University of Regina joins PIMS

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) has welcomed the University of Regina as a full member, effective December 1, 2007.

Faculty and researchers in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at U.Regina have an established track record for its research strength in key areas. The field of linear algebra is one example, where the department has established researchers in core linear algebra, numerical linear algebra, and operator theory. A significant amount of research at U.Regina is in areas of applied mathematics. One such example is the expertise acquired by researchers in the Prairie Drought Project (led by P. Leavitt, now a Tier I CRC), which can be brought to current PIMS collaborative projects.

U.Regina researchers have experience collaborating with industry partners. This strength will be leveraged in 2008 when U.Regina hosts the 12th PIMS Industrial Problem Solving Workshop and the 11th PIMS Graduate Industrial Mathematics Modelling Camp (June 9-20, 2008) 

The University’s mathematical scientists have a long-standing tradition of being actively involved in a variety of outreach initiatives at all levels: locally (Problem Solving Workshops), provincially (Math Camps and Challenges), nationally (editorships in Crux Mathematicorum), and internationally (Math Central). U.Regina faculty members are active in aboriginal mathematics education and outreach, attracting significant funding (NSERC CRYSTAL grant) and hosting an international conference (Dreamcatching 2007). Faculty at U.Regina are key contributors to the development of Aboriginal mathematics education at the provincial and national levels.

Shaun Fallat (sfallat@math.uregina.ca) is the PIMS site director at U.Regina, with administrative support provided by Laurie Cosgrove. Katherine Bergman, Dean of Science, joins the PIMS Board of Directors as U.Regina representative.

"Many disciplines rely on mathematics and statistics even at the elementary level," said Dr. Fallat. "For example, biologists draw conclusions from their data sets by utilizing many standard statistical methods. However, they rarely discuss new and innovative ideas or techniques with statisticians. Mathematicians are always in search of new and interesting problems and many such problems come from the applied sciences and the like. PIMS can bring these groups together, partly because they are interested in funding such collaborations, via postdoctoral opportunities, lecture series, conferences, and summer schools."

"PIMS prides itself on being a campus-wide initiative that involves the mathematical sciences in some manner, and since nearly every subject makes use of mathematics at some level, such a mandate is a natural and worthwhile one."

With the addition of U.Regina as a full member, PIMS now has member universities in the three westernmost Canadian provinces, as well as Washington State, USA.

U.Regina joined PIMS as an affiliate member in 2005.