12/4/02

AU'S COSAM ESTABLISHES SIAM STUDENT ORGANIZATION

AUBURN -- Auburn University is one of the first 18 universities around the world to establish a Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics student organization.

The society's introduction of student chapters is a new endeavor for the 50-year-old professional organization designed to serve the community of applied mathematicians, computational scientists, engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists and others who use mathematics in their profession.

"By introducing the student organizations, SIAM is working to promote education in applied mathematics," says A.J. Meir, SIAM faculty advisor and a College of Sciences and Mathematics professor of mathematics. "I have been actively involved with SIAM for more than 10 years, and I know the organization will provide valuable opportunities for our students."

SIAM is the preeminent professional association for applied mathematics, said Paul Schmidt, a College of Sciences and Mathematics associate professor of mathematics who will also be working with the Auburn chapter.

"SIAM operates internationally and sponsors national meetings that attract mathematicians from all over the world. I support the goals of SIAM, and I think it is an opportunity for students to get involved in applied mathematics," he said. "I think the most important part is actually networking and being part of the industrial and applied mathematics community. Getting to know people in the field gives students the opportunity to be involved in mathematical research at a very early stage."

Schmidt added, "A lot of students donšt realize the opportunities that are out there not just in academia, but also in industry. At SIAM's national and regional meetings, most of the attendees are from academia, but there are also speakers from the industrial field who speak about the industrial point of view, and it is good to introduce that perspective to students so that they are introduced to the numerous opportunities that are out there."

The campus organization is open to graduate and undergraduate students interested in applied mathematics and applications in engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, etc. This fall, the group had its first meeting with about 25 students and several faculty members in attendance. The following 2002-2003 officers were also elected:

Co-presidents: Sasha Logan and Necibe Tuncer;
Vice president and president-elect: Chadia Affane; and
Secretary -treasurer: Thera Tyner.

All of the officers are COSAM graduate students interested in applied mathematics.

"I was thrilled to hear about the possibility of beginning a campus organization," Tyner said. "I have visited the national SIAM website in the past and wished we had a campus organization. Having an organization on campus will give us the opportunity to network with other students and professionals in the field, and possibly land job interviews."

Affane said she is also looking forward to working with the organization. "My background is in engineering, but I plan to use what I learn in mathematics and through SIAM to find out more about opportunities that may be of interest to me in the future," she said.

The group is working on plans to bring in speakers for future meetings to discuss topics of interest to students in applied mathematics and related fields. They also plan to send a delegation to the regional SIAM conference at Clemson University in March.

The College of Sciences and Mathematics Deanšs Office, the Department of Mathematics, and the Department of Discrete and Statistical Sciences will provide support for chapter activities.

Membership is open to Auburn University undergraduate and graduate students, but anyone interested in applied mathematics is invited to attend the meetings.

More information on SIAM and the Auburn chapter can be accessed through the Auburn University SIAM website.

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nov02:AU-society

CONTACT: Meir, 334/844-4290.