Useful Links for Undergraduate Students
Advice on Giving a Good PowerPoint Presentation Joseph A. Gallian University of Minnesota Duluth
Design and Construction of Mathematical Posters by Anya Michaelsen
Mentoring Experiences
Washington and Lee University, Summer Research Program
Summer 2024: Ryan Bascom, Van Nguyen, and Dias Shymbay
Research Training Philosophy and Approach
My research training philosophy focuses on guiding students through complex problems by breaking them down into manageable research questions, encouraging critical thinking and collaboration. I aim to foster independence while providing structured mentorship, so students can confidently present their findings and contribute to the broader academic community.
In my higher-level courses, I have assigned a research project and guided them throughout the semester. However, since the January 2024, Winter semester, I have concentrated on supervising undergraduate students, especially through the Summer Research Scholars (SRS) program at Washington and Lee University. My approach involves:
- Exposing students to advanced topics in matrix theory and linear algebra that they might not typically encounter as undergraduates. Additionally, I provide hands-on programming experience in Python to prepare them for future studies.
- In addition to exposing students to advanced topics, I also guide them on how to read and write mathematics papers, an essential skill for their academic development. I help them structure their research and prepare them for professional presentations, ensuring they are well-equipped for conferences. This past summer, my students produced a 90-page LaTeX report formatted like a thesis to summarize what they learned. After completing three on-campus presentations, students presented their work at the James Madison University Undergraduate Research Conference. Also, their abstract is accepted to present in the Joint Mathematics Meetings in the undergraduate session. This progression helps them refine their research and presentation skills, preparing them for a broader academic audience.
- I split complex ideas into smaller research questions, guiding students through the brainstorming and problem-solving process. We meet regularly and in each meeting, we discuss the research question and their progress in tackling the problem. Once they fully understand and answer the question, I have them write it and record it for presentations.