A&M International Mathematics Students Headed For Puerto Rico

Three Texas A&M International University mathematics students will spend part of their summer in Puerto Rico studying modern mathematical topics at the University of Puerto Rico - Humacao.

The students, Maribel Mitsui, Anali Novoa-Barraza, and Juan Sauceda, will participate in the 1998 Summer Institute in Mathematics for Undergraduates (SIMU), a prestigious six-week academic and research program to be conducted at the University of Puerto Rico - Humacao June 22 - August 1.

Mathematics and science students from top universities across the US and Puerto Rico applied for the program. Of those who applied, only 30 students were selected, including the three applicants from A&M International.

The three students were aided with the SIMU application process by Dr. Sanjay Rai and Dr. Robert Robertson, both assistant professors of mathematics at A&M International.

Mitsui, Novoa-Barraza, and Sauceda are all seniors majoring in mathematics.

Mitsui, a graduate of Cigarroa High School, is minoring in psychology and computer information systems and will graduate in May 1999. She plans to pursue a masters degree in mathematics before entering a career in higher education or cryptography. She and husband Carlos Mitsui have a 3-year-old daughter, Tiffani.

Novoa-Barraza, a graduate of Nixon High School, is minoring in biology and will graduate in December 1998. She plans to pursue both masters and doctoral degrees in mathematics. After completing her studies, she hopes to become a professor of mathematics at A&M International. A member of the University's Math Club, she is the daughter of Minerva N. Gonzalez and Evaristo Barraza.

Sauceda, a graduate of the Laredo Christian Center, will graduate in May 1999 with a double major in mathematics and English. He will pursue masters and doctoral degrees in mathematics and hopes to teach mathematics at the University level. He is the son of Juan and Lilia Sauceda.

For their participation in the SIMU program , the students will each receive round trip travel to Humacao, Puerto Rico; room and board; and a $2000 stipend. In Puerto Rico, they will attend colloquium talks by leading mathematicians, conduct undergraduate mathematical research, and participate in seminars and computer laboratories on one of two modern topics in mathematics, Gröbner Bases or Computational Number Theory.

The seminar on Gröbner Bases will be directed by John Little, an expert in Gröbner bases and one of the authors of Ideals, Varieties and Algorithms. Gröbner Bases, one of the most important computational tools in algebraic geometry, is used in geometric design, coding theory and robotics.

The seminar on Computational Number Theory will be directed by Carlos Moreno, a worldwide expert in number theory and algebraic geometry and author of Algebraic Curves Over Finite Fields. Cryptography and the quadratic reciprocity law will also be studied.

The students will also have an opportunity to participate in cultural and recreational activities in Puerto Rico.

For more information on A&M International's participation in the SIMU program in Puerto Rico, please contact Dr. Rai, 326-2593, or Dr. Robertson, 326-2590. University office hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday. Drs. Rai and Robertson may also be contacted via email at srai@tamiu.edu or rrobertson@tamiu.edu, respectively.

Information on the University's mathematics program may be obtained from the University's Home Page on the World Wide Web.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu