June 14 - 17, 2017

The GSMM Camp is a weeklong workshop whose aim is graduate student education and career development directed towards interdisciplinary problem solving. The GSMM Camp is designed to promote a broad range of problem-solving skills, including mathematical modeling and analysis, scientific computation, and critical assessment of solutions. The mathematical problems considered at the Camp are highly interdisciplinary in nature and are inspired by real problems that arise in industrial applications. The work on the problems is done by graduate student teams, each with the guidance of an invited faculty mentor, so that scientific communication is an important and integral component of the work. As a result, the GSMM Camp exposes graduate students to real-world problems of current scientific interest, and provides a valuable educational and career-enhancing experience outside of the traditional academic setting.

GSMMC Details

The GSMM Camp operates hand in hand with the annual Mathematical Problems in Industry Workshop, this year to be held at the University of Delaware. The Camp runs during the week prior to the Workshop and the students and mentors attending the Camp are encouraged to attend the Workshop as well. Thus, the GSMM Camp provides an additional problem-solving experience for graduate students as a warm-up prior to the Workshop.

Camp Organizer and Invited Mentors

The GSMM Camp is organized by Donald Schwendeman, Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Rensselaer. Inquires can be made to the Organizer atschwed@rpi.edu or to Erin Lynch, GSMMC Coordinator, at lynche2@rpi.edu.

The invited mentors for GSMMC 2015 are

Brief descriptions of the problems (as they become available) will be posted on the GSMMCProgram webpage.

Student Participation and Application Form

Graduate students, who are actively pursuing an MS or Ph.D in some area of applied mathematics, are invited to apply to GSMMC 2015. Interested students should complete theonline application form and have a signed letter of recommendation emaied to the Camp Coordinator at lynche2@rpi.edu. Alternatively, the letter can also be mailed to the Camp Coordinator at the following address:

GSMMC 2015 c/o
Ms. Erin Lynch
Department of Mathematical Sciences
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
110 8th Street
Troy, NY 12180

Graduate student support for GSMMC 2015 has been provided by the National Science Foundation. This support is limited to approximately 30 graduate students, so that an early application is appreciated and will have a greater chance of success.

The selection will be based on academic background and interests as indicated in the application form, and on the letter of recommendation provided by a faculty sponsor. Women and students from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Applications must be completed by May 1, 2015 for full consideration, and successful applicants will be notified by early to mid May (or sooner if the application arrives sooner).

Successful applicants will be registered automatically for MPI 2015 and support will be provided to attend that meeting as well.

Camp Format and Location

The GSMM Camp is an informal problem-solving workshop. On the first day of the Camp, the invited faculty mentors will present problems to the whole group. These problems, spanning a wide range of topics, are chosen to exercise and enhance the problem-solving skills of the attending graduate students. After the initial problem presentations, the graduate students break up into small groups, according to each student's problem preference, to work in teams with the help of the faculty mentors. Work on the problems proceeds in an informal setting for the remainder of the Camp. On the last day, summary presentations highlighting the work done are given by student representatives from each team.

All activities of the Camp take place on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (campus map). The initial problem presentations and the closing summary presentations will be given in the Jonnson Engineering Center (JEC), room 3117. The work on each problem will take place in break-out rooms on the ground floor of the Darrin Communications Center (DCC). Lodging for visiting graduate students will be provided in university housing (dorms/suites) and meals will be provided for all students and mentors at the Student Union. During the Camp, students and mentors will have access to campus computing, library and recreational facilities.

MPI Organizing Committee

The GSMM Camp is part of a collaborative project, funded by NSF, consisting of the Camp and the MPI Workshop, and their associated activities. The members of the MPI Organizing Committee are

  • Donald Schwendeman, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (email, webpage),
  • Peter Kramer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (email, webpage),
  • David Edwards, University of Delaware (email, webpage),
  • Louis Rossi, University of Delaware (email, webpage),
  • Joseph Fehribach, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (email, webpage),
  • Burt Tilley, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (email, webpage).
  • Suzanne Weekes, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (email, webpage).
  • Linda Cummings, New Jersey Institute of Technology (email, webpage).
  • Richard Moore, New Jersey Institute of Technology (email, webpage).

Schedule

Tuesday, June 17.

8:30 Registration and Lite Breakfast Pit Area
near DCC 337
9:10 Opening Remarks,
Don Schwendeman, Organizer		 DCC 337
9:30 Modeling the Extraction of Sugar from Sugarcane,
Chris Breward		 DCC 337
10:00 Mechanical Modeling of Confined Bio-Polymer Arrays,
Blerta Shtylla		 DCC 337
10:30 Break DCC Pit Area
10:50 A Smooth Ride on a Bumpy Road,
Juan Restrepo		 DCC 337
11:20 Swimming Blind: A Microscopic Pursuit Problem,
Lou Rossi		 DCC 337
11:50 Problem Selection
Don Schwendeman		 DCC 337
12:10 Lunch Rensselaer Union
1:20 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
3:30 Break DCC Pit Area
3:45 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
6:00 Camp Dinner Plum Blossum Restaurant

Wednesday, June 18 and Thursday, June 19.

8:30 Lite Breakfast DCC Pit Area
9:00 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
10:30 Break DCC Pit Area
10:45 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
12:15 Lunch Rensselaer Union
1:30 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
3:15 Break DCC Pit Area
3:30 Discussion of Problems in Working Groups DCC
Break-out Rooms
5:30 Dinner,
Local Restaurants		 Troy area

Friday, June 20.

8:30 Lite Breakfast DCC Pit Area
9:00 Preparation of Summary Presentations DCC
Break-out Rooms
10:15 Break DCC Pit Area
10:30 Preparation of Summary Presentations DCC
Break-out Rooms
12:00 Lunch and Camp Photo Courtyard outside of DCC
1:00 Summary Presentations,
Grad Campers		 DCC 337
3:00 Closing Remards,
Don Schwendeman		 DCC 337