tag:acms.nd.edu,2005:/newsDepartment of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics | News2023-08-18T08:56:00-04:00tag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1551532023-08-18T08:56:00-04:002023-08-18T08:56:14-04:00Notre Dame Sports Performance, ACMS join forces as part of NFL charities grant examining hamstring injuries<p>Hamstring injuries are among the most prevalent across a variety of sports, including football, soccer, and lacrosse.</p> <p>The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) has partnered with Notre Dame’s Department of Athletics on a project…</p><p>Hamstring injuries are among the most prevalent across a variety of sports, including football, soccer, and lacrosse.</p>
<p>The University of Notre Dame’s Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) has partnered with Notre Dame’s Department of Athletics on a project funded by the National Football League (NFL) to investigate potential risk factors for hamstring injuries. The aim is to harness the knowledge that can help better identify at risk athletes and even predict injuries before they occur.</p>
<p><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/will-math-show-that-muscle-form-matters/" class="btn btn-cta">Read the Story Here</a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/notre-dame-sports-performance-acms-join-forces-as-part-of-nfl-charities-grant-examining-hamstring-injuries/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">August 18, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1550702023-08-14T15:42:00-04:002023-08-14T15:43:37-04:00Wampler appointed as Huisking Foundation Professor in Colleges of Science and Engineering<p>General Motors engineer and mathematician Charles W. Wampler II joins the faculty as the Huisking Foundation, Inc. Collegiate Research Professor.</p><p>A mathematician and engineer with a long career at General Motors, who worked on issues as broad as battery life and industrial robots through use of mathematical algorithms, has been appointed as a research professor at the University of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>Charles W. Wampler II joins the faculty as the Huisking Foundation, Inc. Collegiate Research Professor. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics & Statistics (ACMS) in the College of Science and in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) in the College of Engineering.</p>
<p>Wampler has had a long, fruitful relationship with several professors at Notre Dame. His first interaction was in 1990 with Andrew Sommese, now emeritus professor in ACMS. Their collaboration included significant work with several graduate students, including <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/">Jonathan Hauenstein</a>, now professor and chair of the Department of ACMS. Wampler also worked with <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/mark-plecnik/">Mark Plecnik</a>, now assistant professor in AME, when Plecnik was a graduate student in California. During his roles with Notre Dame, Wampler helped secure external funding from the National Science Foundation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.</p>
<p>“The people at Notre Dame—faculty, students, and staff—have all been uniformly a pleasure to work with,” Wampler said.</p>
<p>Wampler has been a member of the National Academy of Engineering since 2020, and he is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). He is also active in professional societies, having served on technical committees and editorial boards, including time as associate technical editor for the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, Mechanism and Machine Theory, and the International Journal of Robotics Research.</p>
<p>“Dr. Wampler’s interests and expertise in modeling and real-time control algorithms are an exciting addition to our science and engineering programs at Notre Dame,” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/patricia-culligan/">Patricia J. Culligan</a>, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering. “I am thrilled that he is joining us as a senior joint hire across the Colleges of Science and Engineering.”</p>
<p>Linear algebra, which is ubiquitous throughout engineering, encompasses points, lines, planes and higher dimensional linear spaces, Wampler described. Algebraic geometry broadens the scope to treat a variety of nonlinear, curved objects like spheres, cylinders, and more complicated shapes. A typical application presents these objects abstractly as a system of equations to solve.</p>
<p>“To me, when a lengthy computation finally reveals the geometric structure encoded by the equations, it’s like bringing a telescope into sharp focus and understanding the universe of the problem at hand,” Wampler said.</p>
<p>He became interested in the topic because of questions arising in robotics and kinematics, which is the geometry of motion.</p>
<p>“Want to know how many ways the hand of a robot arm can reach a target? Since joints rotate in circles, you’ll find the answer in algebraic geometry,” he described. One of his favorite applications of the mathematics was in the design of Robonaut 2 (R2), a joint project between General Motors and NASA. R2 launched to the International Space Station on the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery in 2011.</p>
<p>Wampler received his bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in mechanical engineering, and he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University. He began work at General Motors in 1985 and retired from his final role as senior technical fellow in June 2023.</p>
<p>He has published two books and more than 100 articles, and he holds 46 patents. His work ranges from human-vehicle interaction, to humanoid robotics, to battery capacity estimation for electric vehicles.</p>
<p>In addition to research and student mentoring roles, Wampler will also help mentor faculty in the Colleges of Science and Engineering, Hauenstein said.</p>
<p>"Dr. Wampler is an exceptional mathematical and engineering scientist recognized for his leadership in robotic systems in manufacturing, mathematical methods for robot motion and machine design, and traction battery modeling. He is joining our faculty to continue cementing his collaborations with our science and engineering faculty," said <a href="https://science.nd.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/santiago-schnell/">Santiago Schnell</a>, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science. “Not only is he a world-renowned scholar, Dr. Wampler will serve as a role model and inspiration for our students."</p>
<p>At General Motors, Wampler led a number of initiatives related to advanced manufacturing systems. He significantly advanced the field of mechanism design and analysis, including polynomial homotopy continuation methods in mathematics. He and Sommese coined the phrase “Numerical Algebraic Geometry” in a 1995 conference paper, revolutionizing the field.</p>
<p>“This new position is a natural evolution of my career, another step in my long-term association with Notre Dame. While I enjoyed working in industry for more than three decades, this seems like a good time to concentrate on applied mathematics research,” Wampler said. “Beyond that, I very much look forward to working with colleagues at Notre Dame to advance research, to strengthen connections between the ACMS and AME departments, to guide students, and to engage with the international research community.”</p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/wampler-appointed-as-huisking-foundation-professor-in-colleges-of-science-and-engineering/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">August 14, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1525562023-04-18T14:41:00-04:002023-04-18T14:41:52-04:00Data for a diocese: ACMS professor cleans data and presents findings to parishioners in West Virginia<p><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/roya-ghiaseddin/">Roya Ghiaseddin, a professor of the practice in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a>, helped a lay council of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston interpret surveys sent to parishioners in 2021.</p><p>When the diocesan council of lay people decided to gather opinions from Catholic parishioners throughout the <a href="https://dwc.org/">Diocese of Wheeling-Charleson</a>, West Virginia, they created and sent questionnaires to the 97 parishes and missions across the state.</p>
<p>However, the survey consisted of many multi-faceted questions that turned out to be more complex than expected. Many open-ended questions created confusion about how to “score” the responses, so the diocese turned to the University of Notre Dame for help.</p>
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</p><p>“When we came together to do this in 2021, everyone was really excited,” said Gina Boggess, a bishop’s council member and parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Princeton, West Virginia. “We felt like before we could make any recommendations to (Bishop Mark E. Brennan), we wanted to understand what was in the hearts of the people.”</p>
<p>The Catholic Church had opened a synod—a two-year process of listening and dialogue—in October 2021 that will conclude in 2023. The lay leadership in the diocese thought having their own mini-synod would be helpful, said Tim Bishop, director of marketing and communications for the diocese. But when a mountain of information surveys that were difficult to code piled up, the parishioner who volunteered to tackle it realized it was beyond both his ability and time to devote to the project.</p>
<p>Boggess’s brother, Nicholas Preservati, is a 1994 graduate of Notre Dame, so she reached out first to the mathematics department to see if a researcher would be willing to assist.</p>
<p>Her search led to<a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/roya-ghiaseddin/"> Roya Ghiaseddin, a professor of the practice in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a>, who was excited to tackle the assignment. Some of the questions were straightforward, she said, but many needed some “cleaning,” a term data scientists use when they need to fix, remove, or work with incorrectly formatted, duplicate, or incomplete data.</p>
<p>Ghiaseddin, receiving help from two undergraduate teaching assistants and a graduate student, started reviewing the material in January 2022 and finished combing through and analyzing data by the fall. In October 2022 she traveled to Charleston to present her findings to the Bishop’s Council. Her presentations, which lasted two days for four hours each day, contained about 400 graphs and charts.</p>
<figure class="image-left"><img alt="Img 7902" height="421" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/506024/img_7902.jpg" width="600">
<figcaption>Ghiaseddin and Bishop Mark E. Brennan</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“There were responses from about 2,000 people with many open-ended questions,” Ghiaseddin said. “For example, one question was, ‘Please share additional ways you have felt supported by your church. So I had to see how many people said they were supported by their parish, and find out how many people said they felt supported by a priest, or by being at Mass, etc. This means I had to treat each answer option as a new question.</p>
<p>“It took a long time but I wanted to do a correct job without any mistakes,” Ghiaseddin said.</p>
<p>Ghiaseddin, who is not Christian, said she was able to review the questionnaires objectively, using only data analysis to report results. The myriad findings are lengthy and diverse because of the number of parishes and diversity around the state. However, though about 70 percent of the respondents were over age 60, findings that surprised both Ghiaseddin and members of the diocese were that many increasingly accept divorce and want a path to quicker annulments, and many are interested in attending a Latin Mass.</p>
<p>“The other thing we saw was that people wanted more transparency,” said Denise Laurine-Klug, office manager for the Parochial Cluster of Marshal, Wetzel and Tyler counties, who read all the responses before sharing with Ghiaseddin.</p>
<p>She, Boggess, and Bishop praised Ghiaseddin’s work and dedication to the project. </p>
<p>“There were a lot of written essays, and Roya did a really great job of extracting all the information that was in there, and breaking it down,” she said. “Roya has an incredibly analytical mind.”</p>
<p>Bishop Brennan sent a letter in January to Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., to express his gratitude for Ghiaseddin’s work. </p>
<p>“I am so happy we could help, and I am grateful to Dr. Ghiaseddin for her generous assistance,” Jenkins wrote back. “It is part of our mission to serve the church, and I am so grateful that Notre Dame could do this through Dr. Ghiaseddin’s expertise.”</p>
<p>Ghiaseddin said she may work with the diocese again, as members contemplate another questionnaire now that Covid shut-downs and pauses have abated. Working with the diocese from the start will create a proper qualitative and quantitative tool, leading to an easier way to read results. </p>
<p>She received her doctorate degree in Quantitative Psychology from Notre Dame in 1995 after receiving a master’s degree in business and another master’s degree in Quantitative Psychology here in 1990. After her graduation she became a faculty member of Mendoza College of Business. She was named a faculty member of College of Science when the ACMS department was created in 2011.</p>
<p>“I’m a triple Domer; once I came to Notre Dame I never left; this is my home,” she said, and thanked <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/" target="_blank">Jonathan Hauenstein</a>, chair of the department, for his support of the project. “I am always happy to help.”</p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/data-for-a-diocese-acms-professor-cleans-data-and-presents-findings-to-parishioners-in-west-virginia/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 28, 2023</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1523252023-04-10T14:50:00-04:002023-04-10T15:14:39-04:00Cristian Villatoro awarded Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF)<p></p> <p style="text-align:start"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial">ACMS</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>…</p><p></p>
<p style="text-align:start"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial">ACMS PhD student Cristian Villatoro has been awarded a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) by the Krell Institute.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8px; text-align:start"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial"><span style="background-image:initial"><span style="background-position:initial"><span style="background-size:initial"><span style="background-repeat:initial"><span style="background-origin:initial"><span style="background-clip:initial">Established in 1991, the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8px; text-align:start"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial"><span style="background-image:initial"><span style="background-position:initial"><span style="background-size:initial"><span style="background-repeat:initial"><span style="background-origin:initial"><span style="background-clip:initial"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">The program fosters a community of energetic and committed Ph.D. students, alumni, DOE laboratory staff and other scientists who want to have an impact on the nation while advancing their research. Fellows come from diverse scientific and engineering disciplines but share a common interest in using computing in their research.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:8px; text-align:start"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="font-variant-ligatures:normal"><span style="font-weight:400"><span style="white-space:normal"><span style="text-decoration-thickness:initial"><span style="text-decoration-style:initial"><span style="text-decoration-color:initial"><span style="background-image:initial"><span style="background-position:initial"><span style="background-size:initial"><span style="background-repeat:initial"><span style="background-origin:initial"><span style="background-clip:initial"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">More than 425 students at more than 60 U.S. universities have trained as fellows. The program's alumni work in DOE laboratories, private industry and educational institutions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>Kathy Phillipstag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1492232022-11-14T13:08:00-05:002022-11-14T13:08:28-05:00Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics professor honored with All-Faculty Award<p><a href="https://provost.nd.edu/faculty-recognitions/all-faculty-team/2022-fang-liu/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Fang Liu</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, professor and associate chair of the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, was honored as a member of the All-Faculty Team during </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">the Notre Dame vs. Clemson football game on Saturday, Nov. 5.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://provost.nd.edu/faculty-recognitions/all-faculty-team/2022-fang-liu/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Fang Liu</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, professor and associate chair of the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, was honored as a member of the All-Faculty Team during </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">the Notre Dame vs. Clemson football game on Saturday, Nov. 5.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Liu employs a rigorous mathematical concept known as differential privacy to tackle </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">real-world data-privacy problems. Her research helps ensure that data routinely collected by </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">employers and service providers does not expose individuals’ identities or sensitive information </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">to cyber criminals.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">An elected fellow of the American Statistical Association, she is also the lead statistician on a </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">five-year University project to prevent mosquito-borne diseases like malaria.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">To learn more about the 2022 All-Faculty Team honorees, visit the </span></span><a href="https://provost.nd.edu/faculty-recognitions/all-faculty-team/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Office of the Provost’s website</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">.</span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">NDWorks</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://ndworks.nd.edu/news/applied-and-computational-mathematics-and-statistics-professor-honored-with-all-faculty-award/">ndworks.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 07, 2022</span>.</p>NDWorkstag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1484272022-10-10T09:55:00-04:002022-10-24T10:31:56-04:00Actuarial Science Masters Program<p align="justify">The Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) at the University of Notre Dame was created in 2010 and has already developed a strong track record of cutting edge research combining applied mathematics, data science, scientific computing, and statistics. …</p><p align="justify">The Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) at the University of Notre Dame was created in 2010 and has already developed a strong track record of cutting edge research combining applied mathematics, data science, scientific computing, and statistics. The <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/graduate/professional-masters-programs/">Professional Masters Program</a> (MS-ACMS) trains students to solve complex real-world problems using statistical, mathematical, and computational modeling. Students complete 30 credits of coursework with a full-time enrollment following either the 10 month or 16 month option. Students can now enroll in the new <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/graduate/professional-masters-programs/curriculum/">Actuarial Science track</a> of the MS-ACMS program with classes starting in summer 2023. This track complements the three existing MS-ACMS tracks in Predictive Analytics, Applied Statistics, and Applied and Computational Mathematics. Additionally, ACMS also offers a part-time online masters program in <a href="https://datascience.nd.edu/">data science</a>.</p>
<p align="justify">Led by Prof. Shane Leib, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries with over 20 years of industrial experience working as an actuary, this actuarial science masters program provides students the ability to learn the advanced skills necessary to succeed at the highest levels as actuaries and prepare them for critical positions in the world of actuarial science. This new program is built from four key components: actuarial modeling, business fundamentals, predictive analytics, and industry involvement.</p>
<p align="justify">The backbone of the program is a two-semester sequence in actuarial modeling. Students will learn to model all aspects of insurance companies to support risk calculations, new product development, solvency analysis, and asset-liability management. The learning will make use of specialized modeling tools used by actuaries in their day-to-day jobs, which will prepare students to step into an actuarial career armed with the knowledge and skills necessary to allow them to make the maximum impact at the companies they join.</p>
<p align="justify">Business fundamentals will help graduates tailor their analyses to make the maximum impact on the business. Actuaries are also responsible for communicating complex topics to a variety of stakeholders to help them understand the issues being faced and the potential solutions. In the corporate finance course, students will learn how to effectively present their insights in the business environment through project work and presentations.</p>
<p align="justify">Predictive analytics will complement the actuarial modeling skills to provide students with the capabilities to work with advanced tools and techniques that have exploded in popularity over the last decade. These tools and techniques have become more critical to the work that actuaries perform and the decisions that they make. This will help prepare students to be successful in the actuarial credentialing system where predictive analytics and modeling are gaining focus.</p>
<p align="justify">Industry involvement is a key differentiator for this new program in actuarial science. This program will coordinate with alumni and others in the industry to bring different perspectives and experiences through regular presentations. The goal will also be to collaborate with industry partners on in-class projects that provide learning opportunities to the students and valuable work products to the companies.</p>
<p>For more information including how to apply, course requirements, tuition, and financial aid, visit <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/graduate/professional-masters-programs/">https://acms.nd.edu/graduate/professional-masters-programs/</a>. </p>Kathy Phillipstag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1472232022-08-15T16:07:00-04:002022-08-15T16:10:24-04:00Lower reading scores, a result of early childhood lead exposure, exacerbated by structural racism<p style="margin-bottom:16px">Researchers affiliated with the <a href="https://cehi.nd.edu/">Children’s Environmental Health Initiative</a> today published [insert link here when available] research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that quantitatively links issues of environmental…</p><p style="margin-bottom:16px">Researchers affiliated with the <a href="https://cehi.nd.edu/">Children’s Environmental Health Initiative</a> today published [insert link here when available] research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that quantitatively links issues of environmental justice—childhood lead exposure—with structural racism in the form of racial residential segregation. The analysis shows that lead exposure is associated with lower test scores among all children. Further, non-Hispanic Black children are more likely to be exposed to lead and more likely to live in racially segregated neighborhoods, which amplifies the negative effects of lead exposure.</p>
<p>A collaboration between the <a href="https://globalhealth.duke.edu/">Global Health Institute</a> at Duke University, Rice University, and the University of Notre Dame—the researchers sought to investigate whether and to what degree early childhood educational outcomes are affected by childhood lead exposure and whether racial residential segregation has a compounding effect.</p>
<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the primary sources of lead exposure among children in the United States is found within their own homes. Homes built prior to 1978 are more likely to have lead-based paint, lead-contaminated dust, and pipes and plumbing fixtures containing lead. Neighborhoods that are racially segregated and/or in low-socioeconomic areas tend to have higher proportions of homes built before 1978. Importantly, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and childhood lead poisoning is preventable.</p>
<p>“Our study concluded that it’s not just about where lead exposure is highest -- that’s just one piece of the puzzle,” said Bravo. “Black children are more likely to be exposed to lead and are also more likely to live in racially segregated, predominantly Black neighborhoods. When these two exposures co-occur, children had worse than expected scores. Identifying these combinations of environmental, social, and economic exposures, and interactions between them can inform the targeting and design of interventions in vulnerable communities,” said <a href="https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/bravo-mercedes">Mercedes Bravo</a>, Assistant Research Professor at the Global Health Institute at Duke University, and a faculty affiliate of Notre Dame’s Children’s Environmental Health Initiative.</p>
<p>After controlling for a number of variables, the research team linked 25,699 North Carolina birth records to blood lead surveillance data and educational test scores. The research team assigned geographic locations based on census tract level data to create a unique population-based dataset that links the information across time and geography.</p>
<p>“In the midst of our country’s racial reckoning, we must work harder to understand and ultimately act on the deep effects that environmental justice and structural racism have on our country and our communities. This paper tackles both issues head on by showing that a clear issue of environmental justice (childhood lead exposure) is further compounded by the structural racism that Black families in particular face in the United States, as demonstrated through racial residential segregation,” said <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/marie-lynn-miranda/">Marie Lynn Miranda</a>, Director of the Children’s Health Initiative and Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Notre Dame.</p>
<p>CEHI has a long history of working on childhood lead exposure. Its tax parcel level models of lead exposure risk have helped dozens of health departments across the country improve lead screening practices. In addition, CEHI’s work linking lead exposure and performance on standardized tests contributed to the CDC’s decision to lower the reference level for childhood blood lead levels, which helped to protect hundreds of thousands of children across the United States.</p>
<p>CEHI’s work also contributed to the USEPA’s Integrated Science Assessment of airborne lead exposure. In addition, CEHI’s work identified exposure to aviation gasoline (or avgas), which is used by piston-driven aircraft, as a source of childhood lead exposure—work that led directly to the U.S. Congress calling for a <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26050/chapter/1">consensus study report</a> by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on avgas, which was published in 2021 (Miranda served on the committee responsible for writing that report). This work also contributed to the USEPA’s decision to issue a proposed endangerment finding for piston-driven aircraft that use leaded fuel.</p>
<p>“This latest work highlights the enduring legacy of lead alongside the enduring legacy of racial segregation in the United States,” Miranda said. “It required building trusting relationships with data stewards and implementing innovative statistical analysis—all in service to those most vulnerable in our communities. The PNAS paper illustrates the importance and social impact of long-term and sustained research programs.”</p>
<p>In addition to Bravo and Miranda, the research team includes Dominique Zephyr, Children's Environmental Health Initiative, University of Notre Dame; and Daniel Kowal and Katherine Ensor, Department of Statistics, Rice University. This research is supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health award number R00MD011304 (Principal Investigator: Bravo) and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences award number R01ES028819 (Principal Investigator: Miranda).</p>
<p>CITATION: “Racial residential segregation shapes the relationship between early childhood lead exposure and 4th grade standardized test scores” Mercedes A. Bravo, Dominique Zephyr, Daniel Kowal, Katherine Ensor, Marie Lynn Miranda. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 15, 2022, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117868119.</p>
<figure class="image-default"><img alt="Bj 7" height="166" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/481277/bj_7.26.18_lead_innovation_team_134.jpg" width="250"><img alt="Bj 4" height="166" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/481276/bj_4.28.17_lead_test_2804.jpg" width="250">
<figcaption>Samples of paint are collected at a home in South Bend, Indiana and tested for lead at the University of Notre Dame. Testing homes for lead-based paint and plumbing can prevent childhood lead exposure. Young children exposed to even low levels of lead are likely to suffer learning deficits and lower scores on intelligence and standardized tests, and U.S. children are primarily exposed to lead in their homes. (Barbara Johnston courtesy of the University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Tammi Freehling</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/lower-reading-scores-a-result-of-early-childhood-lead-exposure-exacerbated-by-structural-racism/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">August 15, 2022</span>.</p>Tammi Freehlingtag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1454372022-05-09T15:00:00-04:002022-05-09T15:16:28-04:00Parker Edwards makes data analysis accessible <p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">In his second year at Notre Dame, Parker Edwards employs topological data analysis to describe information from a variety of fields and make it more available to others.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“How can we turn our understanding of things that we can see…into understanding things that we can’t see?” asks <a href="https://sites.nd.edu/parker-edwards/">Parker Edwards</a>.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The Robert and Sara Lumpkins Postdoctoral Research Associate in the <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/">Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics </a>explained that this question sits at the heart of data analysis. In his second year at Notre Dame, Edwards employs topological data analysis to describe information from a variety of fields and make it more accessible to others.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Edwards’ analysis involves applying abstract theories and algorithms to concrete data sets, using the mathematical disciplines of algebraic geometry and topology. These tools allow him to then depict data sets through images and equations. Edwards has applied his research to various subjects while at Notre Dame. He collaborated with scientists at the University of California - San Francisco, University of Florida, and University of Augusta to publish a cell biology paper on actin regulation. But Edwards also works with researchers early in their careers, such as a group of undergraduate mentees with whom he is studying election data. </span></span></p>
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<span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap">“I think that’s very civically relevant data” Edwards said. “This is something that is accessible at the undergraduate level to do analyses but still has the potential to impact larger society.”<span style="font-style:normal">One of his projects involves reviewing data about gerrymandering, the manipulation of district lines to strengthen or suppress the political power of certain voting groups.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">In fact, his work with undergraduates has been one of Edwards’ favorite parts of his postdoctoral experience. As well as conducting research with students, he teaches courses such as applied linear algebra. Edwards said he enjoys gaining a new perspective on the subject by sharing it with others. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Edwards began his own undergraduate education at the University of Florida, where he received a bachelor of science in mathematics. After completing a master of science in mathematics and the foundations of computer science at the University of Oxford in England, Edwards returned to the University of Florida to earn his doctoral degree. He then started his postdoctoral work at Notre Dame in the summer of 2020. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I’ve had good access to the types of resources that postdocs are often worried about: travel funding, computational resources, etc,” Edwards said of his experience here. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">As he receives this support from Notre Dame, Edwards hopes that he can give back with his own research. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“One of my personal goals as an applied math researcher, whenever I do these data analysis projects, is to actually release software that is usable by non-experts,” Edwards explained. “A priority of mine is trying to make things that are actually accessible to at least the science community,...so that eventually things make their way out into larger society, as well.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Naya Tadavarthy</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/parker-edwards-makes-data-analysis-accessible/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">May 05, 2022</span>.</p>Naya Tadavarthytag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1443822022-03-28T12:55:00-04:002022-03-28T12:57:01-04:00Taylor Brysiewicz: Finding the Magic in Mathematics<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">As a postdoc at Notre Dame, Taylor Brysiewicz studies computational algebraic geometry, or the use of computers to study the relationship between polynomial equations and shapes formed by their solutions. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">One mathematician’s journey began in an unusual place: the study of music.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Before Taylor Brysiewicz was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Notre Dame, he was a music major in his undergraduate years at Northern Illinois University. While he loved playing music, he realized that he became less interested in it with his further studies. </span></span></p>
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<span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap">After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Brysiewicz earned his doctorate in mathematics from Texas A&M University. He then went to the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig, Germany before ultimately coming to Notre Dame to work under Professor Jonathan Hauenstein in the Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics department. <span style="font-style:normal">“The more I learned about music, the more I understood it and the less magical it felt,” he described. “The complete opposite was true for math. Math seemed unmagical and algorithmic initially, but the more I learned about mathematics, the more fascinating it became.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">At Notre Dame, Brysiewicz works on computational algebraic geometry, or the use of computers to study the relationship between polynomial equations and shapes formed by their solutions. Within this field, he uses a different approach to a classic problem from mechanical engineering. When examining how many possibilities exist for a robot to move through a collection of points, there are often many theoretical solutions but only few can be physically constructed. He examines patterns among these not-physically-relevant problems in a larger context, in order to apply that understanding to individual cases. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Brysiewicz says working in a tenure-track academia role is “the dream,” but he knows that whatever he does next will definitely involve computers. “The nice thing is, what I want to do next, research-wise, I will discover later in my life,” he says about his work in mathematics. “The problems will keep coming… sometimes there’s problems that you carry throughout your life.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">He reflected on his career leading up to his time at Notre Dame and admitted: “ever since starting my Ph.D, I’ve always wanted to do a postdoc here.” Both academically and personally, Notre Dame felt like a great fit for Brysiewicz. Upon coming to Notre Dame, he shares that his academic collaborators have made the experience excellent. “ …colleagues make such a big difference here,” he said. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">When he’s not solving computational algebraic geometry problems, Brysiewicz is still playing music. This semester, he is learning how to play drums. Ultimately, he finds the creativity that he always loved in his work.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Music and art were the only opportunities I had as a young person to really create something that was my own,” he described. “Being a professional mathematician is very much about creating things.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Lily Brouder</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/taylor-brysiewicz-finding-the-magic-in-mathematics/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 24, 2022</span>.</p>Lily Broudertag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1427352022-01-19T08:00:00-05:002022-01-19T10:01:49-05:00Claire McKay Bowen Talks Data Privacy<h4>What initially drew you to write about the tradeoff of data privacy and the use of data for the public good?  </h4> <p style="text-align:justify">There are two parts to this question. Why write a book on data privacy and why on the topic for the public good? To answer the first question, there are…</p><h4>What initially drew you to write about the tradeoff of data privacy and the use of data for the public good? </h4>
<p style="text-align:justify">There are two parts to this question. Why write a book on data privacy and why on the topic for the public good? To answer the first question, there are still few communication materials about data privacy, or methods of safely releasing confidential data publicly while preserving the privacy of those who are in the data. Why the focus on the public good? Although this version of data privacy may not seem as exciting as others, such as cybersecurity, it affects every person’s life through major public policy decisions in the United States. When I wrote the book, the world was (and still is) experiencing a global pandemic that has caused severe economic and health public policy issues in most countries, including the United States. If researchers and public policymakers had access to tax and health data, they could better target and coordinate stimulus relief programs to help all American residents. But many public policymakers do not understand the tradeoff between data privacy and public good. Therefore, I decided the intended audience for my book includes anyone interested in learning more about this area of data privacy without a mathematics background. Specifically, public data users, people working within the state and federal government who are not as familiar with data privacy preserving methods, and public policymakers who want and need to learn more about data privacy methods to make more informed policy decisions.</p>
<p>Read the full article in the <a href="https://magazine.amstat.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/December-2021_2.pdf">December 2021 issue of the Amstat News</a>. To learn more about Claire's book "Protecting Your Privacy in a Data-Driven World" visit this <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Protecting-Your-Privacy-in-a-Data-Driven-World/Bowen/p/book/9780367640743">link</a>.</p>
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<p style="text-align:justify"><em><strong>Claire McKay Bowen</strong> is the lead data scientist for privacy and data security at the Urban Institute. Her research focuses on developing and assessing the quality of differentially private data synthesis methods and science communication. She holds a BS in mathematics and physics from Idaho State University and an MS and PhD in statistics from the University of Notre Dame. After completing her PhD, Bowen worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she investigated cosmic ray effects on supercomputers. In 2021, the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies identified her as an emerging leader in statistics for her “contributions to the development and broad dissemination of statistics and data science methods and concepts, particularly in the emerging field of data privacy, and for leadership of technical initiatives, professional development activities, and educational programs.”</em></p>
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<p> </p>Kathy Phillipstag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1420122021-12-01T15:00:00-05:002021-12-01T16:03:28-05:00Jonathan Hauenstein named Fellow of the American Mathematical Society<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Professor J<a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/">onathan Hauenstein</a>, chair of the <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/">Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a>, develops software to solve previously intractable nonlinear polynomial equations with modern, high-performance computers. His work has earned him the designation of <a href="http://www.ams.org/cgi-bin/fellows/fellows_by_year.cgi">Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS)</a>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Mathematicians have attempted to solve polynomial equations since the ancient Sumerians, Babylonians and Egyptians. By the nineteenth century, they determined that a general formula for these problems does not exist, so scholars today continue to search for new strategies to solve polynomials. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Professor <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/">Jonathan Hauenstein</a>, chair of the <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/">Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a>, develops software to solve previously intractable nonlinear polynomial equations with modern, high-performance computers. His work has earned him the designation of <a href="http://www.ams.org/cgi-bin/fellows/fellows_by_year.cgi">Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS)</a>. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“It is a great honor to be selected to the 10th class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society. I could not wait to share the wonderful news with my mentors and my family,” Hauenstein said. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Members designated as Fellows “have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics,” according to the society's website. The AMS selected 45 mathematical scientists worldwide to receive this honor in 2022. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The society named Hauenstein a Fellow “for contributions to algebraic geometry, particularly work in numerical algebraic geometry and on the Bertini software package, and service to the profession.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Hauenstein’s work helps scientists and engineers solve the polynomial equations so essential to their research with mathematical modeling techniques. As Hauenstein explained, recent applications of his software include “</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">analyzing equilibria in chemical reactions, kinematic design in mechanical engineering, and hyperparameter optimization in machine learning.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Hauenstein earned his PhD in mathematics at Notre Dame in 2009 and came back to work at the University in 2014. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I returned to Notre Dame as a full-time faculty member due to this new department's vision of transcending disciplinary boundaries to impact critical problems along with the many wonderful colleagues and collaborators across campus,” Hauenstein said. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Now, Hauenstein looks forward to growing the ACMS department, increasing course offerings, and promoting faculty research productivity. He will also continue to work on his own research, for which he received the title of AMS Fellow. </span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Naya Tadavarthy</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/acms-professor-jonathan-hauenstein-named-fellow-of-the-american-mathematical-society/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 01, 2021</span>.</p>Naya Tadavarthytag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1416422021-11-11T15:00:00-05:002021-12-01T15:48:20-05:00Undergraduate ACMS team wins second in national statistics competition<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">A team of three students who are pursuing majors in <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/" target="_blank">Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a> at Notre Dame won second place in a national statistics competition with a project they hope will improve responses to earthquakes.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">A team of three students who are pursuing majors in <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/" target="_blank">Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics</a> at Notre Dame won second place in a national statistics competition with a project they hope will improve responses to earthquakes.</span></span></p>
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<span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-variant-east-asian:normal; font-variant-numeric:normal">“</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian:normal; font-variant-numeric:normal">We chose this topic because we wanted our statistical analysis to have an impact,” said VonDielingen, who is also majoring in finance. “Understanding how harmful earthquakes are to city infrastructure and society as a whole, we thought that diving deeper into the topic of how certain earthquake measures impact the number of deaths would lead to interesting and meaningful results that could be used to improve our responses to earthquakes in the future.”</span><span style="font-style:normal">Senior Hakeem Ceesay and juniors Riley Mulshine and Reid VonDielingen submitted their project, “Number of Deaths Caused by Earthquakes” into the introductory division of the spring 2021 Undergraduate Statistics Class Project Competition. They had worked together as a team in <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/victoria-woodard/" target="_blank">Assistant Teaching Professor Victoria Woodard</a>’s statistical methods and data analysis class. The competition is run by the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) and the <a href="https://www.amstat.org/" target="_blank">American Statistical Association.</a></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The team was able to predict the number of deaths caused by an earthquake from its magnitude, intensity, and number of houses destroyed. They used several statistical processes, including regression analysis, the Akaike Information Criterion, the Durbin-Watson test, and various inflation factors, VonDielingen said. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Woodard’s fast-paced course starts with an introduction to statistical hypothesis testing and finishes with the study of time series – when data points occur in order over a period of time. Students are required to work in groups of two or three to analyze a data set and write a scientific report, she said. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I was so excited that this team was selected as a winner in the competition,” Woodard said. “</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">When I got the email that they had won, I immediately ran upstairs to tell my husband. You would have thought that I had personally just won. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I can’t tell you how proud I am of all of my students who submitted reports, and for this team especially, being selected as a winner in the competition.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">VonDielingen said the team knew that competition would be stiff, based on winning projects they saw from past years from other prestigious schools. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“We’re honored that the judges viewed our work to be on the same level as the other incredible projects submitted,” he said. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Woodard, who graduated from North Carolina State University, said she naturally feels competitive against Duke University. With a highly regarded statistics program, Duke often sweeps the awards. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“I joked with my students when I introduced the competition at the beginning of the semester that if they really wanted to make me a proud teacher, they would beat Duke the following semester,” Woodard said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">This year, the team from Grinnell College came in first in the introductory division, with the Swarthmore College team in third. A team from Duke University, however, did place first in the intermediate statistics division.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Because of the Notre Dame team’s standing in the competition, they were asked to present their work at the electronic undergraduate statistics research conference on November 5. Ceesay, who is majoring in both ACMS and finance, represented the group at that conference. </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“Our favorite part of the project was the teamwork that it involved and the knowledge we were able to gain,” VonDielingen said. “Professor Woodard was instrumental in helping guide us along the way to achieve our results, and we owe a lot of credit to her.”</span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/undergraduate-acms-team-wins-second-in-national-statistics-competition/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">November 11, 2021</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1378202021-05-19T12:00:00-04:002021-05-19T12:27:27-04:00Jonathan Hauenstein appointed chair of Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics<p><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Jonathan Hauenstein</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> was appointed as chair of the </span></span><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS)</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, beginning July 1, 2021. He replaces <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/bei-hu/">Bei Hu</a>, who has served in the role since 2018. </span></span></p><figure class="image-left"><img alt="Jonathan Hauenstein Small" height="266" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/428624/jonathan_hauenstein_small.jpg" width="400"></figure>
<p><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/jonathan-hauenstein/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Jonathan Hauenstein</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> was appointed as chair of the </span></span><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS)</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, to begin July 1, 2021. He replaces <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/bei-hu/">Bei Hu</a>, who has served in the role since 2018. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">During his time as department chair, Hauenstein will focus on growth and sustainability in governance. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">With another 50% increase in the number of intended ACMS majors in the incoming class, ACMS has to grow strategically to complement the existing research areas and increase the number of advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses for our students,” he explained. “Bolstering the graduate and postdoctoral programs will increase faculty research productivity, which helps to raise the national and international profile of ACMS.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Hauenstein began working at Notre Dame as an assistant professor in 2014 and was promoted to associate professor in 2015. He became a full professor in 2019. He also served as associate chair of the ACMS department from July 2018 until June 2021.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Before being hired at Notre Dame, Hauenstein taught at Texas A&M University and North Carolina State University. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Institut Mittag-Leffler in Djursholm, Sweden and the Fields Institute in Toronto, Canada.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The incoming chair has published over 100 articles and given over 100 presentations throughout his career. Hauenstein’s work has earned him a Sloan Research Fellowship, DARPA Young Faculty Award, Army Research Office Young Investigator Award, Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and College of Science Research Award. He has also won a </span></span><a href="https://provost.nd.edu/faculty-recognitions/faculty-awards/joyce-award/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Rev. Edmond P. Joyce, C.S.C. Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“[Hauenstein] has already contributed in many ways to the success of ACMS, and I fully expect this to continue during his time as chair,” wrote </span></span><a href="https://science.nd.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/michael-hildreth-ph-d/"><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"><span style="-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none"><span style="text-decoration-skip-ink:none">Michael Hildreth</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">, Interim Dean of the College of Science. “I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Bei [Hu] for all he has done for the Department. He has been a steady source of calm and leadership,” Hildreth added. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Hauenstein received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Findlay and his master’s degree from Miami University. He earned his doctoral degree in mathematics from Notre Dame in 2009 and served as a postdoctoral research associate here thereafter. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">His research focuses on developing numerical methods for solving nonlinear equations. These techniques can be applied to numerous science and engineering problems and have helped Hauenstein create software packages like alphaCertified and Bertini. Hauenstein looks forward to supporting more mathematical solutions during his time as department chair. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“With an emphasis on collaboration, ACMS faculty and students are developing new methodologies and algorithms in mathematics and statistics as well as applying them to real-world problems,” he said. </span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Naya Tadavarthy</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/jonathan-hauenstein-appointed-chair-of-department-of-applied-and-computational-mathematics-and-statistics/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">May 05, 2021</span>.</p>Naya Tadavarthytag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1374072021-05-04T08:00:00-04:002021-12-01T16:03:44-05:00Fang Liu named Fellow of American Statistical Association<p><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/fang-liu/" target="_blank">Fang Liu,</a> professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) at the University of Notre Dame, has been named an elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). </p><p><a href="https://acms.nd.edu/people/fang-liu/" target="_blank">Fang Liu,</a> professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics (ACMS) at the University of Notre Dame, has been named an elected Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). </p>
<figure class="image-right"><img alt="Fang Liu" height="400" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/428771/fang_liu_conductor_size.jpg" width="600"></figure>
<p>She was recognized “for novel contributions to differentially private synthetic data and Bayesian modeling; for outstanding interdisciplinary research in clinical and public health studies; for leadership in education and training; and for service to the profession,” according to the organization.</p>
<p>Fellow designation is limited to one-third of one percent of membership each year. Liu is the first ASA fellow named within <a href="https://acms.nd.edu/" target="_blank">Notre Dame’s ACMS department.</a></p>
<p>“I was very excited upon receiving the news. This award is definitely one of the highest honors in the statistics profession,” Liu said. “I am so humbled, honored, and grateful to be recognized and to have been chosen as an ASA fellow.” </p>
<p>The ASA is the world’s largest community of statisticians, founded in Boston in 1839. It supports development, application, and dissemination of statistical science through meetings, publications, membership services, education, accreditation, and advocacy. Members serve in industry, government, and academia in more than 90 countries, according to the organization’s website.</p>
<p>"Dr. Liu is an outstanding researcher in statistical analysis data privacy, machine learning in big data, and Bayesian methodology and modeling,” said Bei Hui, professor and chair of the department. “She has an extensive funding record, and an essential role in interdisciplinary collaborative research.”</p>
<p>Liu’s research focuses on several areas, and she enjoys finding creative ways to add a statistician’s touch to various fields. She is one of the first statisticians who joined the ACMS department when it was formed in 2011. Her work has been generously supported by the National Science Foundation and she has served as the lead statistician on large-scale studies funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Unitaid.</p>
<p>She earned her bachelor’s degree from Peking University and her master’s degree from Iowa State University. After receiving her doctoral degree from the University of Michigan, she worked at Merck Research Labs before joining the faculty at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“Being selected as the first fellow in ASA in our department is a recognition not only of Liu’s excellence,” Hu said, but “will certainly add to our young ACMS department’s reputation."</p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo McCool</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/liu-named-fellow-of-american-statistical-association/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">May 03, 2021</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo McCooltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1378192021-04-05T12:00:00-04:002021-05-19T12:27:07-04:00Gezelter and Hauenstein honored with 2020 awards during virtual event<p>On March 24, during a live virtual event on Zoom, Interim Dean Michael Hildreth honored two faculty members who received the highest awards bestowed by the college.</p> <p><strong>Dan Gezelter</strong>, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is the recipient of the 2020 Father James L. Shilts,…</p><p>On March 24, during a live virtual event on Zoom, Interim Dean Michael Hildreth honored two faculty members who received the highest awards bestowed by the college.</p>
<p><strong>Dan Gezelter</strong>, Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is the recipient of the 2020 Father James L. Shilts, C.S.C./Doris and Gene Leonard Teaching Award. This award, bestowed annually on a faculty member in the College of Science, is named in honor of Father James Shilts, C.S.C., who taught in the Department of Physics from 1961 until his death in 1982, and was endowed in 1984 by Dr. Eugene T. Leonard III in memory of his parents Dr. Eugene and Doris Leonard. Dr. Leonard III was a member of the Science Advisory Council from 1976 until 1991. The award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching. </p>
<p>Gezelter was graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Chemistry. He earned a CPS in chemistry from Churchill College, Cambridge, and his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. He was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at Notre Dame in 1998. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2005 and to Full Professor in 2015. A theoretical chemist with specialties in energy and theory, his research involves theoretical and computational studies of the dynamics of complex condensed matter systems.</p>
<p>In his 21 years at Notre Dame, Gezelter has taught a wide assortment of courses, large and small to both undergraduate and graduate students. They include large service courses as well as required courses for majors. His teaching was recognized in 2013 with an Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. He served as a Kaneb Faculty Fellow for 2018-2019, a program that invites exemplary teachers to share their teaching experience, methods and insights with other faculty and graduate T.A.’s. Gezelter has put extensive effort into curriculum development. He worked with two other faculty members to completely revise the freshmen general chemistry class, which is taken by half the students in the First Year class. The revisions necessitated more extensive office hours, tutoring, and T.A. meetings. More recently, he has been particularly instrumental in developing and teaching in the Mary E. Galvin Science and Engineering Scholars Program which is designed to help students interested in STEM majors achieve their full academic potential. In addition to classroom teaching, Gezelter served four years as DGS and four years as DUS. He is heavily involved in mentoring undergraduates in research, many of whom have gone into Ph.D. programs. He has also successfully advised many graduate students, some of whom received appointments in chemistry departments at other institutions.</p>
<p><strong>Jonathan Hauenstein</strong>, Professor and Associate Department Chair of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, is the recipient of the 2020 College Research Award. Each year, the College of Science aims to recognize an outstanding investigator who has made substantial recent contributions to her or his field. This award highlights a highly-productive faculty member with a steep upward trajectory in research and widening national and international impact.</p>
<p>Hauenstein was graduated <em>summa cum laude</em> from the University of Findlay with a B.S. in Mathematics. He earned an M.S. in Mathematics from Miami University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. He was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics in 2014. He was promoted to Associate Profesor in 2015 and to Full Professor in 2019. Hauenstein is an internationally recognized scientist. </p>
<p>Hauenstein’s work is centered in numerical algebraic geometry, i.e., on the numerical computation and manipulation of the solution sets of systems of multivariate polynomials. These systems are ubiquitous, arising in, for example, solutions to systems of differential equations in biology, physics, and engineering. Discretizing these systems for numerical solutions often results in enormous collections of polynomials in a similarly large number of variables. The number of solutions for these systems can be larger than the number of atoms in the universe. Hauenstein has developed theoretical and numerical techniques to identify the set of physically-reasonable solutions for these systems. He was also instrumental in the development of several widely-used software packages integrating this work, aimed at a wide variety of applications. In addition to his foundational work in numerical algebraic geometry, his nearly 100 publications span topics from tumor description, to biological networks, to gauge theory. In his short career, Professor Hauenstein has received numerous awards, including being named a Naval Research Young Investigator, an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, an Army Research Office Young Investigator, and was the recipient of a DARPA Young Faculty Award. This month, he was also named a recipient of the Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Tammi Freehling</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/gezelter-and-hauenstein-honored-with-2020-awards-during-virtual-event/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 31, 2021</span>.</p>Tammi Freehlingtag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1358252021-03-06T14:00:00-05:002021-03-06T14:28:30-05:00Women Lead 2021: Facts, Figures and Frontiers<p>In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, meet eight women leaders who are challenging the status quo in their fields.</p><figure class="image-right"><img alt="Womenlead 1200" src="https://diversity.nd.edu/assets/422278/womenlead_1200.jpg"></figure>
<p>Returning to "normal" isn't for everyone.</p>
<p>In celebration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, <a href="http://womenlead2021.nd.edu/?utm_campaign=redirect&utm_medium=web&utm_source=womenlead.nd.edu">meet eight women</a> leaders who are challenging the status quo in their fields. Among these women is ACMS Professor Fang Liu. Read her story <a href="https://womenlead2021.nd.edu/fang-liu/">here</a>.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Office of Strategic Content</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/women-lead-2021/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 05, 2021</span>.</p>Office of Brand Contenttag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1280472020-08-05T15:00:00-04:002020-08-05T15:37:17-04:00Eye of the hurricane: Notre Dame's new provost understands crisis leadership<p>Marie Lynn Miranda, announced as the successor to Thomas Burish in mid-March, is no stranger to leading a university through a crisis. Now the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame, the former provost of Rice University and a distinguished scholar in the field of children’s environmental health organized the school's disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. “Throughout our lives, we are confronted with situations where we don’t quite know what to do,” she said. “We don’t know what the best thing is and we don’t necessarily have all the expertise we might ideally have. We must bring data and analysis and the best technical advice there is. But when in doubt, responding with love is always a good choice.”</p><figure class="image-default"><a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/eye-of-the-hurricane/"><img alt="Marie Lynn Miranda" height="777" src="https://al.nd.edu/assets/394594/1200x777/marie_lynn_miranda.png" width="1200"></a>
<figcaption>Marie Lynn Miranda, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Marie Lynn Miranda, announced as the successor to <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/thomas-burish/">Thomas Burish</a> in mid-March, is no stranger to leading a university through a crisis. Now the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame, the former provost of Rice University and a distinguished scholar in the field of children’s environmental health organized the school's disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. “Throughout our lives, we are confronted with situations where we don’t quite know what to do,” she said. “We don’t know what the best thing is and we don’t necessarily have all the expertise we might ideally have. We must bring data and analysis and the best technical advice there is. But when in doubt, responding with love is always a good choice.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nd.edu/stories/eye-of-the-hurricane/">To read more, click or tap here</a> or on the image above.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brendan O'Shaughnessy</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://al.nd.edu/news/latest-news/eye-of-the-hurricane-notre-dames-new-provost-understands-crisis-leadership/">al.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">July 02, 2020</span>.</p>Brendan O'Shaughnessytag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1076402020-06-01T08:00:00-04:002020-06-02T20:22:56-04:00Hauenstein and Zhang among recipients of Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C. Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching<p align="justify">Twenty University of Notre Dame faculty members have received Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.  Among the recipients are ACMS professors Jonathan Hauenstein and Yongtao Zhang.</p> <p align="justify">The awards are presented by the Office…</p><p align="justify">Twenty University of Notre Dame faculty members have received Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Among the recipients are ACMS professors Jonathan Hauenstein and Yongtao Zhang.</p>
<p align="justify">The awards are presented by the Office of the Provost, and the recipients are selected through a process that includes peer and student nominations.</p>
<p align="justify">The Joyce Awards, established in 2007, are supported by a gift from the late Father Joyce’s classmates of Notre Dame’s Class of 1937. They honor faculty members who have had a profound influence on undergraduate students through sustained exemplary teaching, and, in particular, recognize professors who create environments that stimulate significant student learning, elevate students to a new level of intellectual engagement and foster students’ ability to express themselves effectively within their disciplines.</p>
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<p> </p>Stafftag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1284282020-04-20T08:00:00-04:002020-08-24T08:11:32-04:00ACMS utilizes department experience to deliver spring courses online<p>Professors in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics had an early start on the e-learning process, because several faculty have taught online before, and learned from each other.</p><figure class="image-right"><img alt="Jonathan Hauenstein" height="315" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/385615/600x315/1200x630_hauenstein.jpg" width="600">
<figcaption>Jonathan Hauenstein</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Jonathan Hauenstein, professor in the Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, enjoyed walking in front of his classroom and performing probability experiments with extremely oversized playing cards.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Of course, after e-learning began because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s now recording short videos for students to watch on their own before class, and then using live synchronous lectures to highlight key aspects and solve interesting problems.</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“There is always a learning curve with using new software and figuring out how to use the relevant features,” Hauenstein said. “I had to cut down on the large visual demonstrations.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">He practiced ways to demonstrate key mathematical concepts in an online format by having his children take their laptops to a different room in the house and having a virtual meeting, and because of his preparation work, he found the transition to e-learning to be easier than first expected.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Professor Hauenstein provides pre-recorded videos on the topics that will be covered in the following live lecture, and I have found these videos very helpful, because I have an idea of the concepts before they are presented in the live lecture,” said Zachary Peurach, a sophomore majoring in business analytics and ACMS. “This allows me to better follow along during the live lectures.”</span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> </span></span></p>
<figure class="image-left"><img alt="1200x630 Hu" height="315" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/385614/600x315/1200x630_hu.jpg" width="600"></figure>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">The ACMS department had an advantage over some other departments because several instructors have presented classes online before, and Roger Woodard, teaching professor and director of Notre Dame’s online master’s degree in data science, created some documents with advice and best practices, said Bei Hu, ACMS department chair.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“This was unexpected and unscheduled, but we’re coping well,” Hu said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">After professors and students return to in-person teaching, professors will likely incorporate some of the new methods. And students may discover they enjoy learning portions of their subjects in new ways, he said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“The students are learning something new here, and for some of them, they may have never worked in this environment before,” Woodard said. “They may have a desire for more online portions of their courses, and we may need to rethink how we deliver a lot of the courses.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Peurach agreed that e-learning required a transition to his learning style.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“But the professors have done an excellent job at assisting students with the transition,” Peurach said. “Although I prefer to be on campus interacting more frequently with my professors and fellow students, I think that the College of Science has provided quality e-learning.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> </span></span><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">He and other students say they prefer being on campus and interacting more frequently with professors and fellow students, but Woodard and students noted that some aspects are positive – for instance, being able to hop on a Zoom call to speak to a professor rather than trek across campus.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“With online learning – the key thing is, how do we keep it a Notre Dame experience?” Woodard said. “We work very hard to make sure students are connected to each other.”</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">Now that Hauenstein has recorded videos, in the fall he plans to use them to teach partially flipped classrooms – where students are asked to do some reading or work before going into their lectures.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal">“This will provide them with some introductory material, and the face-to-face lectures will provide expanded details, addressing potential difficulties, and performing probability examples,” he said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-variant:normal; font-weight:400; white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="font-style:normal"> </span></span></p>
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<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo McCool</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/acms-utilizes-department-experience-to-deliver-spring-courses-online/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">April 20, 2020</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo McCooltag:acms.nd.edu,2005:News/1002282019-05-09T13:50:00-04:002020-07-27T08:59:24-04:00Entrepreneur and former CEO returns to Notre Dame to teach<p class="image-left"><img alt="Tom Totten" src="https://science.nd.edu/assets/320247/150x/tom_totten_250.jpg" /></p>
<p>Tom Totten '87 has returned to Notre Dame more than thirty years later to teach as a visiting assistant professional specialist in the Department of Applied Math and Computational Statistics.</p><p>Graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1987, Tom Totten earned his degree in mathematics. However, math was not his first love. In fact, Totten did not love it at all. “I was a math major and kind of hated math,” Totten said.</p>
<p>Hailing from Michigan City, Ind., not far from the University and going to Catholic schools his whole life, Totten grew up wanting to go to Notre Dame. He settled on studying math because he thought he was proficient in the field and knew he could graduate on time. Despite what he thought of math as an undergraduate, Totten has returned to Notre Dame more than thirty years later to teach as an actuary in residence in the Department of Applied Math and Computational Statistics.</p>
<p>It was not until his senior year at Notre Dame, however, that Totten thought he could make a lifelong career using mathematics. As he was finishing the fall semester, Totten had a conversation with his professor who suggested that he take the actuarial exam. “I was certain that I flunked it because it was 60 questions in three hours, and I answered 33 of the questions,” Totten said.</p>
<p>Knowing that the pass rate of the exam was only 35 percent, Totten quickly put the exam behind him and forgot about it over winter break, but that was not the end of his actuarial journey. “I came back in January to an envelope with my exam results and realized that I had forgotten about the exam. Somehow, I passed the exam, so I took it as a sign,” Totten said.</p>
<p>Immediately after graduating from Notre Dame, Totten continued his education and earned his master’s degree in actuarial science from Ball State University. Since then, he has been a professional actuary.</p>
<p>After working in the Chicago area for a few years at the beginning of his career, Totten moved back to Indiana to work for the actuarial consulting firm Nyhart, where he spent much of his career and eventually became the firm’s chief executive officer. “What I loved about the field was that I was in consulting. My job was not really about doing the math,” Totten said. “I loved turning difficult, sophisticated material into something that was understandable for my clients. The field for me was a people field versus a technical field.”</p>
<p>Throughout his career at Nyhart, Totten came back to Notre Dame to recruit Notre Dame graduates for the firm, and Notre Dame never really left his heart. When the opportunity arose for Totten teach at Notre Dame, he jumped on it. “I thought to myself that Notre Dame probably does not open its doors very often, so if you get the opportunity, you have got to take it,” Totten said.</p>
<p>Totten has loved teaching at Notre Dame so far. He now teaches courses on financial economics and enjoys interacting with his students. “Teaching is like consulting. I take complicated stuff and make it simple,” Totten said. “I love seeing my students change in the way that they think.”</p>
<p>But teaching does not take up all of Totten’s time. Not only does Totten still serve as chairman of the board at Nyhart, but in 2016, Totten co-founded a company called Votaire, which seeks to help people make sound financial decisions for retirement. “The problem is very simple. It is that when you retire, you have a pot of money and it has to last a lifetime because you have no more money coming in,” Totten said. “So how do you do that when you do not know how long you are going to live?”</p>
<p>To alleviate that problem, Totten and his company developed software to help people manage that risk of uncertainty. Totten wants to focus on young people because he believes that many young college graduates have little financial knowledge and so hopes that Votaire can help people make the best choices for the future. These decisions may include when to purchase life insurance or how much money to invest in a certain area. “It’s what I call a robo advisor. Using algorithms and other methods to recommend the best decisions you should make,” Totten said.</p>
<p>With all of his roles, Totten has enjoyed working while being back at Notre Dame. “You are not really going to know until you leave, but after you leave, you figure it out. Man, this was a really special place for me,” Totten said.</p>
<p>Totten’s position was established and jointly funded by Edward and Becky Delahanty and Windhaven Insurance Company. Edward Delahanty ’63 earned his degree in mathematics, and was a former managing director at AonHewitt. He is also a College of Science Advisory Council member. He and Becky are also parents of two Notre Dame graduates. Jimmy Whited ’97 <span class="caps">MBA</span> is the <span class="caps">CEO</span> of Windhaven. </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Cliff Djajapranata</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news/entrepreneur-and-former-ceo-returns-to-notre-dame-to-teach/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">May 08, 2019</span>.</p>Cliff Djajapranata