Directed Reading Program (DRP)
Student evaluations for Spring 2007 are available here.
Mentor evaluations for Spring 2007 are available here.
Read testimonials about the program from former students and mentors here.
You can find DRP documents, including application materials and evaluation forms, here.
Current student participants, look here for administrative info.
The Directed Reading Program is a new initiative to pair undergraduate students with graduate student and junior faculty mentors to undertake independent study projects of various sizes and scopes. Undergraduates can apply for DRP positions and those who are selected will be paired with mentors according to their mathematical interests and availability.
Projects must be approved by the DRP committee of graduate students and faculty. Many are based around the self-paced reading of a particular book or article with substantial guidance by the mentor. Past and current project titles can be viewed here, and you can also view a larger menu of sample projects (dvi/pdf). However, most frequently, the project is arrived upon by discussion of common interests of the mentor and mentee, rather than being limited to this menu.
Requirements: The DRP student is required to have an hour-long weekly meeting with his or her mentor to discuss progress towards the goal of the project. Approximately four hours of independent work by the student is expected between meetings. At the end of the quarter, the group of DRP participants will meet, and each DRP student will give a 10-20 minute presentation on the quarter's work.
Benefits of program: Participating undergraduates will learn to work independently through studying a topic of their choice, well-suited to their interests. They will develop relationships with graduate student mentors and receive a good deal of personal attention focused on their mathematical studies. Finally, they will gain valuable experience in mathematical communication by giving a presentation on their work to an audience of their peers.
Qualifications: Any sophomore, junior, or senior is eligible to apply if he or she has a strong background in mathematics, including at least the completion of a yearlong calculus sequence, or Math 11200. (First-years and others with unusual background will be considered on a case-by-case basis.) There is a selection of projects with no prerequisite.
Other information: Applications will be accepted each quarter, and selections are for each quarter individually.
Please email drp@math with any questions or comments about the program and/or application process.