QED Research Experience for Undergraduates

Program Overview

The Queens Experience in Discrete Mathematics (QED) is an academic-year Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). QED aims to give students, who are passionate and curious about mathematics, the opportunity to do research in a supportive and student-centered environment. Our REU is hosted at York College, of the City University of New York. York College is located in Queens, New York, one of the most diverse counties in the country. Support for this program has been provided by the NSF through REU Award Number DMS 2150251. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Rishi Nath and the co-Principal Investigator is Dr. Edoardo Carta.

Program Details

This REU is an academic-year REU, and each cycle runs from August to May. Participants will be required to attend meetings twice a week during the duration of the program. Students should expect some meetings to take place in person and some to take place online. That is, we anticipate the program to adopt a hybrid model. Participants will receive a stipend of about $9,000 (pending approval) and will have access to mobile electronic devices for the duration of the program. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to receive up to 6 credits towards their degrees for their work in this REU. We anticipate our program to accept up to 10 students per academic year.

Eligibility

We are seeking highly-motivated students, who have demonstrated academic excellence in mathematics, and have little to no experience doing research in mathematics. Additionally, applicants

1. must be US citizens or permanent residents, and must have at least one year left before finishing their bachelor’s degree;
2. must have successfully completed Calculus 1 and Calculus 2, and must have a GPA of at least 3.00;
3. must be willing to devote approximately 20 hours per week in activities related to this REU;
4. must be vaccinated against COVID-19 and must follow the CUNY pandemic regulations.

Students from underrepresented groups (including women, students with disabilities, African American and Hispanic students) and community college students are strongly encouraged to apply. If you do not meet all the eligibility criteria, but you think you are a strong candidate, please feel free to contact us.

• Website: https://www.york.cuny.edu/mathematics-and-computer-science/qed

The application process will begin May 1st, 2022, and will continue on a rolling basis throughout the summer or until positions are filled. Preference will be given to application packages submitted before July 1st, 2022. A complete application package must include

1. a personal statement that tells us about yourself and addresses the following: your most rewarding mathematical experience, your idea of mathematical research, your academic/career goals, and what you hope to get out of this program (up to 2 pages);
2. an unofficial transcript that contains your name, your current institution’s name, and any courses you have taken, along with grades;
3. the contact information of up to 2 faculty members that have either taught you a class or have mentored you in an academic setting, and are willing to write recommendation letters.

In order to apply, please contact Dr. Rishi Nath.
rnath@york.cuny.edu

Note: Application criteria are subject to change.