USC Campus-Tommy Trojan

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USC Campus-Tommy Trojan
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Ideas to improve the PhD program at USC

• Professor Francis Bonahon-USC Math Dept. Chair.
• Asher Shamam-Applied Math Student in the PhD
  program at USC

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Ideas for Improvements

• Holistic Mentoring
• PhD with minors

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First Key IdeaHolistic Individual Mentoring

• The Mentoring Triplet
• Informal monthly meeting
• Experimenting with different teaching formats
• Involve the alumni network

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The Mentoring Triplet

• Main mechanism connect each entering graduate
  student with one faculty member and one advanced
  graduate student
• Regular or need-based meetings bring the triplet
  together
• Occasionally attend each others classes as a
  role model and for feedback?

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Some benefits of the Triplet

• Entering student has a family - Feels in place
• The triplet meetings will serve to keep student
  on track
• Student can approach his mentors as
  issues/problems arise. The faculty member can
  serve as an advocate

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Informal Monthly Meetings

• Informal meeting will bring all the triplets
  together, in addition to any other interested
  graduate students
• Discussion can be teaching, research, upcoming
  exams, and other issues of interest
• Can be used as part of the activities of the CID

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New Teaching Format

• Lecture and Discussion section combined
• Professor lectures on a bite of material and
  gives the students a problem to work on
• TAs assist by roving around and helping
• TAs take over the lecture for 10-15 minute
  changing roles with Professor

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New Teaching format-Benefits

• More active role for undergraduates in the class
• Graduate student and professor can observe each
  others teaching - constant feedback
• Graduate student and professor can exchange
  roles, resulting in a better hands-on experience
  for the student

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Creating a better Alumni Network

• Efforts underway to create a viable Alumni
  network of former graduates.
• Directory that categorizes the areas where the
  alumni have been successfully integrated
• Involving Alumni in the graduate seminars and
  talks would strengthen the mentoring
  network-serve as an inspiration
• Graduate students can spear-head the initiative

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Mentoring till when?

• This holistic mentoring will continue until the
  student passes the screening exams, a thesis
  committee is formed, and the graduate student has
  roots firmly planted in the department

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Some concerns

• Triplet consists of three different
  personalities-not possible to predict success of
  the dynamics in general
• Time is the most scarce resource-students are
  busy advancing through program, and the faculty
  member is busy with his/her responsibilities

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Second key IdeaThe PhD

• The PhD a PhD with a minor
• Two possibilities
• PhD with a full fledged Master degree in another
  discipline (hard route)
• PhD with the restructured Masters degree in
  math with specialty (easier)

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PhD with a Master degree in another discipline

• Possible fields Computer Science, Computer
  Engineering, Biology, Electrical Engineering
• In the past, students have done this on their own
• Negotiations under way with the other departments
  to try to make it easier

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Restructuring Masters

• Main Theme is mathematical interconnections and a
  broad exposure to various disciplines and
  techniques
• Consolidation of the current program is the way
  to go

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PhD with MS in mathematics with specialization

• Replace four of the current six Masters programs
  with a single degree called MS in Mathematics
  with specialization
• Requires a certain number of classes outside of
  Math Department
• Possible specializations Applied Math, Core
  Math, Stats, Coding Theory, Math Biology, Math
  Econ/Finance, Computer Science, Engineering, and
  more.

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Some benefits of the PhD

• A larger intellectual breadth for the PhD program
• Restructured Masters would improve Doctoral
  education- more interdisciplinary
• PhD holder is more employable
• Existence of these programs makes Mathematics
  more attractive to prospective PhD students

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Conclusions

• Momentum for these Ideas is large
• Technical difficulties with the Masters
  restructuring are being tackled
• New teaching format seems to be a success

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• Thank You all !