Providence, RI---"The mathematics community is fortunate to have UCLA present such an outstanding example of an exemplary program in a mathematics department." So reads the concluding sentence of the citation of the 2007 Award for an Exemplary Program or Achievement in a Mathematics Department. The American Mathematical Society announced today that it has chosen the Mathematics Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, as the 2007 recipient of the award. UCLA is the second mathematics department in the US to receive this award.
Established in 2004, this award recognizes a mathematics department that has distinguished itself by undertaking an unusual or particularly effective program of value to the mathematics community, internally or in relation to the rest of society. Departments of mathematical sciences in North America that offer at least a bachelor's degree in mathematical sciences are eligible. The award carries a cash prize of US$1,200 and is given annually.
The UCLA Mathematics Department has created a comprehensive vision for its undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral training programs that involves important interactions with the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at UCLA, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through these unusually large training programs, UCLA has become one of the biggest pipelines to mathematical careers in the United States. The department won a grant from the NSF’s innovative VIGRE program (Vertical Integration for Research and Education) in 2000 and again in 2005.
The undergraduate mathematics program at UCLA has seen tremendous growth in the past ten years, increasing mathematics degrees by 56 percent from 1996 to 2006. Part of this increase is due to the department's pioneering broad-based major, which has enough options to draw a diverse group of students. An important component is the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, which has been broadened to include the new Applied Mathematics Laboratory where students participate in actual physical experiments involving robotics and fluid flow.
The graduate mathematics program has also seen considerable growth, going from around 110 students in 2000 to a projected 195 in fall 2007. The department has restructured its graduate program into one in which the students learn in a research group environment early in their studies and have opportunities to participate in programs at IPAM. The department also has a new graduate internship program that allows graduate and PhD students to work for one summer with a faculty member from another discipline or with someone in industry. The department's postdoctoral program is one of the largest in the country, with 30 postdocs last academic year.
UCLA is home to the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, which was conceived of by faculty from the department and founded as a result of a national competition. IPAM is known for its innovative interdisciplinary programming, for example the Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS) Program. Interactions with IPAM have also led to several important initiatives, such as one of the National Institutes of Health’s initial round of "roadmap" institutes, the Center for Computational Biology.
The UCLA Mathematics Department also has a substantial program to improve precollege mathematics education. It is the headquarters for the California Mathematics Project, a statewide effort to mount professional development institutes for math teachers. CMP has 19 regional sites around the state, including at UCLA. The department is also involved in several other K-12 teaching efforts.
On top of its effective education and training programs, the UCLA Mathematics Department also excels in research, with a first-rate faculty of internationally recognized mathematicians. The UCLA Mathematics Department succeeds on all levels, providing an outstanding model of all that a mathematics department can be.
Find out more about AMS prizes at http://www.ams.org/prizes-awards.
Contact:
Annette Emerson or Mike Breen,
AMS Public Awareness Officers
paoffice@ams.org
American Mathematical Society
201 Charles Street
Providence, RI 02904
401-455-4000
Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the more than 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.