The following blog post was written by the SIAM Student Chapter at San Diego State University (SDSU).
Acknowledgements
Before we gush about our achievements for the calendar year 2017, we recognize our faculty advisor Professor Jose Castillo. Professor Castillo has provided invaluable guidance and support to our chapter, including the ideas and motivation for many of our events, as well as support from the Computational Science Research Center (CSRC).
The SIAM Student Chapter at SDSU has a very close connection with the CSRC; most of our student
members are students in the CSRC, and our faculty advisor is the director of the CSRC. As a result, we receive extraordinary amounts of advice and wisdom from faculty and industry experts who are CSRC members. We thank the CSRC for its support over this year. Your mentorship has provided the key elements which fueled our success.
Achievements
Here is a snapshot of some exciting achievements in calendar year 2017:
Membership increased to 39
Over the course of the past year, we were able to increase our membership numbers from about a dozen to nearly 40 – more than a three-fold increase in participation! Thank you, new student members, for your participation! We hope to continue to motivate and inspire you with exciting programs, and note that we welcome your feedback.
The Summer Colloquium Series
Summer 2017 marked the first Summer Colloquium Series. This series features the research of our student members, and are one hour in length. The presenters have the opportunity to receive feedback from CSRC faculty mentors, providing invaluable guidance for professional development.
The Industry Talks Series
An initiative originally spearheaded by the CSRC, the SIAM Student Chapter at SDSU were given the reigns for this exciting series. This series features local industry leaders who present not only an introduction to their company, but also potential collaborative research opportunities. The ability to interact with local industry provides our members with time to ask questions about professional development, life after school, and what it takes to succeed in industry. We offer a special thanks to Ezra Bejar and the CSRC for their assistance and the opportunity to interact with industry in this way.
The Pizza and Math Series
In Fall 2017, we launched this series of talks with SDSU faculty presenting on their research, accompanied by complimentary pizza and beverages. Our members continue to be exposed to research in various fields of math, which provides inspiration and motivation in their own research.
Officer Recognition
Everybody knows that graduate students have very little time to spare, but these officers sacrificed much of their time and energy to making this year a success. Thank you all for your time and dedication to making the SIAM Student Chapter at SDSU great!
2016/2017 academic year officers:
- President: Diana Lee
- Vice President: James Mullinix
- Treasurer: Jonathan Matthews
- Secretary: Luis Escalona
- Public Relations: Lauren Parrett
2017/2018 academic year officers:
- President: James Mullinix
- Vice President: Priscilla Kelly
- Treasurer: Jared Brzenski
- Secretary: Nicholas Ferrante
- Public Relations: Lauren Parrett