With significant support from the National Science Foundation and St. Olaf College, the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science will sponsor four undergraduate research scholars during the summer of 2008. These undergraduates will join teams of professional research real analysts at one of two host institutions, Lodz University in Poland or Selesian University in the Czech Republic. These two site have been selected for the quality of the research done there and for the open and inviting nature of the research group at each location. Here is a glimpse of the folks at Lodz (pronounced wooj) and a few of the folks at Opava (pronounced Opava.)

Last Summer St. Olaf sponsored two Research Interns, Josh Campbell ('08) and David Swanson ('08), both at Lodz University. Watch this space for a more information and pictures of their adventures!

Here is the Joey and Paul Show in which Joey Paulsen ('07) and Paul Tveite ('07) describe the classical real analysis they did during the summer of 2006 and how they found their experience at Lodz. Paul and Joey wrote three research papers on their work. Paul will spoke on one of the papers at Pi Mu Epsilon Undergraduate Research Conference at St. Norbert College in November, 2006 while Joey presented a research poster at the annual Joint Meeting of the AMS and MAA (American Mathematical Society and Mathematics Association of America) in New Orleans in January, 2007.

And here is the Joe Show. Joe spent the summer of 2006 in Opava, Czech Republic doing research on chaotic dynamical systems and also presented a research poster at the annual Joint Meeting of the AMS and MAA in New Orleans in January, 2007.

Feel free to ask David or Josh about their time in Lodz by emailing for David or for Josh.

Prior to participation, each International Research Scholar will participate in significant mathematical and cultural orientations. Upon arrival at the host institution, the International Research Scholar will be introduced to the mentor they will work closely with over the summer, be oriented to the local university and begin their work. Here is a more complete description of the summer activities.

Although the international portion of the internship ends in August, there are important aspects of the program which continue once the International Intern has returned to the St. Olaf campus. These include the preparation of a research paper for presentation in a variety of venues and for publication in an appropriate research journal. Funding supporting these activities is again provided by the grant. A detailing of the post international activities can be viewed here.

Grant funding allows full support for three International Interns per summer for each of the next three years. This support includes:

• all travel expenses to/from the host sites
• all living expenses while in residence in Europe
• a $4300 research stipend.