UT Math has been awarded a RTG grant in Geometry and Topology
Thirteen faculty members in Geometry/Topology were recently awarded a new,
highly competitive, RTG (Research Training Group) grant from the NSF
(NFS Award).
Over a
five year span, this award will provide $2.5M to enhance the training of
undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in Geometry
and Topology. It builds on the successes of the separate Geometry and
Topology RTGs which were awarded in 2007. Many of the activities have a
strong web presence, so will influence students and researchers far beyond
the University of Texas. All RTG activities are designed around a unified
perspective on Geometry and Topology. They include a healthy mix of ideas
from low dimensional topology, algebraic geometry, differential geometry,
global linear and nonlinear analysis, geometric group theory, geometric
representation theory, and homotopy theory; often concepts and inspiration
from theoretical physics play an important role as well. The RTG training
activities are designed to promote this unified view of Geometry and Topology
and, more broadly, of Mathematics and Science to young mathematicians.
The new RTG will build on the great success of the UT Undergraduate
Mathematics Club, which was revitalized under the previous RTG, by adding a
Directed Reading Program which will pair undergraduate students with graduate
mentors. Other continuing programs include public lectures, Perspectives in
Geometry and Topology lecture series, a visitor program, and a Graduate
Literature class.
New initiatives include a novel First Cut lecture series
to introduce core topics in Geometry and Topology; a weekly Journal Seminar
for all Geometry/Topology graduate students, to be run by the
Geometry/Topology postdocs;
a new yearly Undergraduate Mathematics
Conference; and a new series of Graduate Winter Schools for graduate students
and postdocs from around the United States and beyond.
Dan Freed is the Principal Investigator (PI) on the new Geometry/Topology RTG; Dan Knopf and Alan Reid are the co-PIs. The grant includes ten other faculty members: Daniel Allcock, David Ben-Zvi, Andrew Blumberg, Cameron Gordon, Sean Keel, John Luecke, Andy Neitzke, Hossein Namazi, Tim Perutz, and Lorenzo Sadun.