FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Susie P. Gonzalez

Susie.Gonzalez@Trinity.edu

May 2, 2007

A Meeting of Mathematical Minds at Trinity University

SAN ANTONIO – Mathematical minds will converge at Trinity University this spring and summer when the mathematics department offers programs for students and faculty from around the country.  Both programs are under the tutelage of Trinity math professor Scott Chapman.

Trinity University has been awarded a $261,154 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund its “Trinity University Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in Mathematics.”   This is the fourth grant the NSF has awarded to support the REU program, which has been in place every summer since 1997 and has hosted 88 students. 

Each year, 12 students from across the United States participate in one of four projects that allow them to experience mathematical research and the life of a mathematical researcher.  “This grant continues the tradition of academic excellence of Trinity’s mathematics department and the mathematics education we offer our students,” said Trinity University President John R. Brazil.  “Under the leadership of Professor Chapman, this program attracts gifted student mathematicians from across the nation.” Since the program’s inception, 47 percent have co-authored a published or accepted paper in a research journal and many have presented their REU research at a regional or national meeting. Many of these students have gone on to attend prestigious graduate schools. 

Chapman also is co-hosting a five-day workshop, May 21-25, for university and college mathematics faculty and graduate students titled, “The Art of Factorization in Multiplicative Structures.”  It is funded through the Mathematical Association of America’s Professional Enhancement Program (PREP).  The goal of PREP is to enable faculty in the mathematical sciences to respond to rapid and significant developments that impact undergraduate mathematics through professional development experiences. 

Questions about non-unique factorizations of elements in integral domains and monoids have become the focus of much recent mathematical literature. The five-day workshop will present fundamental mathematical concepts and results at a basic level.

Trinity University, founded in 1869, is one of the nation’s top private undergraduate institutions. Noted for its superior academic quality, outstanding faculty, and exceptional academic and residential resources, Trinity is committed to the intellectual, civic, and professional preparation of its students.

Awards and Fellowships:

• J. William Fulbright Research Scholar, 1995
• Trinity University Award for Distinguished Scholarship or Research, 2002-2003
• Co-Principal or Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates, Summer 2001 to Summer 2006, including supplemental grant to add an international component to the program at the Institute für Mathematik in Graz, Austria, for Summer 2003.

Professional and University Service:

• Associate Editor for the American Mathematical Monthly, January 2006 until present
• Associate Editor for the International Journal of Commutative Rings
• Author for Mathematical Reviews
• Elected to a three-year term on Trinity’s Commission on Promotion and Tenure, 2006
• Chairman, Athletic Department Self-Study for 1997 southern Association of Colleges Accreditation
• Member, University Steering Committee for 1997 Southern Association of Colleges Accreditation

Books:

• Edited (with S. Glaz), Non-Noetherian Commutative Ring Theory, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston 2000
• Edited, Arithmetical Properties of Commutative Rings and Monoids, Lecture Notes in Pure and Applied Mathematics, 241 (2005) Chapman and Hall, New York

--30--

© 2007 Trinity University