Contrary to popular opinion, the School of Mathematics is home to some of the
University's most innovative programs, colorful personalities, & perplexing
research problems
They're the unsung heroes of industrial innovation.
From the pointer in the first IBM Thinkpad to the lead wires in
Medtronic pacemakers, mathematicians have played a vital role in
the development of many technologies that have transformed the way
we live.
But until recently, few high-tech companies understood the benefits
of adding mathematicians to their cadre of scientific experts, and
even fewer universities offered programs that prepared math students
for careers outside academia.
Enter Regents' Professor Avner Friedman, the celebrated mathematician
who helped pioneer collaborations between industry and academia
during his decade-long tenure as director of the University's Institute
for Mathematics and Its Applications.
Friedman recognized the problem and in 1993 proposed an innovative
solution: the Minnesota Center for Industrial Mathematics, which
he now directs.
The center, founded in 1994 with a grant from the Graduate School,
offers master's and doctoral degrees in industrial mathematics.
Students in the program supplement their mathematical expertise
with courses in engineering and computer science. As part of their
studies, master's and doctoral students participate in a three-
to twelve-month internship, during which they tackle a mathematical
problem for one of the program's corporate partners. The problem
and its solution then form the basis of the students' thesis or
dissertation.
"Internships are one of the best ways to connect what students
learn in the classroom to what they will do in industry,” says
Professor Fadil Santosa, the center's associate director.
According to Santosa, the internship program has caught on quickly.
"At first we had to pound the pavement for both students and
companies,” he says. “But thanks to word of mouth from
satisfied participants, people are now coming to us."
Indeed, the program's enrollment has surged from two students
in 1994 to 18 students today. Last year, the center awarded 12 master's
and two doctoral degrees. And the list of corporate partners has
grown to nearly 20, including 3M, Bellcore, Deluxe, Ford, General
Motors, Lockheed Martin, Lucent Technologies, Medtronic, Motorola,
and Seagate.
Santosa works with interested companies to determine if their needs
fit the program's criteria for internships. “The problem they're
proposing has to have significant mathematical content,” he
says.
The risk for companies is minimal because the center covers the
cost of providing the first intern, explains Friedman.
"Once they realize that they are getting a good product, they
are willing to cover the costs [of additional students],” he
adds.
One of the center's most active corporate partners is 3M, which
has hosted three interns since 1994.
According to David Misemer, a senior research specialist at 3M,
engineers have the mathematical expertise to solve most of the problems
they encounter. However, as product development and manufacturing
processes become more complex, the company increasingly encounters
problems that require more rigorous mathematical skills.
"That's when we need the mathematicians,” says Misemer.
For example, one 3M intern, Svetlana Rudnaya, is developing mathematical
equations to improve the fidelity of computer-generated holograms.
Rudnaya began working on the problem as an intern in the master's
program. The company was so impressed with her work that it invited
her back when she entered the doctoral program.
"The great thing about the interns is that they come in, they're
focused, and they want to get the answer,” says Misemer.
The interns also understand the importance of selling their skills
to their corporate colleagues in terms of the bottom line, says
Misemer.
According to doctoral candidate Irina Mitrea, another 3M intern,
that understanding is essential to a mathematician's success in
the workplace.
"We must understand [corporate culture], be flexible, and
be able to translate our mathematical language,” she says.
Problems in industrial mathematics are no less challenging than
those in academia, says Todd Wittman, a master's student in the
program.
The problems often involve complex mathematics, says Wittman. However,
“sometimes the math itself is not so tough, but the challenge
is how to make it applicable to the real world,” he says.
Graduates of the program are well-prepared for the working world,
says Santosa. In addition to analytical prowess and mathematical
expertise, they possess strong teamwork and communications skills.
"They have an advantage in the job market,” he says.
The center's success has led Friedman and Santosa to expand their
programmatic offerings. Last year, they launched a program for undergraduates. Guided
by industrial and academic mentors, students in the new program
work in teams of three on yearlong industrial projects. The program
has been so successful that Friedman and Santosa are already working
to expand it to other four-year colleges in Minnesota.
Another new program offers courses in quantitative finance aimed
at bankers and other financial executives.
Outreach is also playing a larger role in the center's mission.
Santosa says he and his colleagues are working to educate the greater
community about the importance of mathematics.
"Part of our job is to get out there to convince people—
especially young people—that mathematics is relevant and important,”
he says.
Through its efforts to promote mathematics, the center is also
drawing national attention to itself.
According to Friedman, at least a half-dozen universities around
the country have begun implementing similar programs, including
Northeastern, Rice, and Utah State universities and the universities
of Colorado, Delaware, and Florida.
But Minnesota's program remains at the head of the pack, he says.
The program was ranked fourth in graduate studies in applied mathematics
in the 1999 U.S. News and World Report ranking of graduate programs,
and Friedman anticipates further growth in the years ahead.
"We haven't even begun to realize our potential,” he
says.
