Conference: Midwest Research Experience for Graduates (MREG) 2023

The Midwest Research Experience for Graduates (MREG) is a workshop at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from July 24 2023 to August 4, 2023. It is designed to provide early graduate students in pure and applied mathematics an opportunity to experience the research environment by learning and working with advanced mathematics under the guidance of an early-career faculty member or industry professional on a project of their choosing. At the same time, we aim to promote and help start conversations around various initiatives and issues centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Early graduate students will network and collaborate with early-career professionals and other graduate students from across the region, giving them long-term support in their graduate careers. Furthermore, by having mentors and role models with similar shared experiences, participants will form stronger connections and gain invaluable insight. The workshop is structured as a summer school focused on replicating the research experience, in terms of literature review and taking the first steps toward tackling a novel problem. There will be five research projects: Geometric structures & curves on surfaces; The virtual Euler characteristic for graphic matroids; Utilizing stochastic modeling techniques in interdisciplinary studies; Using analysis and PDE to study traffic flow; and Trade-off between interpolation and generalization. Additionally, there will be plenary talks and panels focusing on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in mathematics. The plenary talks will broaden awareness in various topics affecting the representation and the experiences of under-represented groups in STEM. The DEI panels will focus on providing relevant advice and information to participants. The website for MREG is https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/mreg-2023/home. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.