Baylor Undergraduate Lecture Series in Mathematics
The aim of this lecture series was to bring in mathematicians who are nationally and internationally recognized mathematicians and who have a special penchant for teaching and explaining mathematics. Funds were made available for this lecture series, which began in 2008, by the Baylor administration; special thanks to Dean Lee Nordt and Dean Kenneth Wilkins of the College of Arts and Sciences for their generous support.
Thirteenth Annual Baylor Lecture Series in Mathematics
Speaker: Dr. Talitha Washington
Dr. Talitha Washington is the Director of the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Data Science Initiative; a tenured professor of mathematics at Clark Atlanta University; and an affiliate faculty at Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College. She is the lead principal investigator of the National Data Science Alliance, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Washington is the President of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and was, most recently, a Program Director at the NSF. Her research interests include applied mathematics, dynamical systems, nonstandard finite difference schemes, data science, artificial intelligence, and education.
Dr. Washington completed her undergraduate studies in mathematics at Spelman College and studied abroad at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of Connecticut. She received an honorary doctorate in science from the University of Connecticut. She is a Fellow of the AWM, the American Mathematical Society (AMS), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
For a poster advertising Dr. Talitha Washington's public lecture, click here.
Dr. Washington's lectures and abstracts, dates and venues, were:
PUBLIC LECTURE:
How Data Science Has Reshaped Everything
Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 4:30 pm - Cashion Building CASHN 502
Abstract: Data science has transformed how we live and drives many new technological innovations. From marketing to finance to voting to facial recognition to medical care, data science impacts every facet of our lives. Dr. Talitha Washington will deliver perspectives on the role of data science in expanding the scientific frontier and how to navigate the murky ethics of its applications.
COLOQUIUM LECTURE:
Nonstandard Finite Difference Schemes for a Nonlinear World
Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 3:30 pm - Sid Richardson Building SDRICH 344
Abstract: Many real-world phenomena tend to be modeled via nonlinear models. In the late 1980's, Ronald Mickens of Clark Atlanta University introduced the concept of a nonstandard finite difference scheme (NSFD) as a methodology which would best approximate solutions to systems of nonlinear differential equations. This talk will uncover how to construct NSFD schemes for various nonlinear models, including the well-known models for the spread of a disease models and the model for the dynamics of the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge.