SAMSI Uses NSF Funds to Hire Postdocs
(Duke University, North Carolina State University,
and The University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill), to enhance their teaching skills.
Short Timeline
Exactly one month elapsed between the first meet-
ing of the seven mathematics institute directors and
the close of applications. And less than one week
after the deadline, more than 750 applications were
T
he Statistical and Applied M athematical
reviewed and the first round of offers was made.
Sciences Institute (SAMSI), a nonprofit
Typically, academic job searches begin in the fall
national institution that promotes research
and take several months to complete.
in statistical and applied mathematical sciences, will
“The timing was perfect,” said Eddie Herman, one
hire up to eight postdocs, thanks to additional
of the newly hired mathematicians. “Most academic
money it will receive from the National Science
positions are decided by the middle of March, so the
Foundation (NSF).
institutes began advertising at exactly the time when
The seven NSF mathematical sciences research
many of us were losing hope of finding a research posi-
institutes recently announced the creation of 45
tion and were ready to look for other jobs.” Herman
new two-year positions for young, highly trained
earned his PhD from UCLA this year.
mathematical scientists across the country. In addi-
tion to furthering research in all areas of the math-
Diverse Impact
ematical sciences, these positions will allow recent The impact of this program is widespread, with
PhDs to teach at community colleges and other postdocs working in a dozen states across the coun-
higher-education institutions or to participate in try and in all areas of the mathematical sciences.
projects tied to business and industry. While continuing their research, the institute post-
The effect of the economic downturn is being docs will also apply their training through teaching
felt everywhere—including in academia. This year or industrial partnerships.
has seen widespread hiring freezes and canceled job Oliver Diaz, originally from Mexico, earned
searches at universities across the country. For the his PhD from The University of Texas at Austin in
mathematical and statistical science community, applied probability and is now a U.S. permanent
this has meant almost 400 lost positions for recent resident. “We are delighted to have Oliver as a post-
PhDs. The severity of the situation became appar- doctoral fellow in the SAMSI research program on
ent earlier this year when many graduates, even of stochastic dynamics, where he will be able to use his
top-tier programs, faced unemployment. background in applied probability to tackle central
The postdocs typically spend five years in gradu- interdisciplinary problems in a wide range of fields
ate school, often with some level of support from where randomness and dynamics are central,” said
state or federal funds. “These new researchers are SAMSI Director James Berger. Diaz will also be teach-
primed to make significant contributions to their ing at Duke University.
fields,” said Peter March, director of NSF’s Division A postdoc at the Institute for Mathematics and Its
of Mathematical Sciences. The newly created posi- Applications will intern at the GM Research Center in
tions will place highly trained people as teachers at Warren, Michigan. The project concerns the inverse
two- and four-year colleges, as well as in business problem of electromagnetic shaping, applying abstract
and industry. mathematics to new manufacturing techniques. The
At SAMSI, seven to eight new postdoctoral fel- issue is to determine what pattern of electric current
lows will join the existing postdoctoral program, so will create a casting of a predetermined shape out of
the fellows will become involved in highly interdis- liquid metal. The problem is, in a sense, the opposite
ciplinary research, a potential key for their future of determining the shape of internal organs from a
employment. The postdoctoral appointments will CAT scan. Both applications are based on the math-
be for two years. For those interested in an eventual ematics of partial differential equations.
academic position, the appointments will involve For more information about SAMSI or the new
teaching at one of the partner universities of SAMSI postdocs, visit
www.samsi.info. ■
18 AMSTAT NEWS JULY 2009
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