USF :: Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Mathematics & Statistics

$Alt Text$

New major requirements to help students reach their goals

$Alt Text$

Structure of blood vessels in the brain.

$Alt Text$

Recent inductees to the Pi Mu Epsilon mathematics honor society

$Alt Text$

A biological information processing experiment

$Alt Text$

A 4-dimensional cone move

$Alt Text$

Professor Burgos helping students during office hours

$Alt Text$

Julia sets from Schwarz Reflections

Mathematics & Statistics

About
Contact
People
Undergraduate
Graduate Mathematics
Graduate Statistics
Research
Student Resources
Community Outreach
Links

Quick Links	News
Employment Opportunities Newsletter Colloquia Seminars Math Club Advising Permits Tutoring STEP Grant STEM Education Center Center for Complex Data Systems Center for Industrial and Interdisciplinary Mathematics Department Travel Request Purchase Request Form Mathematics & Statistics Events	2022 ASA Annual Florida Chapter Meeting 03/22 The annual meeting of the Florida chapter of the American Statistical Association (ASA) will be hosted by USF's Department of Mathematics & Statistics. The event will be held virtually on April 1-2. This meeting is intended to promote research innovation and applications of statistics and data sciences as well as engaging research activities and networking among local community members. More information about the program, registration, and abstract submission can be found at https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/conferences/asa2022/index.aspx. Dr. Lu and Dr. Ramachandran are the local coordinators of this meeting. Wen-Xiu Ma Named Highly-Cited Researcher for Seventh Consecutive Year 12/21 Professor Wen-Xiu Ma was selected for the Clarivate Analytics list of Highly Cited Researchers for the 7th consecutive year (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021). Highly Cited Researchers identifies the world's most influential contemporary researchers across 21 scientific fields. Over three thousand researchers earned the distinction by writing the greatest numbers of reports officially designated by Essential Science Indicators (ESI) as Highly Cited Papers — ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, earning them the mark of exceptional impact. Margherita Maria Ferrari Wins Grand Prize at Research Symposium 10/21 Margherita Maria Ferrari won the Grand Prize ($750) to use toward attendance at a future conference with her talk “Designing DNA Nanostructures”. The talk was presented at this year’s Postdoctoral Research Symposium, which was held (virtually on Teams) on September 24, 2021. Sponsored by the USF Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, this event brought together postdocs from all over campus to present their research to a broad audience in the form of quick 5-minute “lightning” talks. The goal of the symposium was to convey the scope and significance of the research in a concise, engaging manner without technical jargon. Dr. Ferrari is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department, and she works on mathematical models for DNA assembly and DNA-RNA interactions. She is part of the USF Math-Bio research group led by Drs. Nataša Jonoska and Masahico Saito, as well as a member of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology. N. Jonoska and a Collaborator Awarded Prestigious $1M Grant from W. M. Keck Foundation 07/21 Professor Nataša Jonoska from our department and Professor Francesca Storici from the Georgia Institute of Technology received a highly prestigious $1,000,000 research award from the W. M. Keck Foundation for research directed toward decrypting the hidden message of ribonucleotide incorporation in human nuclear DNA. Based in Los Angeles, the W. M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The Foundation’s grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research and science and engineering. The Foundation also supports undergraduate education and maintains a Southern California Grant Program that provides support for the Los Angeles community, with a special emphasis on children and youth. For more information, visit www.wmkeck.org. Giacomo Micheli and Jean-François Biasse Receive $500,000 NSF Grant 07/21 Professors Micheli (PI) and Biasse (Co-PI) were awarded a $500,000 research grant “SaTC: CORE: Small: Applications of Galois Theory to the Search for Non-Linear Functions” from the National Science Foundation. This project supports research on the construction of Almost Perfect Nonlinear functions that impact the design of the next generation of ciphers which will need to operate in constraint environments (lightweight cryptography), and feature large keys to offer high levels of bit security against quantum adversaries. Nataša Jonoska Recognized with Distinguished Teaching Award 07/21 The Florida section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has chosen Distinguished University Professor Nataša Jonoska for its annual award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. A list of past recipients, who are chosen for having “positively affected the students at their institution” can be found at the above link. Dr. Jonoska has worked with and mentored many undergraduate and graduate students at USF, each of whom can readily attest to the positive impact she has had on their lives. Scholars Recognized for Achievement 04/21 Alexander Mercier and Marissa Rozear have been chosen by the Faculty of USF’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics as the 2021 Florida Epsilon Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon Outstanding Scholars. The award recognizes academic excellence and dedication to mathematics and the awardees are chosen from USF’s graduating mathematics majors. Pi Mu Epsilon is the preeminent honorary mathematics society in the United States. USF’s Epsilon Chapter of PME was established in 1966 and its faculty advisor is Dr. Fernando Burgos. Wen-Xiu Ma Chosen to Lead New Journal 08/20 Professor Wen-Xiu Ma was appointed by Elsevier in March 2020 to serve as the first editor-in-chief of the journal Partial Differential Equations in Applied Mathematics. This new journal seeks to provide a platform for the rapid circulation of original research in applied mathematics and science that utilizes partial differential equations and related techniques. Abdulmelik Mohammed Awarded AMS-Simons Travel Grant 07/20 The AMS-Simons Travel Grants are administered by the American Mathematical Society with support from the Simons Foundation. Each grant provides an early-career mathematician with $2,500 per year for two years to be used for research-related travel. The grants program acknowledges the importance of research interaction and collaboration in mathematics, and aims to facilitate this for recent Ph.D. recipients. Dr. Mohammed is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department and works on discrete and topological models for biology. He is part of the USF Math-Bio research group led by Drs. Nataša Jonoska and Masahico Saito. Nagle Lecture: Network Architectures Supporting Learnability 02/20 Danielle Bassett, J. Peter Skirkanich Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will talk about how the structure of knowledge that we are learning, and how that knowledge is communicated, influences what we learn and how we learn it. This talk is directed to a general audience and open to the public. It will be on Thursday, March 12, at 7:30 pm, in CWY 206. *Unfortunately, this event has been CANCELLED.* Public Lecture: All You Need is Math 01/20 Jason Brown, Dalhousie professor of mathematics and amateur musician, will speak about the mathematics of sound waves, transitions between notes, chords, and rhythmic patterns, and how music affects us. The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be on February 17 on USF Tampa. It will be at 7:30 pm, in the Oak View Room in the IDR building on 3720 Spectrum Blvd. at USF Tampa. For more, click here. 11/22/19: Mathematics & Statistics Graduate Studies Information Session 11/19 We invite all students interested in learning more about graduate studies in Mathematics and Statistics to join us for an afternoon information session on Friday, November 22\(^{\mathrm{nd}}\), 2019 in the College of Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Complex (CMC). Check-in begins at 1:00 pm in CMC 122, and the program begins at 1:30 pm in CMC 130. While the focus will be on our own programs, we will share general insights into the graduate application process (from the perspective of admissions) that will be of value to anyone considering graduate studies. All students are welcome to attend. A copy of the brochure can be found here. USF Math Student Awarded Goldwater Scholarship 06/19 USF junior Keller Blackwell was one of two students at USF to receive a Barry Goldwater Scholarship. There were 496 recipients nationwide, thirteen in Florida. Mr. Blackwell is majoring in mathematics, is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon honor society in mathematics, and last month received the Pi Mu Epsilon Outstanding Scholar Award from the USF Chapter. He is working on projects concerning geometric partial differential equations with Professor Thomas Bieske and Dr. Diego Ricciotti, a postdoctoral scholar at USF. He is also working on personal data protection with Professor Gretchen Matthews at Virginia Tech on a program initiated last year in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program on “Coding, Cryptography and Number Theory” at Clemson University. USF Launches Award-Winning Student 06/19 Roshan Warman, a senior at the Academy at the Lakes High School, was enrolled for four years in the Mathematics dual-enrollment program at the University of South Florida. He earned fellowships from some of the highest ranked colleges world-wide. Columbia University awarded him the prestigious Rabi Scholarship, reserved for a small number of incoming first-year Columbia college students who demonstrate exceptional promise in the sciences. As a student in the STEM for Scholars program at USF, he began work on an impressive research project under the mentorship of Professors Manoug Manougian and Razvan Teodorescu, and under Yibo Gao at MIT (RIS Summer 2018 Program). Roshan Warman is a multi-time first-prize winner at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair, a finalist at the Intel ISEF, and the recipient of the 2016 Ky Fan American Mathematical Society Award. Roshan has chosen to enroll as an undergraduate in Mathematics at Yale University starting in the Fall 2019. Jean-François Biasse Receives NSF CAREER Award 04/19 Jean-François Biasse received an NSF CAREER award of $450,000 over 5 years to work on the search for short vectors in ideal lattices. This mathematical problem is important to post-quantum cryptography because its hardness would guarantee the security of the most promising proposals for quantum resistant public-key schemes. This project investigates the potential weaknesses induced by the algebraic structure surrounding ideal lattices. This award also contains a strong outreach component, with the support for a Cybersecurity Summer camp for K-12 students in partnership with the USF Whitehatter Computer Security Club. Jean-François Biasse Awarded FC\(^2\) Capacity Building Grant 04/19 Jean-François Biasse received an FC\(^2\) Capacity Building award of $75,000 over 1 year to work in collaboration with Rainer Steinwandt (FAU) on the design of online modules for emerging topics in cryptography. The proposed modules consists in three online mini-courses (1-2 credits each) on Blockchain technology, Post-Quantum Cryptography, and Quantum Cryptography. The award will also support events to promote the participation of under-represented groups in the field of cryptography, with a particular emphasis on the engagement of female students. In Memoriam: Stephen (Wai Cheung) Suen 02/19 The Department lost a good friend and colleague on February 6, 2019, with the passing of Stephen Suen. Stephen came to USF in 1993 and retired in 2016. For the two years immediately preceding his retirement, he served as associate chair of the department. Stephen will be remembered by his former students as a caring and effective instructor who worked tirelessly to improve their understanding of mathematics. His research focused on applying probabilistic methods to solve problems in combinatorics and he was one of only 511 mathematicians worldwide to have an Erdös number of 1. Stephen is survived by his two sons, Daniel and Johann. Graduate Program Open House March 1st and 2nd 02/19 The Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host a Graduate Program Open House on March 1st and 2nd for those considering USF for graduate studies. We will answer questions about our programs, discuss research areas, and leave time for interaction with faculty and current students. Those wishing to learn more about the open house should contact Professor Brian Curtin. The schedule of events can be found here. Manoug Manougian Receives Florida Space Grant Consortium Award 12/18 Professor Manoug Manougian is the recipient of the 2018/19 NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium's $1,000 award. The funds will support the USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry. Recently, Manoug was interviewed by CNN-International concerning his space program in the early 1960s at Haigazian University in Beirut, where he taught Math and Physics and initiated the Lebanese Rocket Society. During the period 1961–1966, he and his students produced and successfully launched twelve one-, two- and three-stage rockets. Three of these crossed the Karman Line. In February 2018, CNN International aired the interview throughout the Middle East and beyond. Lu Lu awarded $420K Air Force Grant as a CO-PI 10/18 Lu Lu (co-PI, Math&Stat) and Jiangfeng Zhou (PI, Physics) have received a three year $419,000 grant from Air Force Office of Scientific Research for a project titled “Reversibly Reconfigurable 3D Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices by Magnetically Programmable Polymeric Composites”. The project will develop reconfigurable metasurface photonic devices using magnetically programmable polymeric composites to actively control the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light. Statistical experimental design, analysis and machine learning methods will be used to understand the device structure, predict and optimize the metasurface performance. This grant involves interdisciplinary collaboration and will support graduate students from both departments. N. Jonoska and M. Saito Awarded $1.1M NSF Collaborative Grant 10/18 Nataša Jonoska (PI) and Masahiko Saito (co-PI) have received a three-year $1.1M collaborative research grant from NSF for a project titled “Collaborative Research: Discrete and Topological Models for Template-Guided Genome Rearrangements”. The total of $529,683 is awarded directly to support research activities at USF. This project, a collaboration between Columbia University in New York and University of South Florida, seeks to advance our understanding of template-guided genome rearrangement. Through use of high-throughput experimental tools and novel mathematical concepts based on knot theory and discrete mathematics, the project will gain temporal and structural insight into the process of programmed genome reorganization. The project will impact postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate education in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at the partner institutions. Theodore Molla Awarded NSF Grant 08/18 Theodore Molla has received a three-year $114,000 grant from NSF for a project titled “Factors in Graphs and Related Combinatorial Structures”. This project's main focus is on optimizing local conditions that force a specific global structure in graphs, directed graphs, and hypergraphs. This work has a significant intersection with computer science and will explore novel algorithmic approaches using probabilistic absorbing techniques and regularity methods. Dr. Molla is our newest tenure-track hire and came to our department in Fall 2017. Jean-François Biasse Awarded NSF EAGER Grant 08/18 Jean-François Biasse has received a two-year $216,000 grant from NSF for a project titled “EAGER: Quantum-Safe Cryptosystems Based on Isogenies”. This award will support Dr. Biasse’s research into the security of a new family of cryptosystems based on a mathematical structure called isogenies of elliptic curves. The research will also include the development of new isogeny-based protocols, analysis of the hardness of the task of finding isogenies and identification of an appropriate size for keys that keep users out of the reach of quantum attacks. Nataša Jonoska Co-PI on $10M NSF–Simons Grant 07/18 Nataša Jonoska became a Co-PI for the $10M NSF–Simons Research Center for the Mathematics of Computational Biological Systems headquartered at Georgia Tech. The goal of the center is to enable innovative collaborative research at the intersection of mathematics and molecular, cellular and organismal biology, to establish new connections between these two disciplines, and to promote interdisciplinary education and workforce training. The center is one of four NSF–Simons Research Centers for Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems. The other three are based at Harvard University, at the University of California, Irvine, and at Northwestern University. Congratulations, Nataša, on this major interdisciplinary grant! Jean-François Biasse Awarded FC\(^2\) Grant 07/18 Jean-François Biasse has received a one-year $75,000 grant from the Florida Center for Cybersecurity for a project titled “Quantum-Resistant Zero-Knowledge Proofs Applied to Anonymity-Preserving Data Collection and Anonymous Cryptocurrencies.” The project is in collaboration with Reza Azarderakhsh of Florida Atlantic University and pertains to the design of cryptographic protocols for collecting users' data and managing blockchain transactions that provably protect anonymity, with a focus on quantum-safe solutions to these problems. Congratulations Spring 2018 B.A. and M.A. Graduates 06/18 The following students received B.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Spring 2018: Ashley Bishop, Byron Brane (summa cum laude), Jackie Brock, Thomas Brown, Jessica Caggiano, Anthony Curtis (summa cum laude), Brandon Des Jardins (magna cum laude), Austin Dukes, Quennon Ewing, Kenneth Hagush (cum laude), Nathan Hayford (magna cum laude), Marshall Hess (summa cum laude), Kyle Houfek (summa cum laude), Danielle Kozlovsky, Daniel Le Zotte, Angelica Gabrielle Lim (magna cum laude), Heng Liu, Deja Miller, Brad Mostowski (magna cum laude), Luc Olivier (magna cum laude), Kayla Pratt (cum laude), Kevin Robinson, Travis Staton (cum laude), Timothy Stone, Michelle Tapia, Patrice Tinde and Jacob Zepp. The following students received M.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Spring 2018: Sameer Anand, Scott Grizzard, Mehrez Hannachi, Ruizhe Hou, David Kotschessa Almodivar, Jackie Pham, Minh Pham, Katharine Williams and Jaiwei Yang. Congratulations! In Memoriam: Jogindar S. (Jogi) Ratti 05/18 We mourn the passing of Jogindar (Jogi) Ratti, Ph.D. who joined the math faculty at USF in 1967 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor in 1969. He served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics from 1969-72. Jogi was an active member of the math faculty until his sudden passing on March 1st, having delivered his last lecture the previous day. Jogi’s name will be recalled by countless USF students from the past decade as a co-author of the textbook used for courses in college algebra and precalculus. He will be remembered for his tireless work ethic and his desire to be an effective educator. R. Kent Nagle Scholarship Awarded 04/18 At the Department of Mathematics and Statistics' annual Nagle lecture on April 12th, undergraduate student Audrey Rose Blanco was awarded the R. Kent Nagle Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 1999 in memory of Professor R. Kent Nagle. Audrey is pursuing a B.A. in Pure Mathematics and aspires to become a college professor of mathematics. Mrs. Sandra Nagle and her son, Jeffrey, were also on hand to celebrate the occasion. Wen-Xiu Ma Receives 2018 Outstanding Faculty Award 05/18 Wen-Xiu Ma, Ph.D., received the University of South Florida Outstanding Faculty Award in recognition of his accomplishments as a highly-cited researcher on transformative topics ranging from mathematical physics via applied mathematics to nonlinear sciences. The ceremony was held on March 22nd. USF Florida Epsilon Chapter of the Pi Mu Epsilon Update 05/18 The USF Florida Epsilon Chapter of the Pi Mu Epsilon honor society celebrated its 52nd anniversary by inducting fourteen new society members at its 2018 PME Induction Banquet on April 20th. The new inductees were Nathan Arnold, Keller Blackwell, Raymond Center, Sabrina Downing, Mohammad Foroutanyazdian, Carlos Gonzalez, Fahim Hoq, Tanmay J. Kotha, Willie McClinton, Alexander McClure, Justin Mohr, Antonino Travia, Loukas Vogiatzis, and Emaan Wajid. All of them were recognized and presented with membership certificates at the Banquet. The keynote speaker was Brian Curtin, Ph.D., with the presentation “A Gear Model for Modular Math”. Department to Host Zassenhaus Conference 02/18 The 2018 Zassenhaus Groups and Friends Conference was held on April 6-8, 2018. Congratulations Fall 2017 B.A. Graduates 01/18 The following students received B.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Fall 2017: Kellyn Brimner, Brianna Campbell, Brett Carpenter, Brandy Carr, Melissa Clark, April Draper, Andre Huaman, Malaika Kunle, Fredrick Lai, Kee Lee, Ryan Mack, James Mark, Party Mehra, Lawrence Miley, Silas Potter, Ryan Rodriguez, Davit Shevardnadze, Daniel Siebel-Cortopassi, Cole Sofsky, Vincent Stephensjr, Joshua Witte, Erinn Wolf, Haoyu Yin, and Tianbo Zhang. Congratulations! AMS Graduate Student Chapter Awarded 12/17 The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of South Florida has been awarded a Graduate Student Chapter of the American Mathematical Society (AMS). The chapter will receive $500 annual support from the AMS for activities. Congratulations to founding officers Daniel Cruz, Maryam Bagherian, Scott Grizzard, Emanuele Zappala, and Jasper Braun, as well as the many other founding members who contributed to the application. Their efforts are much appreciated. Jean-François Biasse Awarded $500K NIST Grant 07/17 Jean-François Biasse has received a 3 year $500k NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) award for a project titled “Tools for the Standardization of Post-Quantum Cryptography”. This research project pertains to lattice-based cryptography and he will develop mathematical and computational tools to help NIST in the standardization of the next generation of encryption schemes which will feature resistance from the attacks of quantum computers. This is a highly-collaborative project with FAU. Brendan Nagle Receives $155K NSF Award 07/17 Brendan Nagle has received a 3-year $155k NSF award for a project titled “Applications and Theory of the Algorithmic Hypergraph Regularity Method”. The goal of the project is to investigate and develop constructive methods to solve packings, colorings and property testing of hypergraphs problems based on regularity lemma. This is a continuation of the previous NSF grant. Danielyan, Shen and Khavinson Awarded $42K Simons Grants 07/17 Arthur Danielyan, Dan Shen and Dima Khavinson were each awarded a $42,000 collaborative grant over 5 years from the Simons Foundation. The projects are titled “Some Approximation Problems of Complex Analysis and Related Questions”, “Dimension Reduction for Big Data Analysis” and “Problems in Complex Analysis and Applications”, respectively. Dima Khavinson and Razvan Teodorescu Assume Leadership of Mathematics Journal 1/17 In 2017, Dima Khavinson and Razvan Teodorescu will become Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor, respectively, for “Analysis and Mathematical Physics”, a Birkhäuser journal (subsidiary of the Springer-Nature group). Established in 2010, the journal features a world-class Editorial Board and publishes current research results as well as selected high-quality survey articles in real, complex, harmonic, and geometric analysis originating and or having applications in mathematical physics. The journal promotes dialog among specialists in these areas. The journal is indexed by the AMS MathSciNet and the EMS Zentralblatt and has an impact factor of 0.583. USF Rocket Club SOARs Under Manougian's Guidance 10/16 The Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry (SOAR), a student organization at USF with Professor Manougian Manougian as faculty advisor, was recently invited to participate in the 2016–2017 Hybrid Motor Rocket competition sponsored by NASA. This is the second statewide competition, and last year they entered a national competition. They have won awards. Funds have been provided by NASA. Membership in the Society has soared (no pun intended) to well over 140 students. Jean-François Biasse Awarded Simons Grant 9/16 Dr. Jean-François Biasse was awarded a $35,000 collaborative grant over 5 years from the Simons Foundation. The project is titled “Algorithms in Number Theory, Quantum Information, and Cryptography” and its goal is to investigate algorithms for solving computational problems in number theory and to find quantum-resistant cryptographic schemes to replace the existing ones (which do not feature quantum-safety). Kaiqi Xiong Awarded a Series of BBN/NSF Grants 9/16 Dr. Kaiqi Xiong has received several NSF and BBN/NSF grants in cybersecurity research and education totalling approximately $750,000. The topics of his funded projects include: computer security and networking with applications to smartphones, cloud computing, power grids, user behavior analytics with social sciences, and emergency response. Vilmos Totik Awarded $100,000 Grant 9/16 Professor Vilmos Totik has received a three-year (100k) NSF award for a project titled “Polynomial Inequalities and Applications”. This research project concerns mathematical analysis, in particular in approximation theory, orthogonal polynomials, and potential theory. Vilmos Totik has an amazing success rate with NSF having been supported continuously for the last 25 years. Evguenii Rakhmanov Paper on the “Most Influential” List 9/16 Professor Evguenii Rakhmanov published a paper “Equilibrium Distributions and Degree of Rational Approximation of Analytic Functions” which has been chosen among the most influential works to have been published in the journal Sbornik: Mathematics in 1967–2015. (Sbornik: Mathematics is the oldest Russian mathematical journal, in publication since 1866.) Only 30 papers were chosen for this distinction. Manoug Manougian Receives Kosove Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Service Award 12/15 Professor Manoug Manougian received the Kosove Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Service Award at the Faculty Honors and Awards Reception on November 9, 2015. The award is bestowed by the USF Faculty Senate and recognizes exemplary teaching and service that supports the Kosove Society goals. The Kosove Society aims “to promote individual and collective social responsibility, societal change for the betterment of humanity, participation in academic disclosure; the principles of diversity and cohesiveness in the community; and the development of leadership skills.” Vilmos Totik Named AMS Fellow 11/15 Professor Vilmos Totik was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He was recognized “For contributions to classical analysis and approximation theory and for exposition”. The Fellows of the American Mathematical Society program recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics. Professor Totik is the first faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to achieve this distinction. Nataša Jonoska is one of USF's Outstanding Researchers 08/15 Professor Nataša Jonoska has received a 2015 Outstanding Research Achievement Award (ORAA). The annual awards are part of an open competition, judged by the USF System Research Council, to highlight professional acclaim received by the recipients from their national and international peers for their research. The 2015 award further recognizes faculty who have received truly exceptional recognition with preeminent awards, grants, or publications in top journals during the 2014 calendar year. Nataša Jonoska Awarded $200,000 Grant 07/15 Nataša Jonoska was awarded a $200,000 collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation in the area of molecular programming. The goal of the project is to develop a methodology for environmental control within the DNA self-assembly process to direct molecular interactions in a preprogrammed manner. This will enable self-assembly of a variety of preprogrammed molecular shapes from the same set of building blocks, which can then serve as scaffolds for nanoelectronic components. The title of the project is “AF: Small:Collaborative Research: Programmed Cyclic Molecular Dancing on 2D Origami Lattices” and is in collaboration with chemist Dr. Nadrian Seeman from New York University. Gangaram S. Ladde Awarded $424,000 Grant 05/15 Gangaram S. Ladde was awarded a $424,000 three-year grant from the U.S. Army Research Office in Stochastic Modeling. The title of the project is “Network-Centric Stochastic Hybrid Dynamic Time-Event Process Modeling, Methods And Analysis”. The grant includes a Post-Doc position and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) components. Nataša Jonoska Named AAAS Fellow 11/24 Nataša Jonoska is one of five USF faculty members to be named as a 2014 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers as recognition of their efforts to advance science or its applications. Dr. Jonoska is being honored as part of the Mathematics section for her distinguished contributions to theoretical analysis and experimental verifications in nanoscience, particularly for advancements in understanding information processing in molecular self-assembly. Nataša Jonoska Awarded $2 million Grant from the NIH 9/14 Nataša Jonoska was awarded a $2 million five-year grant by the National Institutes of Health for her proposal RNA-guided Rearrangements: Experiments Coupled with Discrete Models. Her Co-Principle Investigators are Masahico Saito of our department and L. F. Landweber of Princeton University's Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Seung-Yeop Lee and Dmytro Savchuk Awarded Simons Grants 9/14 Seung-Yeop Lee and Dmytro Savchuk each were awarded Collaboration Grants for Mathematicians. Each will receive a five-year $35,000 grant from the Simons Foundation.

Quick Links

News

Employment Opportunities

Newsletter

Colloquia
Seminars
Math Club

Advising
Permits
Tutoring

STEP Grant
STEM Education Center
Center for Complex Data Systems
Center for Industrial and Interdisciplinary Mathematics

Department Travel Request
Purchase Request Form

Mathematics & Statistics Events

2022 ASA Annual Florida Chapter Meeting
03/22

The annual meeting of the Florida chapter of the American Statistical Association (ASA) will be hosted by USF's Department of Mathematics & Statistics. The event will be held virtually on April 1-2. This meeting is intended to promote research innovation and applications of statistics and data sciences as well as engaging research activities and networking among local community members. More information about the program, registration, and abstract submission can be found at https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/conferences/asa2022/index.aspx. Dr. Lu and Dr. Ramachandran are the local coordinators of this meeting.

Wen-Xiu Ma Named Highly-Cited Researcher for Seventh Consecutive Year
12/21

Professor Wen-Xiu Ma was selected for the Clarivate Analytics list of Highly Cited Researchers for the 7th consecutive year (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021). Highly Cited Researchers identifies the world's most influential contemporary researchers across 21 scientific fields. Over three thousand researchers earned the distinction by writing the greatest numbers of reports officially designated by Essential Science Indicators (ESI) as Highly Cited Papers — ranking among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication, earning them the mark of exceptional impact.

Margherita Maria Ferrari Wins Grand Prize at Research Symposium
10/21

Margherita Maria Ferrari won the Grand Prize ($750) to use toward attendance at a future conference with her talk “Designing DNA Nanostructures”. The talk was presented at this year’s Postdoctoral Research Symposium, which was held (virtually on Teams) on September 24, 2021.

Sponsored by the USF Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, this event brought together postdocs from all over campus to present their research to a broad audience in the form of quick 5-minute “lightning” talks. The goal of the symposium was to convey the scope and significance of the research in a concise, engaging manner without technical jargon.

Dr. Ferrari is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department, and she works on mathematical models for DNA assembly and DNA-RNA interactions. She is part of the USF Math-Bio research group led by Drs. Nataša Jonoska and Masahico Saito, as well as a member of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology.

N. Jonoska and a Collaborator Awarded Prestigious $1M Grant from W. M. Keck Foundation
07/21

Professor Nataša Jonoska from our department and Professor Francesca Storici from the Georgia Institute of Technology received a highly prestigious $1,000,000 research award from the W. M. Keck Foundation for research directed toward decrypting the hidden message of ribonucleotide incorporation in human nuclear DNA.

Based in Los Angeles, the W. M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The Foundation’s grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research and science and engineering. The Foundation also supports undergraduate education and maintains a Southern California Grant Program that provides support for the Los Angeles community, with a special emphasis on children and youth. For more information, visit www.wmkeck.org.

Giacomo Micheli and Jean-François Biasse Receive $500,000 NSF Grant
07/21

Professors Micheli (PI) and Biasse (Co-PI) were awarded a $500,000 research grant “SaTC: CORE: Small: Applications of Galois Theory to the Search for Non-Linear Functions” from the National Science Foundation.

This project supports research on the construction of Almost Perfect Nonlinear functions that impact the design of the next generation of ciphers which will need to operate in constraint environments (lightweight cryptography), and feature large keys to offer high levels of bit security against quantum adversaries.

Nataša Jonoska Recognized with Distinguished Teaching Award
07/21

The Florida section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has chosen Distinguished University Professor Nataša Jonoska for its annual award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. A list of past recipients, who are chosen for having “positively affected the students at their institution” can be found at the above link. Dr. Jonoska has worked with and mentored many undergraduate and graduate students at USF, each of whom can readily attest to the positive impact she has had on their lives.

Scholars Recognized for Achievement
04/21

Alexander Mercier and Marissa Rozear have been chosen by the Faculty of USF’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics as the 2021 Florida Epsilon Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon Outstanding Scholars. The award recognizes academic excellence and dedication to mathematics and the awardees are chosen from USF’s graduating mathematics majors.

Pi Mu Epsilon is the preeminent honorary mathematics society in the United States. USF’s Epsilon Chapter of PME was established in 1966 and its faculty advisor is Dr. Fernando Burgos.

Wen-Xiu Ma Chosen to Lead New Journal
08/20

Professor Wen-Xiu Ma was appointed by Elsevier in March 2020 to serve as the first editor-in-chief of the journal Partial Differential Equations in Applied Mathematics. This new journal seeks to provide a platform for the rapid circulation of original research in applied mathematics and science that utilizes partial differential equations and related techniques.

Abdulmelik Mohammed Awarded AMS-Simons Travel Grant
07/20

The AMS-Simons Travel Grants are administered by the American Mathematical Society with support from the Simons Foundation. Each grant provides an early-career mathematician with $2,500 per year for two years to be used for research-related travel. The grants program acknowledges the importance of research interaction and collaboration in mathematics, and aims to facilitate this for recent Ph.D. recipients.

Dr. Mohammed is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Department and works on discrete and topological models for biology. He is part of the USF Math-Bio research group led by Drs. Nataša Jonoska and Masahico Saito.

Nagle Lecture: Network Architectures Supporting Learnability
02/20

Danielle Bassett, J. Peter Skirkanich Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will talk about how the structure of knowledge that we are learning, and how that knowledge is communicated, influences what we learn and how we learn it. This talk is directed to a general audience and open to the public. It will be on Thursday, March 12, at 7:30 pm, in CWY 206. Unfortunately, this event has been CANCELLED.

Public Lecture: All You Need is Math
01/20

Jason Brown, Dalhousie professor of mathematics and amateur musician, will speak about the mathematics of sound waves, transitions between notes, chords, and rhythmic patterns, and how music affects us. The presentation is free and open to the public, and will be on February 17 on USF Tampa. It will be at 7:30 pm, in the Oak View Room in the IDR building on 3720 Spectrum Blvd. at USF Tampa. For more, click here.

11/22/19: Mathematics & Statistics Graduate Studies Information Session
11/19

We invite all students interested in learning more about graduate studies in Mathematics and Statistics to join us for an afternoon information session on Friday, November 22$^{\mathrm{nd}}$, 2019 in the College of Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Complex (CMC). Check-in begins at 1:00 pm in CMC 122, and the program begins at 1:30 pm in CMC 130. While the focus will be on our own programs, we will share general insights into the graduate application process (from the perspective of admissions) that will be of value to anyone considering graduate studies. All students are welcome to attend. A copy of the brochure can be found here.

USF Math Student Awarded Goldwater Scholarship
06/19

USF junior Keller Blackwell was one of two students at USF to receive a Barry Goldwater Scholarship. There were 496 recipients nationwide, thirteen in Florida. Mr. Blackwell is majoring in mathematics, is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon honor society in mathematics, and last month received the Pi Mu Epsilon Outstanding Scholar Award from the USF Chapter. He is working on projects concerning geometric partial differential equations with Professor Thomas Bieske and Dr. Diego Ricciotti, a postdoctoral scholar at USF. He is also working on personal data protection with Professor Gretchen Matthews at Virginia Tech on a program initiated last year in an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program on “Coding, Cryptography and Number Theory” at Clemson University.

USF Launches Award-Winning Student
06/19

Roshan Warman, a senior at the Academy at the Lakes High School, was enrolled for four years in the Mathematics dual-enrollment program at the University of South Florida. He earned fellowships from some of the highest ranked colleges world-wide. Columbia University awarded him the prestigious Rabi Scholarship, reserved for a small number of incoming first-year Columbia college students who demonstrate exceptional promise in the sciences. As a student in the STEM for Scholars program at USF, he began work on an impressive research project under the mentorship of Professors Manoug Manougian and Razvan Teodorescu, and under Yibo Gao at MIT (RIS Summer 2018 Program). Roshan Warman is a multi-time first-prize winner at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair, a finalist at the Intel ISEF, and the recipient of the 2016 Ky Fan American Mathematical Society Award. Roshan has chosen to enroll as an undergraduate in Mathematics at Yale University starting in the Fall 2019.

Jean-François Biasse Receives NSF CAREER Award
04/19

Jean-François Biasse received an NSF CAREER award of $450,000 over 5 years to work on the search for short vectors in ideal lattices. This mathematical problem is important to post-quantum cryptography because its hardness would guarantee the security of the most promising proposals for quantum resistant public-key schemes. This project investigates the potential weaknesses induced by the algebraic structure surrounding ideal lattices. This award also contains a strong outreach component, with the support for a Cybersecurity Summer camp for K-12 students in partnership with the USF Whitehatter Computer Security Club.

Jean-François Biasse Awarded FC$^2$ Capacity Building Grant
04/19

Jean-François Biasse received an FC$^2$ Capacity Building award of $75,000 over 1 year to work in collaboration with Rainer Steinwandt (FAU) on the design of online modules for emerging topics in cryptography. The proposed modules consists in three online mini-courses (1-2 credits each) on Blockchain technology, Post-Quantum Cryptography, and Quantum Cryptography. The award will also support events to promote the participation of under-represented groups in the field of cryptography, with a particular emphasis on the engagement of female students.

In Memoriam: Stephen (Wai Cheung) Suen
02/19

The Department lost a good friend and colleague on February 6, 2019, with the passing of Stephen Suen. Stephen came to USF in 1993 and retired in 2016. For the two years immediately preceding his retirement, he served as associate chair of the department. Stephen will be remembered by his former students as a caring and effective instructor who worked tirelessly to improve their understanding of mathematics. His research focused on applying probabilistic methods to solve problems in combinatorics and he was one of only 511 mathematicians worldwide to have an Erdös number of 1. Stephen is survived by his two sons, Daniel and Johann.

Graduate Program Open House March 1st and 2nd
02/19

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics will host a Graduate Program Open House on March 1st and 2nd for those considering USF for graduate studies. We will answer questions about our programs, discuss research areas, and leave time for interaction with faculty and current students. Those wishing to learn more about the open house should contact Professor Brian Curtin. The schedule of events can be found here.

Manoug Manougian Receives Florida Space Grant Consortium Award
12/18

Professor Manoug Manougian is the recipient of the 2018/19 NASA-sponsored Florida Space Grant Consortium's $1,000 award. The funds will support the USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry. Recently, Manoug was interviewed by CNN-International concerning his space program in the early 1960s at Haigazian University in Beirut, where he taught Math and Physics and initiated the Lebanese Rocket Society. During the period 1961–1966, he and his students produced and successfully launched twelve one-, two- and three-stage rockets. Three of these crossed the Karman Line. In February 2018, CNN International aired the interview throughout the Middle East and beyond.

Lu Lu awarded $420K Air Force Grant as a CO-PI
10/18

Lu Lu (co-PI, Math&Stat) and Jiangfeng Zhou (PI, Physics) have received a three year $419,000 grant from Air Force Office of Scientific Research for a project titled “Reversibly Reconfigurable 3D Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices by Magnetically Programmable Polymeric Composites”.

The project will develop reconfigurable metasurface photonic devices using magnetically programmable polymeric composites to actively control the phase, amplitude, and polarization of light. Statistical experimental design, analysis and machine learning methods will be used to understand the device structure, predict and optimize the metasurface performance. This grant involves interdisciplinary collaboration and will support graduate students from both departments.

N. Jonoska and M. Saito Awarded $1.1M NSF Collaborative Grant
10/18

Nataša Jonoska (PI) and Masahiko Saito (co-PI) have received a three-year $1.1M collaborative research grant from NSF for a project titled “Collaborative Research: Discrete and Topological Models for Template-Guided Genome Rearrangements”. The total of $529,683 is awarded directly to support research activities at USF.

This project, a collaboration between Columbia University in New York and University of South Florida, seeks to advance our understanding of template-guided genome rearrangement. Through use of high-throughput experimental tools and novel mathematical concepts based on knot theory and discrete mathematics, the project will gain temporal and structural insight into the process of programmed genome reorganization. The project will impact postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate education in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at the partner institutions.

Theodore Molla Awarded NSF Grant
08/18

Theodore Molla has received a three-year $114,000 grant from NSF for a project titled “Factors in Graphs and Related Combinatorial Structures”. This project's main focus is on optimizing local conditions that force a specific global structure in graphs, directed graphs, and hypergraphs. This work has a significant intersection with computer science and will explore novel algorithmic approaches using probabilistic absorbing techniques and regularity methods. Dr. Molla is our newest tenure-track hire and came to our department in Fall 2017.

Jean-François Biasse Awarded NSF EAGER Grant
08/18

Jean-François Biasse has received a two-year $216,000 grant from NSF for a project titled “EAGER: Quantum-Safe Cryptosystems Based on Isogenies”. This award will support Dr. Biasse’s research into the security of a new family of cryptosystems based on a mathematical structure called isogenies of elliptic curves. The research will also include the development of new isogeny-based protocols, analysis of the hardness of the task of finding isogenies and identification of an appropriate size for keys that keep users out of the reach of quantum attacks.

Nataša Jonoska Co-PI on $10M NSF–Simons Grant
07/18

Nataša Jonoska became a Co-PI for the $10M NSF–Simons Research Center for the Mathematics of Computational Biological Systems headquartered at Georgia Tech. The goal of the center is to enable innovative collaborative research at the intersection of mathematics and molecular, cellular and organismal biology, to establish new connections between these two disciplines, and to promote interdisciplinary education and workforce training. The center is one of four NSF–Simons Research Centers for Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems. The other three are based at Harvard University, at the University of California, Irvine, and at Northwestern University. Congratulations, Nataša, on this major interdisciplinary grant!

Jean-François Biasse Awarded FC$^2$ Grant
07/18

Jean-François Biasse has received a one-year $75,000 grant from the Florida Center for Cybersecurity for a project titled “Quantum-Resistant Zero-Knowledge Proofs Applied to Anonymity-Preserving Data Collection and Anonymous Cryptocurrencies.” The project is in collaboration with Reza Azarderakhsh of Florida Atlantic University and pertains to the design of cryptographic protocols for collecting users' data and managing blockchain transactions that provably protect anonymity, with a focus on quantum-safe solutions to these problems.

Congratulations Spring 2018 B.A. and M.A. Graduates
06/18

The following students received B.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Spring 2018: Ashley Bishop, Byron Brane (summa cum laude), Jackie Brock, Thomas Brown, Jessica Caggiano, Anthony Curtis (summa cum laude), Brandon Des Jardins (magna cum laude), Austin Dukes, Quennon Ewing, Kenneth Hagush (cum laude), Nathan Hayford (magna cum laude), Marshall Hess (summa cum laude), Kyle Houfek (summa cum laude), Danielle Kozlovsky, Daniel Le Zotte, Angelica Gabrielle Lim (magna cum laude), Heng Liu, Deja Miller, Brad Mostowski (magna cum laude), Luc Olivier (magna cum laude), Kayla Pratt (cum laude), Kevin Robinson, Travis Staton (cum laude), Timothy Stone, Michelle Tapia, Patrice Tinde and Jacob Zepp.

The following students received M.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Spring 2018: Sameer Anand, Scott Grizzard, Mehrez Hannachi, Ruizhe Hou, David Kotschessa Almodivar, Jackie Pham, Minh Pham, Katharine Williams and Jaiwei Yang. Congratulations!

In Memoriam: Jogindar S. (Jogi) Ratti
05/18

We mourn the passing of Jogindar (Jogi) Ratti, Ph.D. who joined the math faculty at USF in 1967 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor in 1969. He served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics from 1969-72. Jogi was an active member of the math faculty until his sudden passing on March 1st, having delivered his last lecture the previous day. Jogi’s name will be recalled by countless USF students from the past decade as a co-author of the textbook used for courses in college algebra and precalculus. He will be remembered for his tireless work ethic and his desire to be an effective educator.

R. Kent Nagle Scholarship Awarded
04/18

At the Department of Mathematics and Statistics' annual Nagle lecture on April 12th, undergraduate student Audrey Rose Blanco was awarded the R. Kent Nagle Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 1999 in memory of Professor R. Kent Nagle. Audrey is pursuing a B.A. in Pure Mathematics and aspires to become a college professor of mathematics. Mrs. Sandra Nagle and her son, Jeffrey, were also on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Wen-Xiu Ma Receives 2018 Outstanding Faculty Award
05/18

Wen-Xiu Ma, Ph.D., received the University of South Florida Outstanding Faculty Award in recognition of his accomplishments as a highly-cited researcher on transformative topics ranging from mathematical physics via applied mathematics to nonlinear sciences. The ceremony was held on March 22nd.

USF Florida Epsilon Chapter of the Pi Mu Epsilon Update
05/18

The USF Florida Epsilon Chapter of the Pi Mu Epsilon honor society celebrated its 52nd anniversary by inducting fourteen new society members at its 2018 PME Induction Banquet on April 20th. The new inductees were Nathan Arnold, Keller Blackwell, Raymond Center, Sabrina Downing, Mohammad Foroutanyazdian, Carlos Gonzalez, Fahim Hoq, Tanmay J. Kotha, Willie McClinton, Alexander McClure, Justin Mohr, Antonino Travia, Loukas Vogiatzis, and Emaan Wajid. All of them were recognized and presented with membership certificates at the Banquet. The keynote speaker was Brian Curtin, Ph.D., with the presentation “A Gear Model for Modular Math”.

Department to Host Zassenhaus Conference
02/18

The 2018 Zassenhaus Groups and Friends Conference was held on April 6-8, 2018.

Congratulations Fall 2017 B.A. Graduates
01/18

The following students received B.A. degrees in Mathematics or Statistics in Fall 2017: Kellyn Brimner, Brianna Campbell, Brett Carpenter, Brandy Carr, Melissa Clark, April Draper, Andre Huaman, Malaika Kunle, Fredrick Lai, Kee Lee, Ryan Mack, James Mark, Party Mehra, Lawrence Miley, Silas Potter, Ryan Rodriguez, Davit Shevardnadze, Daniel Siebel-Cortopassi, Cole Sofsky, Vincent Stephensjr, Joshua Witte, Erinn Wolf, Haoyu Yin, and Tianbo Zhang. Congratulations!

AMS Graduate Student Chapter Awarded
12/17

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of South Florida has been awarded a Graduate Student Chapter of the American Mathematical Society (AMS). The chapter will receive $500 annual support from the AMS for activities. Congratulations to founding officers Daniel Cruz, Maryam Bagherian, Scott Grizzard, Emanuele Zappala, and Jasper Braun, as well as the many other founding members who contributed to the application. Their efforts are much appreciated.

Jean-François Biasse Awarded $500K NIST Grant
07/17

Jean-François Biasse has received a 3 year $500k NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) award for a project titled “Tools for the Standardization of Post-Quantum Cryptography”. This research project pertains to lattice-based cryptography and he will develop mathematical and computational tools to help NIST in the standardization of the next generation of encryption schemes which will feature resistance from the attacks of quantum computers. This is a highly-collaborative project with FAU.

Brendan Nagle Receives $155K NSF Award
07/17

Brendan Nagle has received a 3-year $155k NSF award for a project titled “Applications and Theory of the Algorithmic Hypergraph Regularity Method”. The goal of the project is to investigate and develop constructive methods to solve packings, colorings and property testing of hypergraphs problems based on regularity lemma. This is a continuation of the previous NSF grant.

Danielyan, Shen and Khavinson Awarded $42K Simons Grants
07/17

Arthur Danielyan, Dan Shen and Dima Khavinson were each awarded a $42,000 collaborative grant over 5 years from the Simons Foundation. The projects are titled “Some Approximation Problems of Complex Analysis and Related Questions”, “Dimension Reduction for Big Data Analysis” and “Problems in Complex Analysis and Applications”, respectively.

Dima Khavinson and Razvan Teodorescu Assume Leadership of Mathematics Journal
1/17

In 2017, Dima Khavinson and Razvan Teodorescu will become Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor, respectively, for “Analysis and Mathematical Physics”, a Birkhäuser journal (subsidiary of the Springer-Nature group). Established in 2010, the journal features a world-class Editorial Board and publishes current research results as well as selected high-quality survey articles in real, complex, harmonic, and geometric analysis originating and or having applications in mathematical physics. The journal promotes dialog among specialists in these areas. The journal is indexed by the AMS MathSciNet and the EMS Zentralblatt and has an impact factor of 0.583.

USF Rocket Club SOARs Under Manougian's Guidance
10/16

The Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry (SOAR), a student organization at USF with Professor Manougian Manougian as faculty advisor, was recently invited to participate in the 2016–2017 Hybrid Motor Rocket competition sponsored by NASA. This is the second statewide competition, and last year they entered a national competition. They have won awards. Funds have been provided by NASA. Membership in the Society has soared (no pun intended) to well over 140 students.

Jean-François Biasse Awarded Simons Grant
9/16

Dr. Jean-François Biasse was awarded a $35,000 collaborative grant over 5 years from the Simons Foundation. The project is titled “Algorithms in Number Theory, Quantum Information, and Cryptography” and its goal is to investigate algorithms for solving computational problems in number theory and to find quantum-resistant cryptographic schemes to replace the existing ones (which do not feature quantum-safety).

Kaiqi Xiong Awarded a Series of BBN/NSF Grants
9/16

Dr. Kaiqi Xiong has received several NSF and BBN/NSF grants in cybersecurity research and education totalling approximately $750,000. The topics of his funded projects include: computer security and networking with applications to smartphones, cloud computing, power grids, user behavior analytics with social sciences, and emergency response.

Vilmos Totik Awarded $100,000 Grant
9/16

Professor Vilmos Totik has received a three-year (100k) NSF award for a project titled “Polynomial Inequalities and Applications”. This research project concerns mathematical analysis, in particular in approximation theory, orthogonal polynomials, and potential theory. Vilmos Totik has an amazing success rate with NSF having been supported continuously for the last 25 years.

Evguenii Rakhmanov Paper on the “Most Influential” List
9/16

Professor Evguenii Rakhmanov published a paper “Equilibrium Distributions and Degree of Rational Approximation of Analytic Functions” which has been chosen among the most influential works to have been published in the journal Sbornik: Mathematics in 1967–2015. (Sbornik: Mathematics is the oldest Russian mathematical journal, in publication since 1866.) Only 30 papers were chosen for this distinction.

Manoug Manougian Receives Kosove Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Service Award
12/15

Professor Manoug Manougian received the Kosove Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Service Award at the Faculty Honors and Awards Reception on November 9, 2015. The award is bestowed by the USF Faculty Senate and recognizes exemplary teaching and service that supports the Kosove Society goals. The Kosove Society aims “to promote individual and collective social responsibility, societal change for the betterment of humanity, participation in academic disclosure; the principles of diversity and cohesiveness in the community; and the development of leadership skills.”

Vilmos Totik Named AMS Fellow
11/15

Professor Vilmos Totik was named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He was recognized “For contributions to classical analysis and approximation theory and for exposition”. The Fellows of the American Mathematical Society program recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics. Professor Totik is the first faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics to achieve this distinction.

Nataša Jonoska is one of USF's Outstanding Researchers
08/15

Professor Nataša Jonoska has received a 2015 Outstanding Research Achievement Award (ORAA). The annual awards are part of an open competition, judged by the USF System Research Council, to highlight professional acclaim received by the recipients from their national and international peers for their research. The 2015 award further recognizes faculty who have received truly exceptional recognition with preeminent awards, grants, or publications in top journals during the 2014 calendar year.

Nataša Jonoska Awarded $200,000 Grant
07/15

Nataša Jonoska was awarded a $200,000 collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation in the area of molecular programming. The goal of the project is to develop a methodology for environmental control within the DNA self-assembly process to direct molecular interactions in a preprogrammed manner. This will enable self-assembly of a variety of preprogrammed molecular shapes from the same set of building blocks, which can then serve as scaffolds for nanoelectronic components. The title of the project is “AF: Small:Collaborative Research: Programmed Cyclic Molecular Dancing on 2D Origami Lattices” and is in collaboration with chemist Dr. Nadrian Seeman from New York University.

Gangaram S. Ladde Awarded $424,000 Grant
05/15

Gangaram S. Ladde was awarded a $424,000 three-year grant from the U.S. Army Research Office in Stochastic Modeling. The title of the project is “Network-Centric Stochastic Hybrid Dynamic Time-Event Process Modeling, Methods And Analysis”. The grant includes a Post-Doc position and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) components.

Nataša Jonoska Named AAAS Fellow
11/24

Nataša Jonoska is one of five USF faculty members to be named as a 2014 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Election as an AAAS Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers as recognition of their efforts to advance science or its applications. Dr. Jonoska is being honored as part of the Mathematics section for her distinguished contributions to theoretical analysis and experimental verifications in nanoscience, particularly for advancements in understanding information processing in molecular self-assembly.

Nataša Jonoska Awarded $2 million Grant from the NIH
9/14

Nataša Jonoska was awarded a $2 million five-year grant by the National Institutes of Health for her proposal RNA-guided Rearrangements: Experiments Coupled with Discrete Models. Her Co-Principle Investigators are Masahico Saito of our department and L. F. Landweber of Princeton University's Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology.

Seung-Yeop Lee and Dmytro Savchuk Awarded Simons Grants
9/14

Seung-Yeop Lee and Dmytro Savchuk each were awarded Collaboration Grants for Mathematicians. Each will receive a five-year $35,000 grant from the Simons Foundation.