Upcoming Events
| Date/Time | Location | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, November 15th, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Hunting for Particles Predicted by Symmetry; a talk by Dr. Rachel Houtz | Abstract: Our Standard Model of particle physics describes nature to extraordinary precision, but cannot be the full picture. The Standard Model lacks an explanation for both dark matter and neutrino masses, and at times relies on fine tuning of parameters to match experimental evidence. Many resolutions of these problems point towards the existence of new symmetries at higher energies. Since these proposed symmetries are not manifest at energy scales we have probed, they must be hidden in our low energy regime. An intriguing signal of such hidden symmetry is a new light particle: a pseudo-Goldstone boson. In this talk, I will first explain what a pseudo-Goldstone boson is, and then I will give an example of one we have seen in nature: the pion. Next, I will illustrate how a pseudo-Goldstone boson called the axion could help solve the so-called, "Strong CP problem," explaining why charge and parity (CP) symmetry violation is missing in the strong nuclear force. Then, I will present models of heavy axions and strategies to search for them. Towards the end of my talk, I will also give an overview of my own career path, highlighting the challenges, adventures, and rewards I have experienced on my journey studying theoretical particle physics. |
Past Events
| Date/Time | Location | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, October 30th, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT225` | Spooooky GBM #3 | |
| Friday, October 27th, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT237 | How To Study Physics: a Primer; a talk by Dr. Kathryn Mcgill | Abstract: Since joining the UF Department of Physics as teaching faculty in 2018, I have had hundreds of conversations with students about their study habits for the introductory physics courses I teach every semester. Typically these conversations occur as the result of poor performance on the first exam of the course. In this seminar, I will present my advice for studying physics, as well as some observations of common struggles students have with the subject. |
| Monday, October 23rd, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Spring registration social | |
| Monday, October 16th, 2023, 5:00pm | LIT237 | Graduate school panel with UMS | |
| Monday, October 2nd, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT225 | GBM #2 | |
| Thursday, September 28, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Talk by Dr. Sanethia Thomas | |
| Monday, September 11, 2023, 4:00pm | LIT221 | Welcome event GBM #1 | Join us for the first event of the school year |
| Monday, April 17th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | GBM | Our last event of the semester! |
| Wednesday, April 12th, 2023, 4:00pm | Little Hall Atrium (3rd floor) | Annual AWM Colloquium; Set Theory and the Powerset Function | Dr. Dima Sinapova from Rutgers University, abstract: Set theory is the study of the foundations of mathematics, and is rooted in analyzing properties of infinite sets. Historically, the first breakthrough was by Cantor, who proved that the cardinality of the real numbers is strictly bigger that the cardinality of the natural numbers. Namely, there is no bijection between them. More generally, any infinite set has strictly smaller cardinality than its powerset. After Cantor's theorem, the natural question emerged whether there is something in between. This became known as the Continuum Hypothesis (CH), which states that the answer is no: any infinite subset of the reals is either countable or there is a bijection between it and all the reals. CH became Hilbert's First Problem. It was finally resolved by works of Godel (in 1940) and Cohen (in 1964) who showed that CH is independent of the usual mathematical axioms (ZFC). That means that neither CH, not its negation is a logical consequence of the ZFC axioms. Since Cohen's work, modern set theory investigates ZFC constraints (i.e. "what is necessary") versus consistency results (i.e. "what is possible"). We will survey these results and then focus on some recent developments in the study of infinite sets. |
| Wednesday, April 5th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | Choose Your Own Adventure: The Non-traditional Route of a Computer Scientist; a talk by Dr. Sanethia Thomas | Abstract: In this talk, Dr. Sanethia Thomas will share her story of how she took her passions as an athlete and used her experiences to and create her own nontraditional path as a Computer Scientist. Her talk will inspire you to look within your own self, identify your passions and be inspired to create your own path to greatness. |
| Monday, April 3rd, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | Think Like a Hacker – An Introduction to Adversarial Thinking; a talk by Professor Resch | Abstract: What do you think of when you think of cybersecurity? Crypto algorithms? Firewalls? Passwords? You may think of technology when you think of cybersecurity, but cybersecurity is only necessary because of the existence of people who deliberately attack computer systems and networks. Often cybersecurity is defined by the CIA triad of confidentiality, integrity and availability. In this talk, we’ll learn about another triad: bounty, bad guys and barriers. At its heart, cybersecurity is an adversarial conflict between the bad guys who are trying to get their hands on the bounty and the good guys who are trying to protect the bounty. In order to practice cybersecurity effectively, one must pay careful attention to what computer hackers are thinking: • What are their objectives? • How might they go about achieving their objectives? This mindset is known as adversarial thinking. Cybersecurity is about understanding technology, finding and fixing vulnerabilities, and anticipating future attacks. That third part is the most overlooked part of cybersecurity. In this talk we will look at anticipating future attacks through strategic thinking. We will look at elements of game theory as applied to cybersecurity, and do some exercises to demonstrate strategic thinking. |
| Wednesday, March 29th, 2023, 5:00pm | Reitz Union Arts & Crafts Center (lower level) | Paint-a-Pot Social | Get together with fellow AWM members at the Reitz Union Arts & Crafts Center for some pottery painting! The AWM will cover the member + glaze fee. Members will pay for their selected pottery piece, which range from $5 - 17. |
| Tuesday, March 28th, 2023, 6:00pm | Zoom ID: 970 8049 1773 Password: 106673 | UMS/AWM Graduate Applications Panel | |
| Monday, March 27th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | Causality; a talk by Dr. Papadogeorgou | Abstract: In this talk, I will discuss establishing causality from data. I will introduce basic notions in causal inference such as potential outcomes and causal estimands. Then, I will discuss a few applications I have been involved with in studying the causal effects of various interventions in the context of environmental and political science applications. This talk will be largely non-technical, aiming to describe how statistical and causal inference methodology can help improve our understanding of cause-effect relationships in different research areas. |
| Monday, March 20th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | Summer/Fall Registration GBM | |
| Monday, March 6th, 2023, 6:00pm | Marston Library | Study Hall | |
| Monday, February 20th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | GBM and Study Hall | |
| Wednesday, February 15th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | Efficient Numerical Methods for Weak Solutions of Partial Differential Equations; a talk by Dr. Wang | Abstract: Approximating weak solutions of partial differential equations (PDEs) is known to be important and extremely challenging in scientific computing and data science. In this talk, the speaker will discuss two kinds of numerical methods for weak solutions: (1) Primal-Dual Weak Galerkin (PDWG) finite element methods for low-dimensional PDEs; and (2) Deep Learning methods (Friedrichs Learning) for high-dimensional PDEs. The essential idea of PDWG is to interpret the numerical solutions as a constrained minimization of some functionals with constraints that mimic the weak formulation of the PDEs by using weak derivatives. The resulting Euler-Lagrange formulation results in a symmetric scheme involving both the primal variable and the dual variable (Lagrangian multiplier). Friedrichs Learning is a novel deep learning methodology that could learn the weak solutions of PDEs via a mini-max optimization characterization of the original problem. The speaker will explain what Friedrichs Learning is and how it can be used for solving PDEs with discontinuous solutions without any prior knowledge of the solution discontinuity. |
| Wednesday, January 25th, 2023, 4:05pm | LIT225 | GBM and social | First event of the Spring semester! |
| Monday, November 28th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | GBM and social | Our last event of the fall semester! |
| Thursday, November 3rd, 2022, 6:00pm | Zoom | LaTeX seminar with UMS and GMA | |
| Monday, October 31st, 2022, 5:30pm | LIT225 | Spooky study hall | |
| Wednesday, October 26th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Multispectral Analysis and Deep Learning for Life Science and Biomedical Research; a talk by Dr. Corey Toler-Franklin | Abstract: In this talk, I will present an overview of my recent work developing multispectral analysis algorithms, and deep learning models for application in life science and biomedical research. Several plant and animal species are more comprehensively understood by multispectral analysis. However, traditional non-photorealistic illustrative techniques ignore unique information outside the visible spectrum. I will present new rendering techniques that use near-infrared and ultraviolet spectra to visualize layered materials found in biological specimens. I will then discuss a texture transfer framework that extends this work to reconstruct invisible (or faded) appearance properties in organic materials with complex color patterns. Key contributions include a novel ultraviolet illumination system that records changing material property distributions, and a color reconstruction algorithm that uses spherical harmonics and principles from chemistry and biology to learn relationships between color (hue and saturation) and material composition and concentration in an exemplar. Finally, I will explain a novel algorithm that extends the effective receptive field of a convolutional neural network for multi-scale detection of cancerous tumors in high resolution slide scans. The results permit efficient real-time analysis of medical images in pathology and related biomedical research fields. |
| Monday, October 24th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Spring registration social | |
| Wednesday, October 19th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Cyber-physical System Security; a talk by Dr. Sara Rampazzi | Abstract: Rampazzi's lab research core is cyber-physical system security and privacy. By exploiting sensors and electronic components' flaws, attackers can get the upper hand against even the most carefully designed system. Attack results range from extracting sensitive information by observing unintentional emissions through physical parameters (e.g., electromagnetic radiation), to undermining the system's capacity to acquire correctly, process, and interpret external stimuli. For instance, injecting inaudible signals using light through microphones, can induce voice-controlled smart devices into executing unauthorized commands while providing false inputs to LiDARs, and cameras can induce vehicles to perceive non-existent obstacles. This talk will present some examples of the research conducted by prof. Sara Rampazzi's Lab team, and hints on how to design better and safe cyber-physical systems. |
| Wednesday, October 5th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | My Work and the Things That Move Me; a talk by professor Carol Demas | Abstract: I will briefly cover the following (no more than ten minutes per section): Two of my past research projects--optimization of gas separation in oscillating flow and optimization of water resource management. My teaching history and philosophy and how it has evolved. Johann Sebastian Bach's music and why I love it. My dogs and some issues with inbreeding and pigmentation. |
| Monday, October 3rd, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | GBM #2 | |
| Wednesday, September 21st, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | Using Mathematics to Understand the Growth and Treatment of Cancer; a talk by Dr. Tracy Stepien | Abstract: More than 1.9 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2022 in the U.S. according to the American Cancer Society. While treatment is generally successful for some types of cancer, there are many types of cancer where the survival rate is very low after diagnosis. Alongside clinical and experimental studies, researchers are turning to mathematical modeling to try to elucidate how cancer starts and spreads, and how we can treat it. In this talk, I will discuss the fundamental mathematics of tumor growth and then model the growth and treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer that is extremely fatal. |
| Thursday, September 15th, 2022, 6:00pm | LIT113 | Undergraduate Research Panel with UMS | |
| Wednesday, September 7th, 2022, 4:00pm | LIT225 | GBM | Join us for our first GBM of the semester and school year! Snacks and refreshments provided! |
| Friday, April 15th, 2022, 5:00pm | LIT121 | Joint social with University Math Society | |
| Monday, April 11th, 2022, 4:05 (tea at 3:30) | Tea in Little Hall Atrium, talk in LIT109 | Colloquium by Dr. Susanne Brenner; Computational Mathematics | Abstract: This is a talk for a general audience. We will first take a look at computational instruments and mathematical algorithms from ancient times to the twenty-first century. We will then discuss the role of mathematics in computing and present some real life examples of computational mathematics in action. Finally, we will provide some information on career opportunities. |
| Wednesday, March 23rd, 2022, 4:30pm | LIT127 | GRE study group | Review practice exams, sample questions, and study guides with your peers to prepare for the GRE and math subject test! |
| Monday, March 21st, 2022, 4:30pm | LIT125 | Registration GBM and Social | |
| Wednesday, March 18th, 2022, 4:15pm | Little Hall Atrium | Spring Study Hall | |
| Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022, 5:00pm | LIT233 | Intro to Abstract Topological Dynamics; a talk by Dr. Bartosova | Abstract: I will give a preview of abstract topological dynamics, which studied abstract groups actions on sets, but both the groups and the sets are equipped with a topology, which the action needs to respect. I will hint its relationships to combinatorics, algebra, set theory, and model theory. |
| Friday, February 11th, 2022, 4:00pm | Zoom | Using Mathematics to Predict Which Cancer Patients Will Respond to Immunotherapy; a talk by Dr. Helen Moore | Abstract: Immunotherapies don't work for most cancer patients; but when they do work, they can work extremely well. So it is important to figure out as early as possible if a patient will be a "responder" or a "non-responder". I will present a simple mathematical model for patient tumor sizes. I combined the model parameters with machine learning to create an early predictor of response/non-response. I will show how I validated the predictor on data sets for different cancer types and immunotherapies. Bio: Dr. Helen Moore graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her PhD in differential geometry in 1995 from Stony Brook University, but soon switched her research to optimizing patient therapies. While in academia, she won two teaching awards and received a National Science Foundation grant for her research. Dr. Moore worked as a math modeler and manager in the biopharma industry 2006-2021, including roles at big biopharma companies (Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and AstraZeneca) and at small consulting companies (Certara and Applied BioMath). In 2018, Dr. Moore was named a SIAM Fellow; in 2021, she returned to academia and joined the faculty of the Laboratory of Systems Medicine at UF. |
| Monday, January 31st, 2022, 6:00pm | Zoom | Graduate admissions and industry panel with UMS | |
| Wednesday, January 19th, 2022, 4:00pm | Little Hall Atrium | GBM and Social | Join us for the first GBM of the Spring semester! Learn more about the club and upcoming events, and catch up with your peers! |
| Wednesday, December 1st, 2021, 6:00pm | LIT205 | Study Hall | Enjoy festive holiday treats while studying for finals and catching up with your peers before Winter break! |
| Wednesday, November 10th, 2021, 5:00pm | LIT 217 | An Introduction to Optimal Control and Its Applications; a talk by Mahya Aghaee | Abstract: This talk will provide a brief introduction to the branch of applied mathematics known as Optimal Control. Due to the growing complexity of optimal control applications, approximate solutions are often obtained by numerical algorithms. Presented will be some real-world problems such as an SIR Epidemiological model and a model of tumor growth under angiogenic inhibitors. |
| Thursday, October 28th, 2021, 5:00pm | Little Hall Atrium | Study Hall | With Halloween (and exams) around the corner, join us for our spooky study hall! Hot drinks and holiday treats provided. |
| Monday, October 4th, 2021, 4:00pm | LIT 207 | GBM and Social | |
| Thursday, September 16th, 2021, 5:00pm | LIT 201 | GBM | Join us for our first GBM of the 2021-2022 school year! |
| Thursday, October 15th, 2020, 4:05pm | Zoom | GBM | Featured speaker: Iryna Hartsock, UF, on An Introduction to Topological Data Analysis. Plus: A discussion led by Churni Gupta on Maryam Mirzakhani. And: Executive committee elections! |
| (Postponed) (previously Monday, April 6th, 2020) | n/a | Lunch and Discussion with Professor Sue Brenner | Lunch and discussion with our AWM Colloquium speaker, Professor Sue Brenner |
| (Postponed) (previously Monday, April 6th, 2020) | n/a | First annual AWM Colloquium Talk | First annual AWM Colloquium Talk, given by Professor Sue Brenner of Louisiana State University. This lecture is partially funded by the UF Center for Applied Mathematics. |
| Monday, February 1st, 2020, 5:00pm | Zoom | GBM and Social | During our GBM, join us to hear about who we are and what we’re doing this semester. Stay immediately after for a social to play games with us and get to know everyone! |
| Thursday, January 23rd, 2020, 5-7:00pm | LIT 201 | GBM | |
| Wednesday, October 30th, 2019, 5:30 pm | LIT 201 | GBM and info session for AMS Sectional Meeting |