean in. I hope that this conference motivates us all to take the time to mentor women in the statistical, mathematical and computational sciences to reach their full potential. Each one of us should help break any glass ceilings for women and underrepresented minorities. Welcome to Oregon State University, the College of Science and Corvallis! Take some time to explore our wonderful city, named #3 best college town and #4 most innovative city in the nation!* Please consider making Corvallis your future home, and us a part of your family. Go BEAVS! Sastry G. Pantula, Dean College of Science * According to the American Institute for Economic Research (2014) and Nerdwallet (February 2015), respectively. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 3 Sponsors The Organizing Committee members wish to express our gratitude to the sponsors of the 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference. Without their generous contributions, this event would not be possible. Premiere Level Sponsor Minimum Donation of $25,000 National Security Agency National Science Foundation NSF Math Institutes’ Diversity Collaborative Oregon State University/College of Science Silver Level Sponsor Minimum Donation of $3000 Sam’s Club Cummings, Inc Bronze Level Sponsor Minimum Donation of $1000 Eli Lilly and Company Institute for Pure & Applied Mathematics American Statistical Association Hewlett Packard SAS Institute, Inc./JMP Division Supporter Jackson & Tull 4 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Schedule at a Glance SUNDAY MARCH 1, 2015 8:30 AM Registration & Breakfast 9:30 AM Short Course: Biostatistics 5:00 PM Welcome Reception and Registration Lobby/Foyer Room 115 Lobby/Foyer MONDAY MARCH 2, 2015 7:30 AM Registration Lobby/Foyer 7:30 AM Mindfulness & Meditation 8:00 AM Breakfast Ballroom 9:00 AM Welcome and Opening Remarks Ballroom 9:15 AM Journey to Infinity: My Path to Mathematics Ballroom 10:15 AM Reflections: Ten Years of IPC Ballroom 10:30 AM Building Networks Ballroom 11:45 PM Lunch Ballroom 1:00 PM Introduction of Keynote Speaker Ballroom 1:05 PM Keynote Address - The Eyes Have It: Modeling Cataract Surgical Rates for Developing Countries Talithia Williams - Harvey Mudd College 2:00 PM Coffee Break 2:15 PM Concurrent Research Roundtables Johnson Lounge Ballroom Applied Mathematics I Room 111 Applied Mathematics II Room 114 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 5 Schedule at a Glance Mathematics Education Pure Mathematics Statistics/Biostatistics Ballroom Johnson Lounge Room 115 3:45 PM Student Poster Session Lobby/Foyer 5:00 PM Breakout Sessions - Seeing Your Way Forward: What Works for You? Group Session - High School/College Students Room 111 Group Session - Graduate Students / Post Docs Room 115 Group Session - Professionals Room 114 Dinner (On Your Own) TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 7:30 AM Registration 7:30 AM Mindfulness & Meditation 8:00 AM Breakfast Ballroom 9:00 AM Introduction to Keynote Address Ballroom 9:05 AM Keynote Address - The Intersection of Adversity, Resilience, Tenacity, and Models of Photoreceptor Degeneration: My Story, Passion and Research Erika Camacho - Arizona State University 10:00 AM Coffee Break 10:15 AM Breakout Sessions - Keeping the Momentum: Success at Every Level Pathways Outside of Academia So You Want to Go to Grad School 6 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Lobby/Foyer Johnson Lounge Ballroom Johnson Lounge Room 115 Schedule at a Glance How to Build A Sustainable Research Program Room 111 Negotiating, Self-Advocacy and Leaning In Room 114 11:30 AM Group Photo 11:45 AM Lunch 12:00 PM Solo Success: How to Thrive in the Academy When You’re the Only ____ in the Department. Kerry Ann Rockquemore - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity Ballroom Room 114 Special workshop from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Please note this will be a working lunch. 1:00 PM Breakout Sessions - The Nuts and Bolts of Mastering Your Craft Sage Workshop Room 115 Grant Writing Workshop Room 111 Summer REUs and Internships 2:00 PM Johnson Lounge Breakout Sessions - The Personal Side of Mathematics Exploring Implicit Bias in Education Room 115 True Confessions: Getting Real About Math Room 111 Healthy Financial Management Johnson Lounge 2:45 PM Coffee Break Ballroom 3:00 PM The Big Data Boom Ballroom 4:00 PM Breakout Sessions - The Myths & Realities of Having it All Finding a Work-Family Life Equilibrium Johnson Lounge You Matter! Centering Oneself Outside of Family Ties Room 111 Avoiding the Trap of Perfectionism in Testing & Grades Room 115 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 7 Schedule at a Glance 6:30 PM Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Awards Banquet Ballroom Special Remarks Christine Vernier - Vernier Software & Technology Moment of Silence Entertainment Tarina Peace - Berkeley High School Special Invited Speaker Deborah Jackson - National Science Foundation Student Poster Session Awards Presentation of Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring & Commitment to Diversity to Genevieve Madeline Knight, Coppin State College Closing Remarks Adjournment 8 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Schedule SUNDAY MARCH 1, 2015 8:30 AM Registration & Breakfast 9:30 AM Short Course: Biostatistics Lobby/Foyer Room 115 Biostatistics: Encompassing Variability in the Search for Truth Renee Moore - North Carolina State University Portia Parker - SAS 11:00 AM Statistical Methods for Analyzing Massive Neuroimaging Data Sets DuBois Bowman - Columbia University 12:00 PM Lunch 1:00 PM From Stats to Apps: Having Fun with R Emma Benn - Ichan School of Medicine at Mt Sinai 2:40 PM Classification of Pregnancy Outcome with Longitudinal Hormone Data Anna Baron - University of Colorado Denver 3:40 PM Statistical Tools for Predicting Ancestry from Genetic Data Timothy Thornton - University of Washington 5:00 PM Welcome Reception and Registration Lobby/Foyer MONDAY MARCH 2, 2015 7:30 AM Registration Lobby/Foyer 7:30 AM Mindfulness & Meditation Johnson Lounge Fern Hunt - National Institute of Standards and Technology 8:00 AM Breakfast Ballroom 9:00 AM Welcome and Opening Remarks Tanya Moore - Building Diversity in Science Sabah Randhawa - Provost and Executive Vice President, Oregon State University Ballroom 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 9 Schedule 9:15 AM Journey to Infinity: My Path to Mathematics Moderator: Lily Khadjavi - Loyola Marymount University Sousada Chidthachack - University of Minnesota Angela Gallegos - Loyola Marymount University Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver - North Carolina State University Karen Morgan - New Jersey City University Ballroom 10:15 AM Reflections: Ten Years of IPC Tanya Moore - Building Diversity in Science Ballroom 10:30 AM Building Networks Tasha Henneman - Mills College Candice Price - United States Military Academy, West Point Ballroom 11:45 PM Lunch Ballroom 1:00 PM Introduction of Keynote Speaker Sastry Pantula - Oregon State University Ballroom 1:05 PM Keynote Address - The Eyes Have It: Modeling Cataract Surgical Rates for Developing Countries Talithia Williams - Harvey Mudd College 2:00 PM Coffee Break 2:15 PM Concurrent Research Roundtables Applied Mathematics I Moderator: Carmen Torres - Building Diversity in Science Using Interpolation to Enhance Imagery Michelle Guinn - Belmont University A Mathematical Model on the Retention of Women in the STEM Disciplines: Effect of Female Faculty Jasmine Jackson, Shala Brown and Claudia Rodriguez – Arizona State University Fully Homomorphic Encryption Applied to Wireless Networks Olive Mbianda - University of Minnesota 10 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Ballroom Room 111 Schedule Adaptive Grid Generation, 3D Graphics on the Web, and a Digital Library Bonita V. Saunders - National Institute of Standards and Technology Applied Mathematics II Room 114 Moderator: Fern Hunt - National Institute of Standards and Technology Dynamics in the Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation Cristi D. Guevara - Louisiana State University Fibonacci Sequence in Nature: An Example Isabelle Kemajou-Brown - University of Minnesota Optimal Control in a Free Boundary Fluid-Elasticity Interaction Kristina Martin - North Carolina State University Utilizing Mathematics in the Analysis of Genomic Data Saba Nafees - Texas Tech University Mathematics Education Moderator: Natasha Brewley - Georgia Gwinnett College Ballroom “Not Just Math Because I Can Get That in School:” High School Students Evaluate the Impact of an Urban Mathematics Program Sousada Chidthachack- University of Minnesota How Does Stereotype Threat Impact Adolescent Female Math Students? Patricia Hale - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona An Intersection of Quantitative Literacy and Creative Literacy: Using Poetry to Enhance the Cognitive and Affective Domains of Learning in the Mathematics Classroom Karen Morgan - New Jersey City University Pure Mathematics Johnson Lounge Moderator: Alejandra Alvarado - Eastern Illinois University Sandpile Groups of Series-Parallel Graphs Rebecca Garcia - Sam Houston State University 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 11 Schedule f-vectors of Pure Complexes of Rank Four Mela Hardin - Arizona State University Maximizing 2-Independent Sets in 3-Uniform Hypergraphs Lauren Keough - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Statistics/Biostatistics Moderator: Nagambal Shah - Spelman College Room 115 Statistical Challenges in Analyses of Alzheimer’s Disease Studies Rebecca Betensky - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Exact Distribution of Multiple Window Scan Statistics Deidra A. Coleman - North Carolina State University A Method for Sample Size Estimation Making Use of Data from Pilot Studies Asya Spears - University of California, Los Angeles 3:45 PM Student Poster Session 5:00 PM Breakout Sessions - Seeing Your Way Forward: What Works for You? Group Session - High School/College Students Facilitator: Alejandra Alvarado - Eastern Illinois University Room 111 Group Session - Graduate Students / Post Docs Facilitator: Kimberly Weems - North Carolina State University Room 115 Group Session - Professionals Facilitator: Patricia Hale - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Room 114 Dinner (On Your Own) 12 Lobby/Foyer 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Schedule TUESDAY MARCH 3, 2015 7:30 AM Registration Lobby/Foyer 7:30 AM Mindfulness & Meditation Nagambal Shah - Spelman College 8:00 AM Breakfast Ballroom 9:00 AM Introduction to Keynote Address Nagambal Shah - Spelman College Ballroom 9:05 AM Keynote Address - The Intersection of Adversity, Resilience, Tenacity, and Models of Photoreceptor Degeneration: My Story, Passion and Research Erika Camacho - Arizona State University 10:00 AM Coffee Break 10:15 AM Breakout Sessions - Keeping the Momentum: Success at Every Level Johnson Lounge Ballroom Pathways Outside of Academia Johnson Lounge Moderator: Fern Hunt - National Institute for Standards and Technology Camille Daniel - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Melanie Larsen - Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics Cynthia Wallace - Synchrony Financial Laboratory So You Want to Go to Grad School Room 115 Moderator: Candice Price - United State Military Academy, West Point Minerva Cordero-Epperson - University of Texas at Arlington April Harry - Purdue University Colette Patt - University of California, Berkeley How to Build A Sustainable Research Program Moderator: Omayra Ortega- Arizona State University Naiomi Cameron - Lewis and Clark College Rehana Patel - Olin College of Engineering Roselyn Williams - Florida A&M University Room 111 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 13 Schedule Negotiating, Self-Advocacy and Leaning In Moderator: Rebecca Garcia - Sam Houston State University Joy Alafia - Western Propane Gas Association Talithia Williams - Harvey Mudd College Ulrica Wilson - Morehouse College 11:30 AM Group Photo 11:45 AM Lunch 12:00 PM Solo Success: How to Thrive in the Academy When You’re the Only ____ in the Department. Kerry Ann Rockquemore - National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity Room 114 Ballroom Room 114 Special workshop from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM. Please note this will be a working lunch. 1:00 PM Breakout Sessions - The Nuts and Bolts of Mastering Your Craft Sage Workshop Holly Swisher - Oregon State University Room 115 Grant Writing Workshop Barbara Johnson - National Security Agency Nandini Kannan - National Science Foundation Room 111 Summer REUs and Internships Johnson Lounge Moderator: Candice Price - United States Military Academy, West Point Leyda Almodovar - University of Iowa Minerva Catral - Xavier University Lauren Keough - University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2:00 PM Breakout Sessions - The Personal Side of Mathematics Exploring Implicit Bias in Education Tasha Henneman - Mills College Room 115 True Confessions: Getting Real About Math Katrina Harden Williams - Iowa State University Room 111 Healthy Financial Management Maria Tamburro - Ameriprise Financial 14 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Johnson Lounge Schedule 2:45 PM Coffee Break Ballroom 3:00 PM The Big Data Boom Moderator: Virginia Lesser - Oregon State University Jamila Mathias - CIT Group, Inc. Sastry Pantula - Oregon State University Kelly Rose - National Energy Technology Laboratory Ballroom 4:00 PM Breakout Sessions - The Myths & Realities of Having it All Finding a Work-Family Life Equilibrium Johnson Lounge Priya Boindala - Georgia Gwinnett College Rachelle DeCoste - Wheaton College Karen Rios-Soto - University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez 6:30 PM You Matter! Centering Oneself Outside of Family Ties Omayra Ortega - Arizona State University Candice Price - United States Military Academy, West Point Room 111 Avoiding the Trap of Perfectionism in Testing & Grades Moderator: Tasha Henneman - Mills College Natasha Brewley - Georgia Gwinnett College Michelle Craddock Guinn- Belmont University Janis Oldham- North Carolina A&T University Room 115 Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Awards Banquet Ballroom Special Remarks Christine Vernier - Vernier Software & Technology Moment of Silence Entertainment Tarina Peace - Berkeley High School Special Invited Speaker Deborah Jackson - National Science Foundation Student Poster Session Awards 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 15 Schedule Presentation of Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring & Commitment to Diversity to Genevieve Madeline Knight, Coppin State College Bonita Saunders - National Institute of Standards and Technology Genevieve Madeline Knight - Coppin State College Closing Remarks Adjournment 16 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Session Descriptions Journey to Infinity: My Path to Mathematics Our four panelists will share their stories of how they came to love mathematics, what their academic and career trajectories were, and what they are doing now. There are many ways to reach one’s goals, and the path is not always straight and narrow, but may includes twists, turns, setbacks, and triumphs, as we will hear. Breakout Sessions: Seeing Your Way Forward: What Works for You? At each stage in our lives, we can ask ourselves, “What does ‘success’ mean to me?” In these sessions, we will explore our short and long term goals celebrating the individuality of each participant. Breakout Sessions - Keeping the Momentum: Success at Every Level Pathways Outside of Academia Think the only thing to do with a mathematics degree is go to graduate school and pursue an academic career? Think again. Our panelists share their career choices outside the scope of academic life. So You Want to Go to Grad School… There is much to consider before applying to a graduate program in the mathematical sciences: the GRE subject test, the type of program you desire, your field of study, and your recommendation letter writers, to name a few. We’ll get to the bottom of how you should prepare for applying to a graduate program. How to Build A Sustainable Research Program Generating research problems on your own after graduate school may be a daunting task. You no longer have your advisor to hold your hand, and you are now swimming in deep waters. This panel will give tips on keeping your research alive and thriving. Negotiating, Self-Advocacy, and Leaning In Women are typically less likely to advocate strongly for themselves in the hiring and promotion process and may be less likely to be the strongest voice at the conference table which, in turn, can result in missing opportunities for advancement. This panel will highlight ways to prevent becoming invisible or isolated in the workforce and will provide strategies for negotiation and self-advocacy. Solo Success: How to Thrive in the Academy When You’re the Only ____ in the Department. Underrepresented faculty commonly describe: Feeling overwhelmed by service requests related to diversity; Pressure to serve as role models, advisors and mentors to all _______ students; Struggling to respond effectively to classroom dynamics that are shaped by race, class and gender; Lack of support network, community, mentors, and sponsors; and Mixed messages about the best use of their time on campus. The Solo Success Workshop is specifically designed to address the unique concerns of underrepresented faculty members. Specifically, participants learn to: • Identify the common challenges underrepresented faculty face on the tenure track 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 17 Session Descriptions • • • Identify the three biggest mistakes underrepresented faculty make Specific strategies for increasing productivity, serving strategically, teaching efficiently, and building strong and healthy professional relationships Identify why and how to connect with communities of support and accountability Breakout Sessions - The Nuts and Bolts of Mastering Your Craft Sage Workshop Sage is free, open-source, mathematical software that uses the Python programming language to implement a wide range of mathematical functions. It is an increasingly popular and important tool used by mathematicians of all levels. This workshop will give you an introduction to Sage including examples and demonstrations that will jumpstart your Sage savvy. Grant Writing Workshop Our expert panelists will impart their knowledge on the characteristics of a winning grant proposal. Summer REUs and Internships Summer experience is increasingly necessary for getting into a good graduate program or landing a solid job after college. We will talk about summer research and internships in this panel, as well as hear from current students about how their summer experiences helped them. Breakout Sessions - Personal Side of Mathematics Exploring Implicit Bias in Education We are all susceptible to implicit bias, i.e., the stereotypes or attitudes that can unconsciously affect one’s understanding, actions or decision-making. But what happens when implicit bias shows up in our education system? This workshop will uncover how women in math are affected by this phenomenon and includes debiasing techniques that can be used when implicit bias shows up in a classroom context. True Confessions: Getting Real About Math There are not many safe places to be self-reflective about math. Some days you may love it; other days not. Pull up a chair and have a real heart-to-heart conversation about the challenges and successes in your math experiences. Healthy Financial Management Financial well-being is an often overlooked part of our overall well-being. We will get wealth health advice from a financial planner from Ameriprise Financial. Whether you are just starting your career or looking towards retirement, you won’t want to miss this valuable information. The Big Data Boom In today’s technology-driven world, more data than ever is being collected and analyzed. In this panel, we will hear from professionals who work with large sets of data for the advancement of science and technology. 18 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Session Descriptions Breakout Sessions - The Myths & Realities of Having it All Finding a Work-Family Life Equilibrium If your life includes a partner or children along with work outside the home, you may find it tough to juggle all that life throws at you. In this panel, working moms talk about how they have made it work and continue to “figure it all out”. You Matter! Centering Oneself Outside of Family Ties You may often find yourself straddled with work obligations that keep you from focusing on your personal life, sometimes even especially if you do not have a partner or children. In this panel we will discuss why it is important to advocate for yourself and your personal life goals. Avoiding the Trap of Perfectionism in Testing & Grades Do you experience test-taking anxiety? Or do you spend countless hours of time stressing over your grades that you miss the contextual connection to what you are learning? This workshop will offer strategies for finding balance and avoiding punitive forms of self-evaluation, instead aiming for deeper understanding. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 19 Invited Speaker Biographies Dr. Erika Tatiana Camacho is an Associate Professor in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU). She grew up in East Los Angeles and was taught by Jaime Escalante at Garfield High School. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University. She has held positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Loyola Marymount University, and ASU. In 2013-2014, she was the MLK Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her current research is at the interface of mathematics, biology, physiology, and sociology and involves mathematically modeling degenerative eye diseases, gene networks within yeast, social networks, alcohol effects on a neuron firing, and fungal resistance under selective pressure. Her leadership, scholarship, and mentoring have won national recognition including the SACNAS Distinguished Undergraduate Mentoring Award in 2012, the National Hispanic Women Corporation (HWC) Latina Leadership Award in 2011, being named as one of 12 Emerging Scholars of 2010 recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and a citation for mentoring and guiding undergraduates in research by the National Security Agency. Local recognitions within ASU and Arizona include the Dr. Manuel Servin Faculty Award for excellence in exemplifying achievement in research, mentorship of Hispanic students, and leadership at ASU and in the community in 2013; the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Faculty Service Award in 2013; the 40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40 Award in 2012; and the ASU Faculty Women’s Association Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award in 2011. She has been profiled and featured in multiple media outlets including Univision Nightly News in a two part segment entitled “Erika Camacho’s Inspirational Story”, the SIAM News “The Intersecting Lives of Two Mathematicians in East L.A.”, SACNAS News Feature Article “Leadership”, Latino Perspectives Magazine “Camacho stands and delivers”, the SACNAS New Feature Article “Building Confidence”, and recently in Voces “I am the American Dream: Erika Tatiana Camacho, Ph.D.” She has been interviewed on CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News as part of a segment in honor of her high school teacher Jaime Escalante and in PBS Arizona Horizonte for her HWC Leadership Award. Dr. Camacho co-founded and co-directed the Applied Mathematical Sciences Summer Institute (AMSSI), dedicated to the recruitment of undergraduate women, underrepresented minorities, and those that might not otherwise have the opportunity; and she served as co-director of the Mathematical & Theoretical Biology Institute (MTBI) in 2011-2013. 20 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Invited Speaker Biographies Dr. Deborah J. Jackson received a bachelor's degree in Physics from MIT in 1974, followed by a PhD in Physics from Stanford University in 1980. Though her initial graduate training was in nonlinear optics, her research and development career spanned the full range of the electromagnetic phenomena from materials studies using hard x-ray wavelengths, to quantum computing at visible wavelengths, to the fielding of radio frequency instrumentation on deep space missions such as Cassini and Mars Observer. Dr. Jackson is a hands-on professional with more than 20 years of broad based experience in research and development, project management, strategic planning, and product delivery. Currently at NSF, she leads the Microelectronics, Sensors, and Information Technologies Cluster within the Engineering Research Center's (ERC) Program office. In that capacity, she manages the ERC Industrial Liaison Officer's working group, whose purpose is to strategically develop the centers for optimal innovation and to speed the commercialization or utilization of the ERC's research findings and technology. It was this mission of translating discovery into innovative real-world applications that attracted her to the ERC program office. Before arriving at NSF, she held research appointments at the IBM Watson Research Laboratory, the Hughes Research Laboratory, the RAND Corporation and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During part of her tenure at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she was the Cognizant Engineer for the Ultra Stable Oscillator and the Radio Frequency Instrument Subsystem, both on the Cassini Spacecraft, and the Ultra Stable Oscillator for the Mars Observer spacecraft. For all three subsystems, she delivered, integrated, and tested the flight hardware in preparation for their respective launches in 1997 and 1996. She is a Bell Laboratories Cooperative Research Fellow, a Ford Fellow, and a recently elected Fellow of the National Society of Black Physicists, and a Senior Member of IEEE. She has also actively served on the following National Research Council Committees • NRC Board on Army Science and Technology, Committee on Electric Power for the Dismounted Soldier (1996-1997); • Committee on Women in Science and Engineering (1994-1998); • Committee on the Use of the International Space Station for Engineering Research and Technology Development (1995) Dr. Jackson has been an Invited Speaker representing NSF at the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation Centers of Excellence Forum (Seoul, Korea: 2008), an invited Lecturer at the African Laser Center's Summer School (Durban, South Africa: 2005), and the Shell Lecturer at the 2005 National Science Teacher's Association Annual Meeting (Dallas, TX 2005). 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 21 Invited Speaker Biographies Dr. Kerry Ann Rockquemore is President and CEO of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. Her scholarship has focused on interracial families, biracial identity, and the politics of racial categorization. She is the author of two important books: Beyond Black and Raising Biracial Children, as well as over two dozen articles and book chapters on multiracial youth. After Dr. Rockquemore became a tenured professor, her focus shifted to improving conditions for pre-tenure faculty by creating supportive communities for writing productivity and work/life balance. Her award-winning work with underrepresented faculty led to the publication of her most recent book: The Black Academic's Guide to Winning Tenure Without Losing Your Soul. Dr. Rockquemore provides workshops for new faculty at colleges across the US, writes a weekly advice column for Inside Higher Ed, and works with a select group of new faculty each semester in the Faculty Success Program. Dr. Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College. Her professional experiences include research appointments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA. She received her Ph.D. in Statistics from Rice University, Masters in Mathematics from Howard University, and Bachelors in Mathematics from Spelman College. Dr. Williams develops statistical models that emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. Her recent work on modeling cataract surgical rates in Africa is leading to a more effective means of deploying resources to eliminate blindness deriving from the disease. Dr. Williams recently gave a TEDx talk that explores how each of us can begin to collect data about ourselves that can provide insight into our personal health. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Dr. Williams and her husband, Donald, actively teach and share foundational principles regarding the joys of Christian marriage. She is overjoyed to be the mother of three energetic boys; Josiah, Noah and Micaiah. 22 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring & Commitment to Diversity Awardee: Dr. Genevieve Madeline Knight Dr. Genevieve Knight’s life and work reflect not just her achievements but the great forward movements in American life for women and minorities. Born in Brunswick, Georgia, the youngest of 3 children, Genevieve’s father was a civil service technologist at Glynco Naval Base in Brunswick. An ingenious technician, he was also deeply involved in the civil and political affairs of his community. Her mother was a seamstress with good academic skills despite her limited education, she was involved in and fully supported the education of her children. All three went on to have distinguished teaching and professional careers. In an interview in MAA FOCUS, Dr. Knight described a household that was at once intellectually lively and community aware. It isn’t a surprise that as a young person she loved (and still loves) to read, think and dream - a not uncommon trait among future mathematicians - but Dr. Knight has also said, “Service is the rent we pay for living.” We award her because she has inspired so many other young people and moved institutions to create policies that would enable this inspiration to spread to all, especially to women of color. In 1957, Knight was a home economics major at Fort Valley State University, on her way to a career as a commercial dietitian. Then the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik the first satellite into space. This surprising event and President Kennedy’s challenge to the country to reach the moon galvanized the United States into an all out effort to speed the development of scientists and mathematicians. Because of her background and scholarly record, she was encouraged to go into these fields and she chose mathematics. After graduating with a degree in Mathematics Education, she continued at Atlanta University, strongly influenced by Professor Abdulalim Shabazz. He encouraged his students to lean forward professionally and interact with the wider mathematical community especially through national organizations such as the American Mathematical Society. This, despite the fact that the South was still largely segregated and African-American involvement in mathematics was very low. After obtaining her Masters degree from Atlanta in 1963, she began teaching at Hampton Institute and remained there until 1984, rising to become Professor and chairperson of the Mathematics Department. While there she earned a PhD in Mathematics Education at the University of Maryland College Park. She was a brilliant teacher and a caring and compelling mentor, and a number of letters in support of her came from students and colleagues of this period. Indeed, she won a distinguished teaching award from Hampton Institute and a Virginia College Mathematics Teacher of the Year award. Her achievements with students on an individual level were magnified by her involvement with mathematical organizations, particularly the National Association of Mathematicians, Mathematical Association of America and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She received funding from the National Science Foundation to direct several teacher-training institutes and in-service training programs for teachers in mathematics and science. Meanwhile, she served as a member of a number of very influential task forces dealing with improving the status of women and minorities in the mathematical fields, including the Task Force on 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 23 Minorities and Mathematics in 1987-1990 and, as chair, the Task Force on Girls and other Under-Represented Groups in Mathematics in 1980-1983. From 1984-2006, Dr. Knight was a full professor at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland and continued her prodigious efforts in Mathematics education, mentoring and fostering diversity on a national level. In 1999 she won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, in 2007 the Jeanette Shamwell Distinguished Service Award from Coppin State University, and in 2013 the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Mathematicians. In contemplating Dr. Knight’s life, we remember how rare and precious it is to be able to maintain the love of learning and intellectual spark we gain as children from parents, teachers, or mentors. Rarer still is the ability to transmit these things to others. We are reminded again, “Service is the rent we pay for living.” In that sense, women and minority students, the mathematical community have been richly rewarded. About the Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity In 2005 the Infinite Possibilities Conference Steering Committee, along with the Spelman College Mathematics Department and the Falconer Family, established the Dr. Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a professional commitment to mentoring and increasing diversity in the sciences, and in particular the mathematical sciences. Dr. Etta Z. Falconer (1933-2002) was a dynamic leader of extraordinary vision and exemplary commitment to science and mathematics education. She earned the B.A. degree in mathematics from Fisk University, having begun college at the age of 15. She earned the MS from the University of Wisconsin in 1954 and the Ph.D. from Emory University in 1969 in mathematics. Dr. Falconer is the 12th known African American woman in the US to have earned a Ph.D. degree in pure mathematics. She was especially dedicated to those from underrepresented groups who were generally left out of the highest levels of the scientific and mathematical US enterprise. She devoted 37 years of her life to teaching and improving science education at Spelman College and used this location as a platform to affect science and mathematics on a broader scale. As a former Associate Provost for Science Programs and Policy, a Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Mathematics, and creator of the NASA Women in Science Program at Spelman College, and as a founding member of the National Association of Mathematicians, Dr. Falconer was widely known for her efforts towards increasing diversity in the sciences and her strides in increasing the numbers of graduates earning terminal degrees. Her honors and awards include the Achievement and Service Award from the Atlanta Minority Women in Science Network; the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) in 1994; the Louise Hay Award for Contributions to Mathematics Education from the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) in 1995; the Giants in Science Award from the Quality Education for Minorities Network (QEM) in 1995; the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996; and the Lifetime Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2002. 24 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Rebecca Betensky - Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Statistical Challenges in Analyses of Alzheimer’s Disease Studies I will describe analytical challenges that arise in Alzheimer’s disease studies. These include selection bias of subjects who consent to autopsy, ages of onset of dementia that are censored (partially observed), multiple platforms for imaging studies, and design of efficient clinical trials. This talk will highlight contributions that statisticians can make to the analysis of clinical studies, and in particular, the role that we play in developing and validating innovative methods that are optimally suited to the data. Sousada Chidthachack - University of Minnesota “Not just math because I can get that in school:” High School Students Evaluate the Impact of an Urban Mathematics Program The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to provide an evidence-based model for effective mathematics learning communities, and to evaluate the impact of Prepare2Npsire, a cascading mathematics mentoring and tutoring program in an urban setting. The innovative program provided high school students with undergraduate mentor-tutors (“men-tutors”), and in return, the high school students provided mentoring and tutoring support for grade eight students. Post-interviews were conducted on a group of select high school students after the program ended, and one male and one female high school student interview were selected for inclusion. The two students were selected based on their successful completion of the program as determined by the following categories: the student’s high attendance record, unsolicited positive written and verbal feedback from students, and significant increase in standardized Scholar Aptitude Test (SAT) post-test scores (39% and 50% increase, respectively). Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the end of the program that revealed unanticipated outcomes beyond mathematics content achievement. The findings included a) positive social and academic impact of peer relationships, and mentor-tutor and tutee relationships on high school participants, and b) fostering of deeper interests in teaching and learning of mathematics and in careers in math-related fields. The paper provides an indepth qualitative analysis of two student interviews, and the findings suggest that the incorporation of peer mentoring and tutoring in mathematics settings support student engagement and deeper understanding of algebra. The paper also provides examples of how alternative learning environment ensure mathematical success for its students. Deidra A. Coleman - North Carolina State University Exact Distribution of Multiple Window Scan Statistics We provide an efficient algorithm to compute the exact distribution of multiple window discrete scan statistics for higher-order, multi-state Markovian sequences. This algorithm involves defining a Markov chain to efficiently keep track of probabilities needed to compute p-values of the statistic. We use our algorithm to identify cases where the available approximation does not perform well. We also use our algorithm to detect unusual clusters of made free throw shots by National Basketball Association players during the 2009-2010 regular season. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 25 Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Rebecca Garcia- Sam Houston State University Sandpile Groups of Series-Parallel Graphs The sandpile group of a graph is defined as the cokernel of the reduced Laplacian of the graph. The order of this finite Abelian group equals the number of spanning trees in the graph. Its structure is an isomorphism invariant that has received much attention recently in diverse areas of mathematics, including algebraic and tropical geometry, combinatorics, and theoretical computer science. A series-parallel graph is a graph with two vertices, s and t, called terminals, that can be obtained through two operations on an edge: (a) joining two subgraphs in series, through a vertex-join of one terminal from each subgraph, or (b) joining two subgraphs in parallel, by identifying both the vertices s and t from each subgraph. Our study focuses on the sandpile group of two families of series-parallel graphs: thick cycles and parallel compositions of thick paths. In this talk, we present our results on obtaining the explicit structure of the sandpile groups of these two families. Cristi D Guevara - Louisiana State University Dynamics in the Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation The complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGL) have been used to model a wide variety of physical systems. It describes weakly nonlinear behavior of dissipative systems 𝐷 𝑖𝜓! + − 𝑖𝛽 △ 𝜓 − 𝑖𝛿𝜓 − 𝑓 + 𝑖𝜖 𝜓 ! 𝜓 + 𝜈 − 𝑖𝜇 𝜓 ! = 0 2 where 𝑥, 𝑡, 𝛽, 𝜖, 𝛿, 𝜈, 𝜇 ∈ ℝ; 𝜓 𝑡, 𝑥 is the complex amplitude modulation, 𝑡 ∈ ℝ, 𝑥 ∈ ℝ! is the transversal direction, 𝐷 represents the dispersion. when 𝛿, 𝜖, 𝛽, 𝜇 = 0, reduces to the cubicquintic non-linear Schrödinger equation. For the 𝑑 = 1 dimensional case, the inverse scattering method has been one of the standard methods to look for integrability of nonlinear partial differential equations as the NLS. The ansatz 𝐴(𝑡, 𝑥) = 𝑒 !"# 𝜈𝑥 − 𝑐𝑡 reduces CGLE to a system of 𝑛 = 2 second order ODEs for the real and imaginary parts of 𝑣 = 𝑎 + 𝑖𝑏. The question of whether this system is Lagrangian is important, as if the answer is positive, a finite dimensional Hamiltonian form of the equations is possible via Legendre transformation. This question is at the heart of what is known as the inverse problem of the calculus of variations, which was solved and classified for the case 𝑛 = 2 by Jesse Douglas. The more complicated case of 𝑛 > 2 requires the solution of an overdetermined systems of linear partial differential equations. This has been tackled through what is known as “geometric calculus” or Janet-Requier theory. We find that CGLE admits a complex Lagrangian form and we exhibit some other example where the question of a complex formulation of a type of Arnold-Liouville theorem would be interesting. For 𝑑 = 2, we present the particular case of the reduction of the NLS under the aforementioned ansatz, as a complete integrable Hamiltonian system. We show how different type of soliton solutions arise as a consequence of quasi-periodic motion. For particular perturbations of the NLS we get soliton solutions of the CGLE by a direct application of KAM theorem. We also present recent results of existence and scattering of the full NLS. This is joint work with Joaquin Delgado. 26 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Michelle Guinn - Belmont University Using Interpolation to Enhance Imagery The objective of my research is to design an algorithm to present enhanced stereoscopic imagery that is adapted to the viewing distance of the observer, with seamless transitions among stereo and hyperstereo levels. I will design an algorithm that uses image-smoothing techniques to provide this enhancement. The research will improve images that soldiers can use to perform several tasks and can potentially provide better situational awareness. Patricia Hale - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona How Does Stereotype Threat Impact Adolescent Female Math Students? This study examined effects of stereotype threat on adolescents’ math performance and attitudes. Research on stereotype threat regarding women and math has largely been conducted with college women, and effects on adolescents are less clear. This report describes the purpose, procedures, results, and recommendations from the project. The three-year project involved students in 8!! grade Algebra (years 2007-2009), 7!! grade Pre-Algebra (years 20082009), and 6!! grade math (years 2009-2010). The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and was a joint venture between a University and School District. Results from the study provide evidence for the presence of math- based stereotype threat among girls in 6!! , 7!! , and 8!! grades. In all three years, stereotype threat was related to lower math test performance and more negative attitudes toward math. What varied across grade levels, however, were the variables that moderated stereotype threat. This is joint work with Bettina J. Cassad, University of Missouri - St. Louis. Mela Hardin - Arizona State University f-vectors of Pure Complexes of Rank Four The set of f-vectors of pure simplicial complexes is an important but little understood objects in combinatorics and combinatorial commutative algebra. Its explicit characterization is a virtually intractable problem due to its irregular and complicated structure. In 2013, Colbourn, Keranen, and Kreher provided complete characterizations of these complexes of rank 3. Their methods are unlikely to lead to a general characterization of these complexes of arbitrary rank. Although it involved a larger number of cases, we used a similar strategy to characterize complexes of rank 4. Different types of complexes arise in coloring, flows, and other areas. We established some necessary conditions for an integer vector to be the f -vector of some pure simplicial complex of rank 4. Our next goal is to obtain an upper bound on the number of sets of cardinality four and use techniques from combinatorial design theory to establish a lower bound. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 27 Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Isabelle Kemajou-Brown - University of Minnesota Fibonacci Sequence in Nature: An Example The Fibonacci numbers consist of `Nature's numbering system.’ They occur in the leaf arrangement in plants, to the pattern of family tree of some animals, to the prediction of market trading. In this talk we will give some basic knowledge of Fibonacci sequences and show a connection to some interesting problems in real life. Lauren Keough - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Maximizing 2-Independent Sets in 3-Uniform Hypergraphs Extremal graph theorists often answer questions of the form “What is the maximum or minimum number of particular substructures a graph 𝐺 can have if 𝐺 must satisfy certain conditions?” Recently, graph theorists have started asking these questions about hypergraphs. In this talk, we will answer the following question: "What is the maximum number of 2-independent sets a 3uniform hypergraph 𝐻 can have if 𝐻 has 𝑛 vertices and 𝑒 edges?” All necessary background information will be introduced. Jasmine Jackson, Shala Brown and Claudia Rodriguez - Arizona State University A Mathematical Model on the Retention of Women in the STEM Disciplines: Effect of Female Faculty Background: The gender gap in the Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) disciplines has been a perennial problem. As a growing population we need to aim for diversity in these fields, and it is important to have professionals in these disciplines with different perspectives and interested in solving problems that affect us as a society. Researchers suggest that the retention rates for female graduate students would increase if there were more female faculty. For this project we aim to model the impact female faculty has on female graduate students’ retention. Methodology: The yearly fraction of doctorates awarded to women in Science & Engineering (S&E) in the US from 1978 to 2008 are obtained from the National Science Foundation. We also consider data that shows the yearly percentage of tenure-track and tenured S&E faculty that are female. Parameters that are defined to model doctoral level students are key in the analysis to generate hypotheses. The process for fitting these parameters of the mathematical model to data allows us to examine the effects of female faculty contagion on the retention of women in the STEM disciplines. Conclusions: The results fit in with published literature. Time series data were collected and fit to the mathematical model to examine the dynamics of ’infectious’ female faculty on the retention of women in STEM. We found that nearly half of the female graduate students would remain in a graduate program where there is a substantial effectiveness of female faculty. 28 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Kristina Martin - North Carolina State University Optimal Control in a Free Boundary Fluid-Elasticity Interaction We consider an optimal control problem involving a free boundary fluid-elasticity interaction described by Navier-Stokes coupled with the equations of nonlinear elastodynamics. We prove that turbulence in the fluid flow can be minimized using a distributed control and discuss the first order necessary optimality conditions. This is work in progress in collaboration with Lorena Bociu, Lucas Castle (North Carolina State University), Daniel Toundykov (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), and Jean-Paul Zolesio (INRIA and CNRS-INLN, Sophia-Antipolis, France). Olive Mbianda - University of Minnesota Fully Homomorphic Encryption Applied to Wireless Networks This work provides a mathematical approach of Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and its implementation in a wireless network. FHE has been presented as the “Holy Grail” by cryptographers. This special encryption scheme enables one to perform complex operations (both addition and multiplication) on a ciphertext without ever decrypting the text. An immediate application is the delegated computation; an untrusted party can process the data without endangering the privacy of the source and the integrity of the data. The first FHE scheme was introduced in 2009 by Craig Gentry. His scheme was based on the properties of rings, especially of ideal lattices. As introduced by Gentry, FHE was not practical due to the length of ciphertext (per bit encrypted) and keys and its infeasible computational time. Much work has been done to make it somewhat practical (Shai- Halevi(2010), Smart-Vercauteren(2011)). The proposed schemes were based on algebraic and number theoretic concepts. Following the ideas of Smart-Vercauteren and the implementation of Michael Brenner, we design an implementation for a wireless network. Such a system should allow operations on encrypted data that could result in reducing the computational load and the size of the packets in a wireless network. The most challenging part of this work will be to make the computational time of the FHE quasi-real while preserving its security scheme. Since the strength of the FHE comes from the hardness to approximate short vector problems on arbitrary lattices within a slightly super polynomial factor, making that computational time logarithmic or less is quite challenging. Karen Morgan - New Jersey City University An Intersection of Quantitative Literacy and Creative Literacy: Using Poetry to Enhance the Cognitive and Affective Domains of Learning in the Mathematics Classroom How do we as mathematics educators provide alternative ways in which students engage in mathematical discourse and explore mathematical ideas, thereby improving students’ quantitative literacy? How do creative literacy and quantitative literacy conjointly enhance the cognitive and affective domains in the mathematics classroom? The use of mathematics in poetry extends beyond more obvious platforms such as counting syllables or lines and stresses in meter and structure. This talk will offer that teaching mathematics with poetry provides an opportunity to not only address quantitative reasoning, but to also improve students’ quantitative 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 29 Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts literacy. Writing poetry inspired by mathematics offers students the opportunity to frame mathematical reasoning with arguments grounded in succinctness and clarity of thought processes. Additionally, writing poetry inspired by mathematics bolsters students’ confidence in performing mathematics. Saba Nafees - Texas Tech University Utilizing Mathematics in the Analysis of Genomic Data My work has largely been focused on utilizing mathematics in the analysis of genomic data, specifically by adapting the theory of orthogonal polynomials to the study of biological traits that are defined by sequences, with the goal of characterizing them in a way which would lead to new insights about the biological phenomenon at hand. Our methods have many potential applications. However, I am particularly interested in utilizing our work on orthogonal polynomials to characterize genetic data with the goal of discovering interactions between mutations in genetic diseases. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that arises due to misfolding of the protein CFTR. Analyses of the mutation data could show the way the various mutations act to produce disease. A typical way to do this would be to use multivariate polynomial regression. We use Orthogonal Polynomials and dual bases for multivariate data. The observed distribution of mutations defines a covariant basis and a contravariant basis. Projecting different responses into these and taking the covariance would yield their interrelation. We build functions that capture the properties of the mutations of CFTR, so that we can assess each mutation's interaction with other mutation(s). This will provide insight into the mechanism of the misfolding problem. The orthogonal and dual spaces approach conserves intrinsic biological properties of any phenomenon being tested while simultaneously capturing its quantitative properties. This means that the models can be expanded to include all types of causal factors, both genetic and environmental. Vanessa Rivera Quinones - University of Illinois Urbana Champaign The Power of Play: Exploring Games as Educational Tools As technology advances, one may wonder, what role should technology play in education? The use of games as a way to teach educational content has been a trending topic. Games can act as learning technologies and are powerful tools to instigate active learning, create motivation and allow for meaningful play. In this talk, we discuss the role of games in learning. In particular, we expose examples of games that have high educational potential and how they can be used to foster learning and increase student engagement. 30 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Research Roundtables: Oral Presentation Abstracts Bonita V. Saunders - National Institute of Standards and Technology Adaptive Grid Generation, 3D Graphics on the Web, and a Digital Library In May 2010 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched the NIST Digital Library of Mathematical Functions (DLMF). The DLMF and its associated hardcopy version, NIST Handbook of Mathematical Functions, replaced the internationally known 1964 NBS Handbook of Mathematical Functions edited by Abramowitz and Stegun. More than 200 of the over 600 figures in the DLMF are interactive 3D visualizations of complex functions. We discuss the challenges of designing and rendering the visualizations using techniques from mesh generation, computer graphics, and approximation theory to capture key function features such as zeros, poles, branch cuts and other singularities. We show recent implementations of the visualizations using WebGL, a JavaScript API for rendering 3D graphics in a web browser without the use of a plugin. Asya Spears - University of California, Los Angeles A Method for Sample Size Estimation Making Use of Data from Pilot Studies A typical convention for sample size calculations in pilot studies is the reliance on frequentist statistical methods, which provide a sample size for each group, given an intended effect size and power. These conditions are akin to assuming a flat prior distribution, and might be taken as implying that the pilot study data contributes no information to the full study sample size calculation beyond the point estimate obtained. This report will present the application of a Bayesian method to address this issue. The Bayes framework will allow us to consider how the observed effect size is selected from a distribution of effect sizes. This flexible framework has the potential to lead to better-designed main studies that incorporate the information provided by pilot study data. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 31 Student Poster Session Abstracts Leyda Almodovar - University of Iowa Topological Analysis of Brain Data Topological data analysis is a relatively new area that uses several disciplines in conjunction such as topology, statistics and computational geometry. The idea behind topological data analysis is to describe the “shape” of data by recovering the topology of the sampled space. Also, it is useful to find topological attributes that persist in the data, helping us gain a better understanding of how different properties of the data interact. Data was collected from fMRI experiments with 96 subjects between the ages of 6 and 18, some of them predisposed to Huntington’s disease. Data analysis is performed via different topological approaches including clustering and persistent homology with the goal of identifying whole networks of points in the brain. The main purpose of this work is to compare the structure of brain networks of healthy subjects versus subjects predisposed to Huntington’s disease. Elisa Bellah - Portland State University Some Applications of Convex Optimization to Location Problems and Machine Learning In this project we study convex optimization algorithms and smoothing techniques for solving a number of problems in facility location and machine learning. These problems are particularly challenging because they involve finding optimal solutions to problems with nondifferentiable objective functions. When the objective function of an optimization problem is nondifferentiable, traditional calculus-based methods cannot be applied. Our approach copes with this complication by using generalized differentiation for nondifferentiable convex functions and smoothing techniques to approximate the nondifferentiable objective function with a differentiable one. We then use specialized subgradient-type algorithms and accelerated gradient algorithms to solve the original nondifferentiable problem as well as its differentiable approximations. Jessica Bojorquez - East Los Angeles College Solar Energy and Planetary Exploration The purpose of this project was for MESA Community College students to research, design, and build a solar power vehicle that can be used to understand how solar energy is used in planetary exploration. Students applied mathematics and physics knowledge to their work and worked together in teams to explore the essential question of how energy from the sun is used to power robots that explore other planets. Robert Callman - Portland State University Linear Accelerators My poster will cover math involved in linear accelerators used in radiation treatment for cancer. 32 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Student Poster Session Abstracts Megan Chambers - Youngstown State University The Toppling Polynomial of a Graph In the 1980s, scientists began to investigate naturally occurring dynamical systems that drive themselves to an unstable state. Through algebraic graph theory, mathematicians are able to model these systems and gain more insight about what occurs when the system is unstable. In 2004 Cori, Dartios, and Rossin introduced the avalanche polynomial which tracks the size of avalanches induced upon an abelian sandpile by adding one grain of sand to a vertex in the graph. In this poster, we introduce the toppling polynomial on a graph which describes the exact sequence of topplings need to stabilize the graph. We define the general form for this polynomial for trees, complete graphs, cycles, and wheels. Unlike the more general avalanche polynomial, the toppling polynomial provides information about the overall structure of each avalanche. Through this polynomial we are able to gain insight about various toppling patterns in families of graphs. Mariángeles Rivera Collazo - University of Puerto Rico at Cayey Avian Influenza Type A-H5N1 Epidemiological Model: Puerto Rico as a case study. Our research focused on Avian Influenza Type A-H5N1, specifically on an epidemiological model centered in Puerto Rico. My main goal is to address the following hypothesis: first, to determine the outbreaks of this disease in Puerto Rico using as a base the location of the poultry industry as a hub, we are using Pollos To-Ricos in the town of Aibonito, but I am interested on the repercussions of the infection in human-human interactions. The second hypothesis centered on the possibility of vaccination to mitigate an epidemic among humans. In order to address the hypothesis mentioned and further ones we will construct a mathematical model and use two different set of parameters according to two cases that involve how the poultry is raised and managed by industrial companies. Hence, our third focus is the comparison of the parameter values in a case where the poultry is raised free-range (organically) or massively overcrowded in a factory. My research will specifically target the spread of this particular disease, to investigate possible alternatives to mitigate the spread using measures such as treatment, immunization and the importance of educating the public or community to prevent the spread of the disease. Kayla Echols - Spelman College Escher's Tessellations and the 17 Wallpaper Groups Many chemists and physicists know and use the fact that there are only 17 possible “wallpaper” structures; many do not know why. This research aims to give an uncomplicated description of how wallpaper patterns, defined as periodic 2-dimensional tilings of a pattern over a plane where there is no overlapping or gapping, are classified. Here we will use group theory and linear algebra to note an inconsistency in Morandi’s definition of a lattice as well as observe how to classify wallpaper patterns by lattice type, group actions, and whether or not they obtain a split group extension. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 33 Student Poster Session Abstracts Diana Hamideh - East Los Angeles College Engaging Students to Learn Math Through the Art of Video Games There has been an amplified importance on developing and testing new teaching methods in math for children over the recent years. Through an event sponsored by the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program (MESA) at the East Los Angeles College titled the “Art of Video Games”, I was fortunate to meet with one of the panel speakers, the CEO of 7 Generation Games, Mrs. AnnMaria De Mars. 7 Generation Games specializes in the creation of educational video games to help teach children math. With the help of the program director for MESA, and my persistence, I was offered a summer internship with her company. During this internship, I was in charge of creating the mathematical concepts for the games. I also produced several mini math movies that were used in the video games. To aid the children playing the video games, I created division charts as well as flash cards with fractions. I also gained experience in computer programming by beta testing multiple games for bugs making sure that everything worked as intended on different browsers and operating systems. At the end of the internship, I completed work on two video games. This internship helped me to discover new methods to creatively teach children math and I was able to work in an amazing environment. April Harry - Purdue University Statistical Testing for Differentially Abundant Ions in Mass Spectrometry Imaging Experiments A common goal for mass spectrometry imaging experiments is to identify changes in the spatial distribution of chemical profiles with respect to tissue condition, such as an external stress or a status of disease. Analysis methods typically employed in this setting, such as PCA and kmeans for class discovery, and classification methods for class prediction provide important insight into which ions drive variation in the chemical composition of the tissue. However, class comparison is another aspect of analysis that needs to be addressed, requiring different tools. To this end, we propose a rigorous statistical modeling and testing framework based on Empirical Bayes hierarchical linear models for determining differentially abundant ions across sample conditions. We demonstrate that models from this class accurately represent arbitrary complex experimental designs, in (1) structure of the conditions or stresses, (2) the origin of the biological tissues, and (3) the within-tissue spatial dependencies in the quantified spectral features. The performance of the models is evaluated on synthetic and benchmark datasets with known stochastic structure, as well as real-life experiments studying fetal pig development and renal cancer. Ultimately, we show that there is a reduction in false positives with this approach when compared to naïve methods. 34 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Student Poster Session Abstracts Jami Jackson - North Carolina State University A Comparison of DMET Microarray and Genome-wide Technologies by Assessing Population Substructure Symptoms usually last 7 to 10 days; therefore, symptomatic students will remain at home or in their dorms, away from the main student population. The model was developed to assume a semi-constant population because the majority of OSU students are non-commuter and live on campus. Nadeeshani Jayasena - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Spatial Analysis of Non-Normal Data Analyzing non-normal data is a developing area in statistics since J.A. Nelder and R.W.M. Wedderburn introduced the concept of generalized linear models (GLM) in 1972. Non-normal data frequently arise in spatial studies. The objective of this study is to analyze spatially correlated count data in the presence of a spatially correlated covariate using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS 9.3). The covariate was considered to be strongly correlated with count data. There were 5 treatments with 5 replications for each. These treatments were applied according to a completely randomized design on a 5x5 arrangement of plots. Another 3x3 grid of points within each plot were created so that there are 225 points. Two strongly correlated random variables were randomly generated, each with spherical correlation structure from a Gaussian distribution using the method of Gaussian cosimulation. The response variable was transformed into a Poisson variable with different means for the 5 different treatments while the other variable was transformed into a Gamma variable with no treatment effect incorporated. Both transformations used NORTA (Normal to Anything). A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to estimate the covariance effect and test for the significance of treatments. Results were compared for analyses with and without covariate. As expected, the power of the analysis was improved when the covariate was included in the GLMM models. Grace Lim - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Persistent Random Walk of Microorganisms in a Porous Medium Microorganisms such as bacteria and algae typically live in complex porous environments like soil and biological tissue. It is challenging to characterize accurately the movement of microorganisms under these conditions for their motion is neither completely random nor fully deterministic. For our project, we develop a persistent random walk model for the motion of swimming cells in an idealized lattice-like porous medium. The walk is described by a Markov chain in phase space, tracking both position and velocity. Physical parameters, including the overall geometry, bulk flow, and scattering laws, are incorporated into the memory-dependent transition amplitudes. Based on this simplified model, we analyze the drift and diffusion of the microorganisms through the medium. From the fundamental matrix of the Markov chain, we numerically compute first passage time in MATLAB for square and honeycomb lattices to determine the effects of lattice structure on microbial transport. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 35 Student Poster Session Abstracts Crystal Mackey - Youngstown State University Modeling the Spread of an Infectious Disease in a Semi-closed Environment In 2014 there were several mumps outbreaks in colleges and universities across the United States. We focus on the mumps outbreak at Ohio State University (OSU). A model was developed to represent the student population at OSU. This model has two sub-models. Estefania Quinones-Melendez - University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez Development of the Puerto Rico Nearshore Breaker Height Model Marine conditions in Puerto Rico can change quickly as intense swell events arrive. This factor, in combination with a strongly seasonal cycle in wave heights, is accountable for an average of 25 beach drownings per year. The most dangerous risks for beachgoers in Puerto Rico are strong surfzone currents caused by wave-induced pressure gradients. Through numerical modeling, a description of surfzone current patterns was developed for Palmas del Mar Beach and Jobos Beach, two of the most dangerous beaches in Puerto Rico. The numerical simulations were conducted using the BOUSS2D wave model, an ocean wave model based on Joseph Boussinesq's two-dimensional equations. Taking into account the influence of wave height and wave period on the mean and maximum surfzone currents, a quantitative representation of how these two varying factors affect the strengthening of surfzone currents was achieved. In addition, a breaker height assessment tool based on the Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) wave model was developed for Puerto Rico in an effort to warn beachgoers and lifeguards of potentially dangerous breaker height levels. Mariela Resensez - Arizona State University STEM Class and Science Club for Middle School Students Youth involvement with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is not as active in low-income and predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. The objective of this work is to work closely with the established STEM class at Lowell Elementary in Phoenix, AZ and to further develop engineering skills and mindsets with middle school students. The students were mentored by college students and the main project for the group of students was the Future City Competition for the fall semester and for the spring semester, the school added the Science Club once again and the students participated in the Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) competition. Through surveys and observations, there was a significant difference of interest between the students that were placed in a class setting versus those willing to spend their own time to participate in the club. The presence of college mentors was impactful, for all the teams (max. 6) received a mentor that worked one-on-one with them. The greater exposure to higher education and engineering allowed students to comprehend the projects and become open-minded about STEM careers. 36 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Student Poster Session Abstracts Stephanie Reyes - California Institute of Technology Lattice-based Fully Homomorphic Encryption Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) allows for basic arithmetic operations to be performed on encrypted data without compromising security. The first FHE scheme was devised by Craig Gentry and is based on lattices. Lattice-based FHE is promising because encrypted data are given by vectors which one can perform usual vector operations on, and because schemes can be made secure based on the difficulty of certain lattice problems. In these schemes, however, performing many operations may append noise to the data to the point where decryption is no longer accurate. Because of this, FHE requires “bootstrapping” when performing operations on encrypted data in order to control noise. Although still far from implementable, FHE could have applications in cloud computing and medical research because sensitive data can be manipulated while still encrypted. Diana Rosendo - University of California, Berkeley A Feminist of Color Approach to Defining Success in Mathematics Education With a very low representation of students from marginalized communities in higher level mathematics courses and mathematics-related careers, we consider how mainstream definitions of student success (based on grades, test scores, course-taking patterns, etc.) in mathematics affects how students perceive themselves in relation to mathematics and in turn deems this population “unsuccessful.” The methodology for this project was to explore explicit and implicit definitions of success based on what researchers wanted students to get out of their mathematics courses. We reviewed mainstream/dominant mathematics education articles and articles/chapters written by faculty who had long histories of studying marginalized students. Then we used theories from feminists of color to give new interpretations of how students and researchers negotiate and resist dominant discourses to provide alternative ways to define success for students of marginalized communities. The questions investigated were: How are mathematics researchers defining success? In what way(s), if any, are their definitions of success related to theories put forth by feminists of color who have focused more exclusively on issues of identity and liberation? What implications, if any, does focusing on identity and liberation have for improving the teaching and learning for students of marginalized communities? We find that it is through social agency and the ability to negotiate different contexts that students, teachers and researchers are able to define mathematical success beyond standard definitions. These findings and future work can help the latter groups assist students in having a more positive image of themselves in relation to mathematics. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 37 Student Poster Session Abstracts Raven Smith - Spelman College Using Graph Theory to Minimize Aircraft Usage Graph theory is the study of graphs, which are mathematical structures used to model pairwise relations between objects. Graph theory also presents several ways for data to be more efficiently organized and shared. A graph is made up of points, called vertices, and lines, called edges. A graph can be used for solving a number of problems including scheduling conflicts and scheduling assignments. The research question posed is: What is the minimum number of aircraft needed for a number, n, of flights from one city to another? Vertex coloring and the greedy coloring algorithm were useful in determining the minimum number of aircraft required to complete n flights from Atlanta, Georgia to New York, New York (LaGuardia airport). To aid in answering the research question, the Greedy Coloring Algorithm was implemented to create a proper coloring graph. The steps of the algorithm were followed in determining the fewest possible colors which correlated to the fewest aircraft needed. Further explorations with the greedy coloring algorithm consist of finding the minimum number of aircraft needed for an infinite number of flights. Yilin Wang - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Statistical Analysis of the Extinction time of a Stochastic SIR Epidemic We consider an epidemic spreading through a population where each individual can be susceptible (S), infective (I), or recovered (R), and we track the number of individuals in each state as time progresses. In contrast to the deterministic case which is modeled by systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), we consider infection and recovery to be stochastic (random) events. Interest is in the (random) time T at which the epidemic dies out. If the initial number of infective individuals is low, T may have a bimodal distribution: some instances of the epidemic will die out early, and some will spread throughout the population before dying out eventually once most individuals have recovered. We take a Bayesian approach to determine the shape of this distribution, using the theory of branching processes and ODEs to obtain a sensible prior distribution, and updating it via simulation. Nicole Ware, Melanie Harrison, and Elizabeth Langley - Lewis University Linear Regression and Sum of Squares Using MATLAB Linear regression attempts to find the best fit line for a set of data points. The sum of squares is used to calculate the variance and standard deviation of a data set and is modeled by the equation: Sum of Squares = ! !!! 𝑦! − ! ! ! . In statistics, you can then calculate the sum of squares using the explained sum of squares and the residual sum of squares. Using the sum of squares you can then determine the slope of the best fit line and the intercept of the line giving you the equation in slope-intercept form. We will model this process in MATLAB and show the results in our poster presentation. 38 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Steering Committee The Steering Committee is a dedicated group of volunteers who are responsible for the planning and implementation of IPC. Alejandra Alvarado is an assistant professor of mathematics and graduate coordinator at Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Alvarado earned her Ph.D. from Arizona State University, an M.S. from the University of Arizona and a B.S. from San Jose State University. Her research interests lie in number theory and diophantine equations. She has been involved with the EDGE summer math program as a student, mentor and instructor. In her spare time she enjoy eating, running, and spending time with her family, especially her daughter who will be graduating from the University of Arizona this summer. Denise Natasha Brewley is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Georgia Gwinnett College in the School of Science and Technology. Her current research projects include effectively redesigning undergraduate introductory mathematics courses, namely Pre-Calculus, using the flipped classroom model; understanding how communities of practice are developed for students in mathematics spaces; and creating significant learning experiences for students taking undergraduate mathematics courses. Dr. Brewley is also the co-director of the Mathematics in Action Scholars Program, a summer mathematics enrichment program for academically talented or motivated middle school students. She earned her doctorate at the University of Georgia in Mathematics Education. Other degrees include a Masters of Science in Applied Mathematics and Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Clark Atlanta University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics from Spelman College. Her hobbies include cooking, running, practicing yoga, and dancing. Camille Daniel was born and raised in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Camille received her BS degree in Mathematics at Spelman College and then pursued a MAEd and MS in Applied Mathematics at Virginia State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech), respectively. Always having an interest in the applications of mathematics, upon leaving VA Tech, Camille worked at NIH in NIDDK’s Laboratory of Biological Modeling using mathematical models to study the mechanisms of oscillatory electrical activity arising from ion channels in cell membranes and modulated by intracellular chemical processes. Currently, Camille is at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) where she applies her mathematical background in leading multiple analysis efforts of Navy systems and algorithm evaluation, as well as analytical efforts in understanding and responding to cyber vulnerabilities on various Naval platforms. She has served on several Navy operational staffs as the JHU/APL liaison in a technically focused analytical position, supports various STEM and diversity efforts within JHU/APL and in her community, and was recently awarded one of the 2015 Black Engineer of the Year Trailblazers award, which is no easy feat as a mathematician. Camille is a member of various mathematical, engineering and national defense organizations. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 39 Steering Committee Pamela E. Harris is a Mexican-American Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the United States Military Academy (USMA), a Davies Research Fellow at the Army Research Lab at Adelphi, MD, and will join the faculty of Williams College in the fall of 2016.. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in May 2012 under the guidance of Dr. Jeb Willenbring. Her research interests focus on combinatorial problems related to representation theory and more recently she has begun work on problems in analytic number theory, as well as mathematical biology. Dr. Harris is firmly dedicated to improving diversity and retention rates among women and minorities in the mathematical sciences by committing time to organizing scientific symposia during the national SACNAS conference and helping organize the Infinite Possibilities Conference. Tasha Henneman has been in the Early Childhood Education field for over 15 years supporting parents, children and early childhood professionals with information related to child care, child development, parenting and a myriad of topics. Dr. Henneman received her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from CSU Chico, then moved to CSU East Bay, where she received her Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Public Management. During this time Dr. Henneman developed a passion for organizational change and human behavior theory within the workplace, specifically, job satisfaction and managing and understanding the generational divide in an organization. In May, 2014 she graduated from Mills College with a Masters and Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership in Early Childhood. The focus of her research explores the experiences of parents who have Black boys that were expelled or 'pushed out' from several early child care environments and the impacts of the expulsions on the entire family. Dr Henneman’s areas of research interest are child development projects that emphasize the importance of play; issues of social justice; and efforts to close the achievement gap, particularly with consideration to Neurobiology (including Temperament Theory and trauma), Critical Race Theory, gaps in the teacher workforce, and the High Stakes (Testing) Accountability Movement, and the spiral push-down effects onto ECE and school readiness. Fern Hunt was born and raised in New York City and is a product of the public school system. Her mother was a clerk for the New York City Department of Welfare and her father was a mail handler with the U.S. Post Office. Her interest in science developed when her mother gave her a chemistry set for Christmas. Fern was not particularly interested in mathematics in elementary school but thanks to an 9th grade algebra teacher and later on, reading a book about the lives of mathematicians, she decided to become a mathematician. She majored in mathematics at Bryn Mawr College and then went on to graduate school at New York University's Courant Institute, where she earned an M.S. and PhD in Mathematics. Dr. Hunt has held teaching positions at City College of New York, University of Utah, and Howard University. Her research areas been primarily dynamical systems, stochastic modeling and its applications. In 1991 she joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a research mathematician. In 2000 her research at NIST was recognized when she received the Arthur Flemming Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science. She has received research support from the National Science Foundation, NIH and NIST and has been an invited speaker at a number of conferences. In 2005, she was a keynote speaker at the very first Infinite Possibilities Conference, held at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. 40 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Steering Committee Lily Khadjavi received her bachelors degree, cum laude, from Harvard University, and her PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. She is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, having spent time as a visiting scholar at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; U. C. Berkeley; and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, New York. Her interests range from algebraic number theory to the use of statistics in social science, and she is working on an analysis of LAPD traffic stop data, focusing on the issue of racial profiling. Committed to civil rights advocacy, Dr. Khadjavi serves on the boards of the Barbara Jordan/Bayard Rustin Coalition (a Black LGBT organization in Los Angeles) and Building Diversity in Science. Emille Davie Lawrence is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of San Francisco. After receiving her B.S. degree in Mathematics from Spelman College in 2001 and her Ph.D. in Mathematics in 2007 from the University of Georgia, she went on to become a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara and spent one year as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Dr. Lawrence’s mathematical interests include braid groups and their representations, mapping class groups, as well as other topics in geometric group theory. Her long-term career goals include becoming a tenured professor of mathematics and working to increase the number of individuals from underrepresented groups who study mathematics at the graduate level. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, Greg and Margot, with Baby Boy Lawrence due to arrive in early March 2015. She also loves going to the gym, practicing ballet, and attending live music performances. Tanya Moore a native of Berkeley, CA, received her doctorate training in the field of Biostatistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to attending UC Berkeley, Dr. Moore obtained a B.S. degree in Mathematics from Spelman College and a Masters in Science and Engineering from the Mathematical Sciences Department at The Johns Hopkins University. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of California, Los Angeles, she returned to her hometown where she worked with the Berkeley’s Public Health Division to address health inequities. Currently, Dr. Moore works as the Education and Youth Services Specialist for the City of Berkeley. In this role she works with City departments, Berkeley Unified School District, UC Berkeley and community organizations on joint initiatives to close the academic achievement gap that persists in Berkeley public schools. Tanya is one of the creators of the Infinite Possibilities Conference and is a member of the Building Diversity in Science Board of Directors. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 41 Steering Committee Candice Price received her doctoral degree from the University of Iowa, an MA degree from San Francisco State University and a BS from California State University Chico. A native of California, Candice is currently an Assistant Professor and National Research Council Fellow at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Dr. Price is also a co-organizer for the Underrepresented Students in Topology and Algebra Research Symposium (USTARS), a conference dedicated to furthering the success of underrepresented students. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and all aspects of Rugby (playing, watching, coaching). Karen Ríos-Soto is an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez. She received her doctoral degree from Cornell University in 2008 and her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from UPRM. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Science Center at Arizona State University. Her research interests are in mathematical epidemiology, the modeling of disease dynamics, population biology, and social dynamics. Her most recent interests include studying the impact of particulate matter such as PM10 in lung diseases and estimation of epidemiological parameters from disease data, in particular for dengue fever. She has ample experience in the development of students through educational, research, and mentorship activities from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. She has supervised undergraduate research for more than 25 students, has mentored 2 MS students, and is currently supervising 2 master level thesis at UPRM. She has been involved with the REU-Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute at ASU for more than 11 years. She has participated there as an undergraduate student, graduate student, faculty, and for 2010 - 2012 as the summer director. Nagambal Shah is currently professor Emerita of the Spelman College Mathematics Department where she has served for more than forty years. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Masters in Statistics from India and M.S. and Ph.D. from University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. Several of her students have gone to graduate school and received Ph.D.s in Statistics/Biostatistics from institutions like MIT, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Maryland, U.C. Berkeley, University of Birmingham Alabama, Rice University, NC State University, and SUNY. In 2001 she coordinated and hosted at Spelman College the first StatFest, a one day conference aimed at encouraging undergraduate Minority students to pursue careers and graduate studies in statistical sciences; StatFest continues to be a major activity of the ASA’s Committee on Minorities in Statistics. In 2005 she spearheaded the efforts to host and obtain funding for the first Infinite Possibilities Conference. She is an advocate for diversity in graduate education, especially for minorities and women, and received the 2001 Martin Luther King Jr. Community service Award for Excellence in Education and Diversity from Emory University. In 2003 she was selected as a SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) faculty by AAC&U for her course CHANCE, 42 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference Steering Committee which was selected as one of four featured SENCER Models. She is the 2005 recipient of Spelman College Presidential Award for College Service, the 2006 Vulcan Materials Co. Teaching Excellence Award, and 2014 True Blue Award. She is a Fellow of the ASA, was a member of the Leadership Support Council and vice chair of the awards committee of the ASA (2010-2012), and has also served as the chair of the ASA’s Committee on Minorities in Statistics. Priya Shilpa Boindala joined Georgia Gwinnett College in Fall 2010 as an assistant professor of Mathematics. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from India. She came to the United States in 2003 to pursue her doctorate in applied mathematics from Tulane University. She believes, “an introductory course, taught well, can stir students’ interest in further learning,” and that “an advanced course, well designed and taught, can increase students’ understanding and help them visualize applicability, possible future research avenues or job opportunities.” She believes that a teacher can facilitate such opportunities in the classroom and beyond. In this regard she continues to work with her colleagues on various projects on campus and is currently involved in two course-embedded and SoTL research projects. Her interests are in Mathematics Education, course re-design, Mathematical Biology and curriculum development. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her toddler, cooking and sketching. 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference 43 Thank You! IPC 2015 would not have been possible without the vision and commitment of Sastry Pantula, Dean, College of Science, Oregon State University. We want to extend a heart-filled thank you for the efforts from our local host, Oregon State University, and in particular to the Local Organizing Committee, Kim Garcia, Rachel Williams, Sarah McKay, and Jackie Thorsness and to the many dedicated volunteers from the Mathematics and Statistics Departments. Local Organizing Committee Mina Ossiander, Co-Chair Lan Xue, Co-Chair Vrushali Bokil, Tom Dick, Heather Kitada, Juan Restrepo, Holly Swisher, Kalei Titcomb and Charlotte Wickham. Additional thanks for significant help from many others and gratitude to the Math Department office manager, Deanne Wilcox. Short Course Organizing Committee Directed by Helen Chamberlin, Mathematical Biosciences Institute Scientific Committee: Renee Moore, North Carolina State University; Knashawn Morales, University of Pennsylvania; and Kim Weems, North Carolina State University. Additional support from: Helene Barcelo, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute; Vrushali Bokil, Oregon State University; and Laura Kubatko, Ohio State University Building Diversity in Science Board of Directors E. Carmen Torres, President Directors: Joy Alafia, Marsha Harrison, Lily Khadjavi, Frederick Moore, Tanya Moore, Cory Nicholas and Ayanna Reed. 44 2015 Infinite Possibilities Conference