Through 20 years of hosting REU, Grand Valley has worked with 170
students from around the country.
Photo Credit:
Kendra Stanley-Mills
For the 20th time, Grand Valley welcomed students from around the
nation to campus this summer for the Research Experiences for
Undergraduates program through the Department of Mathematics.
With this year's milestone cohort, the eight-week program, which
offers students a full research experience that includes
presentations, meetings with faculty members and group sessions, has
worked with 170 students, faculty members said. Students, who live in
campus housing, also share their research at national conferences.
A grant from the National Security Agency funded much of the work.
Grand Valley resources from the Office of Undergraduate Research and
Scholarship, the Center for Scholarly and Creative Excellence and the
Mathematics Department rounded out the rest of the funding, said
Esther Billings, department chair.
A hallmark of the program is how competitive it is, said Michael
Santana, associate professor of mathematics and one of the faculty
mentors. Schools across the country host REUs, so not only do students
compete to be chosen to the select groups, but the programs also
compete for students.
"Not everybody has these programs," Santana said.
"Being competitive draws more attention to Grand Valley in the
mathematics community."
Four faculty members each work with two students. Santana said the
mentoring aspect is a key part of this program, as faculty members
range beyond the research project to talk about preparing for graduate
school, writing tips and more.
Other faculty members who participated this year were William
Dickinson, professor of mathematics, Lauren Keough, associate
professor of mathematics, and Norma Ortiz-Robinson, associate
professor of mathematics.
The academic rigor, collaboration and other features of the program
prepare students for what's next, whether it's graduate studies or
working for an organization such as NSA, which is one of the largest
employers of mathematicians, Keough said.
"The experiences students get here are something they can take
everywhere," Keough said. "Students have a high-impact
learning experience, which is an important part of our culture of
undergraduate research."
Campers toured and participated in activities at the Sustainable Agricultural Project, Laker Esports Center, biology labs, Mary Idema Pew Library and AWRI.
Wave Lumina earned second place at the AquaHacking Challenge, a pitch competition in Traverse City for startups with technology focused on freshwater solutions.