David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute
David Harold Blackwell is widely regarded as the top African-American mathematician of the 20th century. As the first African-American elected to the National Academy of Sciences who made seminal contributions to the fields of statistics, economics, probability theory, and information theory, he epitomized the word excellence in all fields he touched. This program aims to honor Blackwell’s legacy by attempting to increase the number of undergraduate students who aspire to achieve his level of excellence and widen participation of African-American men and women in obtaining PhDs in the mathematical sciences. This research program will take place on the UCLA and UC Berkeley campuses, from June 21 to July 30, 2021. The last week of the program includes a trip to Berkeley, where all program participants will meet with each other and share their work, hosted by the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing. African Americans comprise 4% of PhDs in engineering and 3% of PhDs in mathematics granted from 2010-2020.
The David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute will be led by Profs. Todd Coleman (UCSD Bioengineering), Wilfrid Gangbo (UCLA Math), and Jelani Nelson (UC Berkeley EECS), who will mentor the students directly.
The David Harold Blackwell Summer Research Institute is a six-week competitive summer activity designed to provide research experience to talented undergraduate students. Students will conduct research in Applied Probability, Analysis, or Theoretical Computer Science, under the supervision of faculty members who are experts in these areas.
During the program, each participant will:
- conduct research on one of the UC Campuses under the direction of a faculty member.
- receive funding for six weeks of lodging, meals and incidentals.
- receive funding for one round-trip travel to California. Those mentees not in Berkeley will receive additional funding for week 6 travel to Berkeley, to meet with each other.
After the six-week program, each participant will:
- continue receiving advice from their program mentor for graduate school applications.
- get connected as needed to students with more experience.
More information about the Institute, the summer program, and the professors involved can be found here: https://ww3.math.ucla.edu/david-harold-blackwell-summer-research-institute/.
Applicants must be students enrolled in a U.S. institution. Preference will be given to applicants in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th year. Interested students should apply through https://www.mathprograms.org/db/programs/991 and and should provide transcripts, a statement of purpose, a diversity statement, a CV, and the names and contact information of two faculty members who will provide letters of recommendation. We expect this to be a competitive process. Applications received by January 31, 2021 will be given full consideration.
Questions? Please contact DHBSRI@math.ucla.edu.