
About the Workshop
The 2022 PIC Math Workshop on Interdisciplinary Data Science will be held on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah from June 21 - 24, 2022. The in-person 4-day interdisciplinary workshop is for a team of 2-3 faculty members from the same institution. Members of the team will attend jointly with one faculty member being in mathematics or statistics and the other(s) being in a different STEM discipline such as biology, economics, physics, chemistry, social sciences, engineering, etc.
The purpose of this workshop is to initiate and grow a community for advancing interdisciplinary work in data science at colleges and universities. Attendees will:
- gain an understanding of and strengthen their background in data science,
- participate in a hands-on experience working on a data science problem as a group from various STEM disciplines and different institutions, and
- implement a joint interdisciplinary project at their institution with their colleague who is also participating in the workshop.
Examples of joint projects include the faculty from the same institution co-mentoring undergraduate students on an interdisciplinary research project in data science, co-teaching an interdisciplinary data science class, or co-designing an interdisciplinary data science program.
The workshop will provide the faculty members with the tools, resources, experience, and network required to successfully integrate data science projects into the curricula at their institution. It will foster collaboration across different STEM fields and will help faculty better prepare undergraduate students for data-related industrial careers.
Financial Support
The workshop is co-sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), and Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE Math), and is funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
- Each participant will receive a stipend of $1250. This stipend will cover their transportation cost to BYU while the remaining funds will be used as funds to help them finish their joint project at their institution. This means that a pair of colleagues from the same institution working together on a project should have about $1200 for their project.
- Also, housing and meals will be covered by the conference.
Application Requirements
A complete application should include
- An application form including information about the 2-3 member team who are applying together as a team
- A one-page statement of the proposed project the team plans to work on during the 2022-2023 academic year.
- A letter(s) of support from the chair(s) or dean agreeing to the proposed project
- Applicants must be from higher ed institutions located in the US and US territories.
The deadline to apply for this workshop is April 30, 2022.
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Workshop Organizers and Presenters
The organizers of the workshop are:
- Michael Dorff, Professor of Mathematics, Brigham Young University; Director of Strategy and Implementation, TPSE Math
- Thomas Wakefield, Department Chair of Mathematics, Youngstown State University
- Suzanne Weekes, Executive Director, SIAM; Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
About the Organizers

Michael Dorff earned a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Kentucky. He is a professor of Mathematics at Brigham Young University, co-director of the PIC Math Program, and director of Strategy and Implementation for TPSE Math. He is a past president of the MAA.

Thomas P. Wakefield received his PhD in mathematics from Kent State University and is the Medical Mutual of Ohio Endowed Professor of Actuarial Science and Chair in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at YSU. Wakefield finds inspiration in working with students and enjoys accompanying students to regional and national conferences and advising undergraduate research projects.

Suzanne Weekes holds a PhD in Mathematics and Scientific Computing from the University of Michigan. She is a co-director of the PIC Math Program and member of the Board of TPSE Math. She is the Executive Director of SIAM - through publications, research and community, SIAM advances the application of mathematics and computational and data science to engineering, industry, science, and society
The main presenters at the workshop will be:
- Randy Paffenroth, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science, and Data Science, WPI
- F. Patricia Medina, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Yeshiva University
- Maria (Mia) Barger, PhD Student of Data Science, WPI