Lee students and faculty on a sailboat cruise of Boston Harbor . From left, Brett Buckner, Jeremy Newton, Sarah Minucci, Dr. Laura Singletary, Billy Singletary, Dr. Debra Mimbs and Kaitlyn Burk.
Lee University PIC Math presentation group at the SIAM Conference in Boston. From left, Sarah Minucci, Kaitlyn Burk, Brett Buckner, Jeremy Newton and Dr. Debra Mimbs.
Participants in Research in Industrial and Applied Mathematics course, back row, from left, Philip Winn, Brett Buckner, William Cole, Jeremy Newton and Dr. Shane Griffith; front row, from left, Dr. Debra Mimbs, Kaitlyn Burk, Sarah Minucci and Mesa Williams.
Lee University students Brett Buckner, Kaitlyn Burk, Sarah Minucci and Jeremy Newton returned from presenting at the national Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics meeting in Boston.
SIAM is an international society that fosters the development of applied mathematics and includes over 14,000 individuals. SIAM’s goal is to further the application of mathematics and science to real-world areas such as engineering, industry, science, and society.
The students worked on a real-world math problem in a Preparations for Careers in Mathematics course taught by Lee faculty Dr. Shane Griffith, associate professor of business administration, and Dr. Debra Mimbs, associate professor of mathematics. The students also collaborated with Dr. Marylesa Howard from National Securities Technologies to improve the methods used in The Broadband Laser Ranging diagnostic, a process used by NST.
The student team submitted the video presentation, “Calibrating a Broadband Laser Ranging Diagnostic,” and papers in order to be chosen to present at SIAM’s meeting. The group from Lee was one of only eight groups selected to present. At the conference, the students shared about the tests and data used to reach the mathematical accomplishments they achieved in the PIC Math course.
“Our students have seen a plethora of interesting mathematics throughout their time at Lee,” said Dr. Mimbs. “This class gave them the opportunity to use that mathematics and their creativity in a novel manner. They worked hard, were frustrated often, laughed and learned, and the result was some really great mathematics that got to influence the way NSTec will work on this project in the future.”
PIC Math’s mission is to prepare mathematical science students for careers in real-world industrial workplaces. The program aims to improve students’ abilities in problem solving, critical thinking, independent thinking, and communicating. PIC Math aspires to offer experiences and teaching methods to students that will best prepare them for the demands of non-academic jobs.
“The PIC Math program both challenged and encouraged me to further study mathematics,” said Ms. Burk. “The best part was gaining experience working in a realm of industrial mathematics which was something I had not yet explored. Presenting at the SIAM conference was the experience of a lifetime."
The research conducted was funded by the National Science Foundation grant DMS-1345499, Lee University, and National Security Technologies.
For more information about PIC Math, visit http://www.maa.org/pic-math. For more information about SIAM, visit http://www.siam.org/.