Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

The REU Program in Industrial Mathematics and Statistics was started at WPI in 1998 with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). It is the first mathematics REU program in the US that exclusively involves students in real-world projects sponsored by corporate partners.

This eight week program offers outstanding undergraduate students the opportunity to work on mathematical and statistical problems in close collaboration with faculty and industrial sponsors.

See the About REU page for additional information and application instructions.

The program is designed to provide a glimpse of the ways that advanced mathematics is used in the real world to solve complex problems. The students will work on problems which begin with a real-life problem generated by our industrial sponsors. They will work closely with a company representative to define the problem and develop solutions of immediate value to the company. They will be guided by a faculty advisor to maintain a clear focus on the mathematical issues at the core of the project.

What is the role of a mathematician in business and industry?
What is it like to work with technical experts on a problem that requires significant mathematics but also must satisfy real-world constraints?
What kind of mathematical and statistical tools are used to solve problems in business and industry?

The REU program at WPI will provide a unique experience that will answer these questions, an experience that will complement standard academic training.

In the past several years, faculty and students associated with the Center for Industrial Mathematics and Statistics at WPI have worked on many projects with local companies, including:

Allmerica Financial	MCI
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Morgan Construction Company
BOSE	Premier Insurance
Compaq	UTRC
John Hancock	Deka Research
Pfizer	State Street Global Advisors

Students in mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, and related fields are encouraged to apply. Students with background and interest in the following areas of mathematics are particularly encouraged to apply:

Applied Analysis	Numerical Analysis
Actuarial Mathematics	Operations Research
Applied Probability	Optimal Control
Applied Statistics	Mathematical Optimization
Differential Equations	Financial Mathematics

This program is co-funded by the ASSURE program of the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Site program under Award DMS-1004795.

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Last modified: Jul 07, 2010, 07:29 EDT