Research in Mathematics and Statistics

Research Opportunities at Grinnell

Current Grinnell College students will find a list of research opportunities on the Science Division GrinnellShare site (login required). You will find descriptions for research projects with professors on campus, as well as a number of off-campus opportunities.

Faculty Research Areas

• Jeffrey Blanchard: applied mathematics, applied and computational harmonic analysis, wavelets, compressed sensing.
• Marc Chamberland: experimental mathematics, classical analysis, number theory, dynamical systems, differential equations.
• Pam Fellers: value-added methodology, mixed-models, and the teaching and learning of statistics.
• Christopher French: algebraic combinatorics; theory of association schemes.
• Jeff Jonkman: meta-analysis, inference for nonlinear models, analysis of observational studies, composite sampling.
• Shonda Kuiper: experimental design, statistics education, statistical consulting.
• Joseph Mileti: computability theory, reverse mathematics, set theory, Ramsey theory, and the interaction of mathematical logic with algebra and combinatorics.
• Jennifer Paulhus: algebraic number theory, arithmetic geometry, elliptic and hyperelliptic curves, representation theory, Jacobian varieties.
• Karen Shuman: analysis, harmonic analysis, iterated function systems.
• Royce Wolf: algebraic topology, combinatorial group theory, knot theory, spherical virtual knot theory, quandles.

Faculty Presentations

Our faculty give talks all over the world.

2017

• Marc Chamberland
  • “Combinatorial Identities via Matrix Factorization,” Joint Meetings of the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society, Atlanta, Georgia.
  • “The Life and Legacy of Graham Gladwell,” 9th International Conference on Inverse Problems in Engineering, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
• Shonda Kuiper
  • “Modules for Infusing Data Science into the Statistics Curriculum,” United States Conference on Teaching Statistics, State College, PA.
  • “Data Science Tutorials,” Joint Statistics Meetings, Chicago, IL.

2016

• Marc Chamberland
  • “When Choice is an Illusion,” Iowa Mathematical Association of America, section meeting, Des Moines, IA.
  • “Combinatorial Identities via Matrix Factorization,” 17th International Conference on Fibonacci Numbers and Their Applications, Caen, France.
  • “A Course in Experimental Mathematics,” Computationally Assisted Mathematical Discovery and Experimental Mathematics, London, Ontario, Canada.
• Pamela Fellers
  • “Beyond the SRS: A Weighted Survey Data Example,” Electronic Conference on Teaching Statistics.
• Christopher French
  • “Noncommutative association schemes of rank 6 with affine subschemes,” AMS Sectional meeting, Denver, CO.
• Shonda Kuiper
  • “Visualizations Designed to Engage Student Learning,” Electronic Conference On Teaching Statistics.
  • “Finding and Structuring Quantitative Data; Data Visualizations,” Digital Bridges for Humanistic Inquiry Summer Institute, Grinnell, IA.
  • “Teaching Students to Work with Big Data through Visualizations,” Joint Statistics Meetings, Chicago, IL.
• Joseph Mileti
  • “A Rainbow Analogue to Rado's Homogeneous Equation Theorem,” Association for Symbolic Logic Annual Meeting, Storrs, CT.
  • “Reflections on Carl as a Researcher, Teacher, and Adviser,” Midwest Computability Theory Seminar, Chicago, IL.
• Jennifer Paulhus
  • “Completely Decomposable Jacobian Varieties,” Canadian Number Theory Meeting XIV, Calgary, Canada.

2015

• Jeffrey Blanchard
  • “Conjugate Gradient Iterative Hard Thresholding” International Symposium on Mathematical Programming, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • “Conjugate Gradient Iterative Hard Thresholding” 8th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Beijing, China.
• Marc Chamberland
  • “Popularizing Mathematics with YouTube,” Iowa Mathematical Association of America section meeting, Lamoni, Iowa
• Pamela Fellers
  • “Statistical Consulting: Making Connections Across the Curriculum,” United States Conference on Teaching Statistics, State College, PA.
  • “Using Value-Added Models to Assess Teacher Professional Development Programs,” National Council on Measurement in Education, Chicago, IL.
• Christopher French
  • “Schemes for extending the theory of extensions of schemes,” 8th Slovenian Conference on Graph Theory, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.
• Shonda Kuiper
  • “Making Statistics Relevant in a Data-Rich Society,” United States Conference on Teaching Statistics, State College, PA.
  • “Engaging students with data,” United States Conference on Teaching Statistics, State College, PA.
  • “Using Games in an Introductory Statistics Course,” Joint Mathematical Meetings, San Antonio, TX.

2014

• Jeffrey Blanchard
  • “Selecting Multiple Order Statistics with Graphics Processing Unit,” 16th SIAM Conference on Parallel Processing for Scientific Computing, Portland, OR.
  • “Composite Dilation Wavelets,” Numerical Analysis Seminar, Mathematics Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
  • “Conjugate Gradient Iterative Hard Thresholding,” International Symposium on Information Theory, Honolulu, HI.
  • “Conjugate Gradient Iterative Hard Thresholding,” SIAM Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
• Marc Chamberland
  • “Averaging Structure in the 3x+1 Problem,” Joint Meetings of the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society, Baltimore, MD.
  • “Lorenz Attractor in Flow,” Juried exhibition of mathematical art, Bridges conference at Joint Mathematics Meetings, Baltimore, MD.
• Christopher French
  • “Noncommutative imprimitive association schemes of rank 6,” AMS Sectional Meeting, Knoxville, TN.
• Jeff Jonkman
  • “More Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: A Quick Tour of Meta-Analysis,” Central Illinois Statistical Association, Peoria, IL.
  • “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: A Brief Overview of Meta-Analysis,” Department of Mathematics, Bradley University, Peoria, IL.
• Shonda Kuiper
  • “Using Technology to Teach Quantitative Research Skills,” ACM FaCE3 Conference on Technology-Enabled Learning, Chicago, IL.
  • (and Rodney Sturdivant) “Games as a locus of self-empowered collaborative learning,” International Conference on Teaching Statistics, Flagstaff, AZ.
  • “Teaching Quantitative Research Skills Within an On-line Course,” ACM Online Teaching Workshop, Associated Colleges of the Midwest, Chicago, IL.
  • “Using Games and Case Studies to Engage Students in the Introductory Class,” Joint Statistics Meeting, Boston, MA.
  • “Using Games to teach Design of Experiments,” Joint Statistics Meeting, Boston, MA.
  • “Designing Simulated Experiments in the Introductory Statistics Course,” Joint Statistics Meeting, Baltimore, MD.
  • “Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics,” Joint Mathematics Meetings, Baltimore, MD.
• Joseph Mileti
  • “Irreducibles and Primes in Computable Rings,” International Congress of Mathematicians, Seoul, South Korea.
  • “Irreducibles and Primes in Computable Rings,” Association for Symbolic Logic Annual Meeting, Boulder, CO.
• Jennifer Paulhus
  • “Jacobian Varieties of Hurwitz Curves,” Algorithmic Number Theory Symposium – XI, Gyeongnju, Republic of Korea.
  • “Decomposing Jacobian varieties,” ICM 2014-International Congress of Mathematicians, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
  • “Decomposing Jacobian varieties,” Group Actions in Algebra and Geometry session at the Applications of Computer Algebra conference, Fordham University.
  • “Decomposing Jacobian varieties,” AMS Sectional Meeting, Eau Claire, WI.
  • “What the heck is Math Research?” Grinnell College Faculty Colloquium.
  • “The abc-Conjecture: A Snapshot of the World of Pure Mathematic,” Grinnell College Math Department Seminar.

2013

• Jeffrey Blanchard
  • “Greedy Algorithms for Joint Sparse Recovery,” CIMPA New Trends in Applied Harmonic Analysis, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
• Marc Chamberland
  • “Averaging Structure in the 3x+1 Problem,” Max Planck Institute for Mathematics, Bonn, Germany.
  • “The Computer's Role in Mathematical Discovery,” West Chester University.
  • “Complex Numbers and Geometry,” Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Diego.
  • “Inner Square,” Juried exhibition of mathematical art, Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Diego.
  • “Borromean Five,” Juried exhibition of mathematical art, Bridges conference, Enschede, Netherlands.
  • “A Feast of Experimental Mathematics,” Experimental Mathematical Seminar, Rutgers University Mathematics Colloquium.
  • “The 3x+1 Problem,” Rutgers University Mathematics Colloquium.
• Pamela Fellers
  • “Investigation of the Impact of Non-randomization and Ceiling Effects on Estimates of Program Effects from Value-Added Models,” Joint Statistical Meetings, Montreal, Canada-Quebec.
• Christopher French
  • “Functors from Association Schemes,” American Mathematical Society Spring Sectional Meeting, Ames, IA.
  • “Association Schemes of Rank 6,” University of Texas Brownsville, Colloquium.
• Shonda Kuiper
  • “A Slightly Inverted Classroom,” Iowa Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (IMATYC) fall conference, Mason City, IA.
  • “Playing Web-Based Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics,” Kansas City Math and Technology Exposition, Kansas City, MO.
  • “Hybrid or Online Teaching and Quantitative Reasoning,” Joint Statistical Meetings, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  • “Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics,” Joint Mathematics Meetings, San Diego, CA.
  • “Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics,” Joint Statistics Meeting, Raleigh Durham, NC.
  • “Igniting a Passion for Change in Teaching Statistics,” United States Conference On Teaching Statistics (USCOTS), Raleigh Durham, NC.
  • “Nurturing a Passion for Statistics by Finding Stories in Data,” United States Conference On Teaching Statistics (USCOTS), Raleigh Durham, NC.
  • “Flipping the Classroom: Changing the Classroom Model to Enhance Student-centered Learning and Optimize Use of Time,” United States Conference On Teaching Statistics (USCOTS), Raleigh Durham, NC.
• Joseph Mileti
  • “Primes in Computable UFDs,” Computability, Complexity, and Randomness Seminar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • “Uniform Computable Reductions Between Mathematical Theorems,” American Mathematical Society (AMS) Spring Sectional Meeting, Iowa State University.
  • “Computable Reductions Between Mathematical Theorems,” Mathematics Colloquium, Western Illinois University.
  • “(Non)computable Algebra,” Mathematics Colloquium, Iowa State University.
• Jennifer Paulhus
  • “Computing branching data and decomposing Jacobian varieties,” American Mathematical Society (AMS) Spring Sectional Meeting, Iowa State University.
  • “Using Algebra to Study Curves,” Mathematics Colloquium, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Faculty Awards and Grants

• Shonda Kuiper. The 2012 MERLOT Classics Award in Statistics. This award is given once a year for the best peer reviewed online resources designed to enhance teaching and learning.
• Shonda Kuiper. Playing Games with a Purpose: A New Approach to Teaching and Learning Statistics. National Science Foundation Transforming Undergraduate Education in Statistics
  May 2011-May 2014.
• Jeffrey Blanchard. Large-scale Algorithm Analysis and GPU Implementations for Compressed Sensing and Matrix Completion. National Science Foundation, Research in Undergraduate Institutions, August 2011 - July 2014.