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Lafayette is one of six institutions to receive $4,000 through the American Mathematical Society’s (AMS) Trjitzinsky Award. The funds are distributed by the Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky Memorial Fund to help talented students pursue undergraduate studies in mathematics.
The mathematics department has chosen three students to share the award: Prince Chidyagwai ’05 (Marondera, Zimbabwe), who is pursuing a B.S. in mathematics and an A.B. in computer science; Ekaterina Jager ’05 (Tashkent, Uzbekistan), who is pursuing a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and an A.B. in mathematics-economics; and Blerta Shtylla ’05(Tirana, Albania), who is pursuing a B.S. in mathematics.
“These were the students whose names were consistently being mentioned in the polling process,” says Lorenzo Traldi, Metzgar Professor and head of mathematics. “They are outstanding students.”
Chidyagwai has conducted research in the National Science Foundation’s Research for Undergraduates at Lafayette and as an EXCEL Scholar. He presented his recent research last month at the joint national meeting of the American Mathematical Society and Mathematics Association of America. He has served as vice president of the math honor society, earned honorable mention in the Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling, and is a member of the reigning Math Bowl championship team. He also is a member of the Pi Mu Epsilon math honor society and works as a teaching assistant in the math department.
Jager is founding president of the Math Club and a regular member of the Putnam Exam team. Her work with Gary Gordon, professor of mathematics, has been submitted for publication, and her work with Derek Smith, assistant professor of mathematics, has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Theoretical Physics. Last winter she presented her research at the joint national meeting of the American Mathematical Society and Mathematics Association of America.
Shtylla has conducted significant research in knot theory through the EXCEL Scholars program. Last summer, she participated in a two-week seminar at the Institute for Advanced Study’s Program for Women in Mathematics. The remainder of her summer was spent at the Mayo Clinic, where she received a summer research fellowship. While there, she conducted research in automated motion correction in MRI in the bioengineering department at the Mayo graduate school. Her work with Louis Zulli, assistant professor of mathematics, has recently been accepted for publication in the Journal of Knot Theory and its Ramifications.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Forty-two students were accepted to present their work at the last annual conference.