Organizing Committee
Abstract

This is the seventh in a series of biennial conferences honoring David Blackwell and Richard Tapia, two seminal figures who inspired a generation of African-American, Native American and Latino/Latina students to pursue careers in mathematics. Carrying forward their work, this one and a half day conference will

  • Recognize and showcase mathematical excellence by minority researchers
  • Recognize and disseminate successful efforts to address under-representation
  • Inform students and mathematicians about career opportunities in mathematics, especially outside academia
  • Provide networking opportunities for mathematical researchers at all points in the higher education/career trajectory
    •
The conference includes a mix of activities including scientific talks, poster presentations, panel discussions, ample opportunities for discussion and interaction, and the awarding of the 2012 Blackwell-Tapia Prize.

This event is supported in part by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Image for "Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012"
David H. Blackwell & Richard Tapia

Confirmed Speakers & Participants

Talks will be presented virtually or in-person as indicated in the schedule below.

  • Speaker
  • Poster Presenter
  • Attendee
  • Virtual Attendee

Workshop Schedule

Friday, November 9, 2012
TimeEventLocationMaterials
1:00 - 1:10pm ESTIntroduction and Director Welcome - Jill Pipher, Director, ICERM11th Floor Lecture Hall 
1:10 - 1:50pm ESTThe short pulse equation in high-low frequency bands for nonlinear metamaterials - Nathaniel Whitaker, University of Massachussetts, Amherst11th Floor Lecture Hall 
1:55 - 2:35pm ESTHow a dynamical model can predict phenotype from genotype - Santiago Schnell, University of Michigan11th Floor Lecture Hall 
2:40 - 2:50pm ESTShort Break (with coffee available)11th Floor Collaborative Space 
2:50 - 3:30pm ESTThe Effect of Age Structure on Stem and Non-stem Cancer Cell Population Dynamics - Suzanne Weekes, Worcester Polytechnic Institute11th Floor Lecture Hall 
3:35 - 4:00pm ESTCoffee and Tea Break11th Floor Collaborative Space 
4:00 - 4:40pm ESTUsing Delay Differential Equations to Model Dendritic Cell Therapies - Angela Gallegos, Loyola Marymount University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
4:45 - 5:25pm ESTScientific computing for movie special effects and virtual surgery - Joseph M. Teran, University of California, Los Angeles11th Floor Lecture Hall 
5:30 - 5:40pm ESTShort Break (with coffee available)11th Floor Collaborative Space 
5:40 - 6:25pm ESTAlgorithm for Molecular Simulation and Analysis - Rachel Vincent-Finley, Southern University and A&M College11th Floor Lecture Hall 
6:25 - 6:30pm ESTMath and Undergraduate Education Funding opportunities at NSF - Ron Buckmire, National Science Foundation11th Floor Lecture Hall 
6:30 - 8:15pm ESTPoster Session and Reception at ICERM11th Floor Lecture Hall and Collaborative Space 
Saturday, November 10, 2012
TimeEventLocationMaterials
8:30 - 9:15am ESTContinental Breakfast 11th Floor Collaborative Space 
9:15 - 9:55am ESTSuccesses in computational biological fluid dynamics -- courtesy of Ricardo Cortez - Lisa Fauci, Tulane University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
10:00 - 10:30am ESTMath and undergraduate education funding opportunities at NSF - Rob Buckmire, National Science Foundation11th Floor Lecture Hall 
10:30 - 10:55am ESTShort Break (with coffee available)11th Floor Collaborative Space 
10:55 - 11:00am ESTGroup Photo11th Floor Lecture Hall 
11:00 - 11:40am ESTSensitivity of System Stability of UAVs to Variation of Vehicle Aerodynamic Characteristics - David Torain, Hampton University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
11:45 - 1:10pm ESTLunch Break  
1:10 - 1:50pm ESTThe ground field method and the number of solutions of systems of polynomial equations over finite fields - Ivelisse Rubio, University of Puerto Rico11th Floor Lecture Hall 
1:55 - 2:35pm ESTOn the Global Well-Posedness of a PDE model for Criminal Behavior - Nancy Rodriguez, Stanford University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
2:40 - 3:00pm ESTShort Break (with coffee available)11th Floor Collaborative Space 
3:00 - 4:00pm ESTA Statistician’s Tour of Duty in the World of Drug Discovery - Joaquin Bustoz, Jr. Lecture- Jacqueline M. Hughes-Oliver, George Mason University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
4:00 - 4:00pm ESTIntroduction of Prize Winner - Introduction by Trachette Jackson11th Floor Lecture Hall 
4:00 - 5:00pm ESTA Spatial Model of Mosquito Host-Seeking Behavior - Ricardo Cortez, Tulane University11th Floor Lecture Hall 
5:30 - 6:30pm ESTCash Bar ReceptionWestin Hotel, Providence 
6:30 - 6:35pm ESTSeated for BanquetWestin Hotel, Providence 
6:35 - 7:00pm ESTRemarks and Awarding of Blackwell-Tapia PrizeWestin Hotel, Providence 
7:00 - 9:00pm ESTBanquet: Food Served/Buffet OpenWestin Hotel, Providence 

Ricardo Cortez Awarded 2012 Blackwell-Tapia Prize

The National Blackwell-Tapia Committee recently announced that Professor Ricardo Cortez of the Mathematics Department at Tulane University was awarded the 2012 Blackwell-Tapia Prize. The prize recognizes a mathematical scientist who has contributed significantly to research in his or her field of expertise and who has served as a role model for mathematical scientists and students from underrepresented minority groups or has contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of the underrepresentation of minorities in mathematics. Dr. Cortez is internationally regarded as a leading researcher in fluid dynamics and mathematical modeling. He has also been a leader in undergraduate mentoring and the development of training opportunities for underrepresented minority students in the mathematical sciences. Dr. Cortez will be the guest of honor at the Seventh Blackwell-Tapia Conference at ICERM on November 9-10, 2012. Read the full annoucement.

Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano

The biennial Blackwell-Tapia Prize was established in 2002 by the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in honor of the late David H. Blackwell and Richard A. Tapia, distinguished mathematical scientists who have been inspirations to more than a generation of African American and Latino/Latina students and professionals in the mathematical sciences. A consortium of U.S. mathematics institutes, which host the conference in turn, supports the conference at which the prize is awarded. Previous hosts have been MSRI (2002), IPAM (2004), IMA (2006), SAMSI (2008), and MBI (2010).

The initial Blackwell-Tapia Conference was organized at Cornell University in 2000 by MTBI Director Carlos Castillo-Chavez. In 2002, MSRI Director David Eisenbud suggested the addition of the prize to succeeding Blackwell-Tapia Conferences. This prize is funded by a generous donation from Cornell secured by Castillo-Chavez. Previous recipients of the Blackwell-Tapia Prize are Arlie Petters (2002), Rodrigo Bañuelos (2004), William Massey (2006), Juan Meza (2008), and Trachette Jackson (2010). A more detailed version of the history can be seen at the Mathematical Sciences Institutes Diversity Initiative website.

Lecture Videos

A Spatial Model of Mosquito Host-Seeking Behavior

Ricardo Cortez
Tulane University
November 10, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

A Statistician's Tour of Duty in the World of Drug Discovery- Joaquin Bustoz, Jr. Lecture

Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver
George Mason University
November 10, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

The ground field method and the number of solutions of systems of polynomial equations over finite fields

Ivelisse Rubio
University of Puerto Rico
November 10, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

Sensitivity of System Stability of UAVs to Variation of Vehicle Aerodynamic Characteristics

David Torain
Hampton University
November 10, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

Algorithm for Molecular Simulation and Analysis

Rachel Vincent-Finley
Southern University
November 9, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

Using Delay Differential Equations to Model Dendritic Cell Therapies

Angela Gallegos
Loyola Marymount University
November 9, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract

The Effect of Age Structure on Stem and Non-stem Cancer Cell Population Dynamics

Suzanne Weekes
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
November 9, 2012
Blackwell-Tapia Conference 2012
Play     Abstract