Message Sent
Thank you for your inquiry. We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Even for the mathematically inclined, mathematics research can be complex and challenging to understand. Being exposed to great thinkers and new perspectives can make a world of difference for young scholars.
"Topology is the study of how shapes can be deformed continuously," explains Alan Reid, the Edgar Odell Lovett Professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics. As an example, Reid draws a sphere, and next to it, draws the same sphere with a protruding arm. What matters to topologists, he says, is that you can push the arm in and deform the shape back into a sphere.
This area of math formed the basis for the first lecture in the Chang-Char Tu '67 Distinguished Lecture Series, generously established by Juliana Tu '64 (cover story). Reid was able to bring Josh Greene, professor of mathematics at Boston College, to campus last fall to give a colloquium lecture on low-dimensional topology for graduate students, postdocs and faculty.
The Rice mathematics department uses colloquia to bring a broad collection of mathematicians like Greene to campus to expose both faculty and graduate students to cutting-edge research in different kinds of mathematics.
"The ability to bring in visitors for colloquia and seminars," Reid notes, "is the life blood of the math department." The colloquium lectures bring much more than new research to Rice. For faculty, the lectures also provide a chance to keep an eye on talented mathematicians from across the world and gauge potential new faculty recruits for the department.
Most important, though, is the opportunity for junior mathematicians to network with the visitors. After the lectures, faculty and graduate students typically grab a drink with the speaker at Valhalla, the ever-popular hangout for graduate students and faculty, where they are able to converse in a less formal setting. These personal connections are essential for future job prospects in a competitive market, and they build community among academics.
This aspect of the lectures cannot be undersold, Reid explains: "The human connection that colloquia bring, and the fact that the Tu Distinguished Lecture Series allows us to bring in more people, is incredibly powerful."
The mathematics department now has the flexibility to allocate funds just for these crucial colloquia and seminars through The Chang-Char Tu '67 Distinguished Lecture Series, helping generations of students develop into accomplished mathematicians.