University of Albany Awarded $360,000 From U.S. Department of Education To Support Doctoral Students in Mathematics

The University at Albany has been awarded $360,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to help students attain doctoral degrees in mathematics. The award provides fellowships with stipends of up to $30,000 per year for four UAlbany doctoral students, beginning in the fall 2010 semester.

The three-year graduate fellowships are targeted to help offset a national shortage of scientists and engineers in mathematics, biology, chemistry, computer and information sciences, engineering, geology, nursing, and physics.

"This award recognizes the excellence of our program and its people as well as its trajectory of training quality doctoral candidates," said Professor and Chair Kehe Zhu of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. "It will allow us to recruit and appropriately reward talented U.S. graduate students, while at the same time enhancing and invigorating our graduate program."

"This twelve-month graduate assistantship gives us the opportunity to support almost twice as many Ph.D. students each year for the next several years," said associate professor Karin Reinhold, the director of graduate studies for the Department of Mathematics, who helped secure the award.

Funding is also provided for travel to conferences and for research, as well as for graduate student fees not covered by traditional teaching assistant grants.

Through previous U.S. Dept. of Education awards, UAlbany supported 33 doctoral students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry. Their numbers include tenured professors at the University of Michigan, South Florida University, Pace University, Union University and Lafayette College.

To apply for a fellowship, contact Reinhold at reinhold@albany.edu. Applicants with excellent academic records who demonstrate financial need and plan to pursue a doctorate in mathematics will be considered. Students from minority groups are encouraged to apply.