New Math Professor Leads Trip to Argonne National Laboratory

U of A participants outside of Argonne National Laboratory.

When Matt Clay, the chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, approached Chen Liu, a new assistant professor, to lead a group of U of A undergraduate mathematics students to attend the BRING MATH Conference, Liu jumped at the opportunity. “The BRING MATH workshop provides a great opportunity for undergraduates to enhance their interest and broaden their horizons in the mathematical field. I am more than happy to help,” Liu said.

The BRING MATH — short for BRIdges for the Next Generation: MATHematical Science Research and Our Future — conference is a two-day event designed for undergraduates who are passionate about the mathematical sciences. It is a collaboration between IMSI and the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory located in Lemont, Illinois.

Math majors Ananya Vangoor and Juan Brewer were accepted to attend the conference that took place on Oct. 3-4 and were accompanied by Liu. This is the second consecutive year that undergraduate math majors have participated in this event. Associate professor Tulin Kaman led a group last fall. 

The conference provided valuable opportunities for students and faculty to explore research in the mathematical sciences at Argonne National Laboratory, emphasizing its real-world applications. It aimed to increase students’ interest in the mathematical sciences, expose them to cutting-edge research, broaden access to related opportunities and promote diversity within the mathematical science community. The event also featured educational sessions on summer opportunities and career pathways in related fields.

During the visit, the students toured several advanced facilities, including the Rapid Prototyping Laboratory, the Aurora Exascale Supercomputer, the Advanced Photon Source and the Center for Nanoscale Materials. They participated in panel sessions focused on emerging technologies and energy and climate applications, as well as professional development workshops on creating and maintaining an active LinkedIn profile and perseverance in the internship application process.

The students expressed their enthusiasm about the facilities they visited: “Aurora, the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility’s exascale machine, has been the second fastest supercomputer in the world since 2023. With the ability to perform more than 1 quintillion (10^18) floating point operations per second, it’s truly impressive to see how far technology has advanced.”

“Attending the BRING MATH conference was an incredible opportunity for our students,” Liu said. “It was inspiring to see their engagement with cutting-edge research and to witness their excitement as they explored the various applications of mathematics in real-world settings. This experience not only enhances their academic journey but also opens doors for their future careers in the mathematical sciences.”

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.