EDGE-rs 2006	Profile
Sarah Bleiler Steton Hall University, NJ	Hi my name is Sarah Bleiler. I will be graduating from Seton Hall University this May with a major in Mathematics and a minor is Spanish. I was born and raised in New Jersey, near Atlantic City. Next year I will be attending graduate school at University of South Florida in Tampa, where I hope to earn a doctorate in mathematics. I have recently become very interested in the field of computational biology and hope to pursue that direction in my grad school research. Besides school and work, I spend most of my time hanging out with friends and family, shopping, and running! I absolutely love running and I hope to be able to complete a marathon sometime in the future.
Heather Dyson Smith College, MA	Hi, my name is Heather Dyson. I graduated from Smith College (Northampton, MA) in 2004, and have been working for Towers Perrin Reinsurance in Philadelphia for the past two years. I live in my hometown of Swarthmore, PA, with my fiancé, Matthew. In the fall I will be attending the math PhD program at Northwestern University. My math interest is algebra. My other interests include reading (mostly science fiction, fantasy, and the odd mystery), a couple of TV shows (CSI and House), crossword puzzles and ballroom dancing. I'm looking forward to meeting you all!
Tamara Flournoy
Erica Graham Bryn Mawr, College	Hi, ladies! My name is Erica, and I graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2004. I'm originally from Queens, NY, and I've been living and working in Charlotte, NC for the past two years. I will be attending the University of Utah in the fall, where I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Mathematics with an emphasis in Mathematical Biology. Though sleep ranks high on my list of favorite pastimes, I also enjoy listening to music, watching '24,' 'Bones,' 'House' and 'Lost,' and making myself dizzy on spectacularly huge roller coasters! I look forward to meeting all of you. See you soon!
Heather Harrington University of Massachusetts, MA	Hi, I'm a graduating senior majoring in applied mathematics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. This October, I'll be joining the mathematics department at Imperial College London where I will study in the Ph.D. program. My current interest is formulating mathematical models of biological processes and medical problems. I also row on the women's crew team and enjoy running. I can't wait to come to sunny Florida and I look forward to meeting everyone this summer!
Kathleen Kennedy The University of the South, Sewanee, SC	My name is Kathleen (Grace) Kennedy. I'm from Aiken, South Carolina and will be graduating from Sewanee: The University of the South with majors in mathematics and French. I am excited to get to study mathematics this summer to jump start my time in graduate school, where I think I want to pursue algebraic topology or a related field. I plan on beginning graduate school in mathematics in France next year—I hope in Marseille. Otherwise, I enjoy softball, being outside, playing trombone, and cooking. I can't wait to meet everyone!
Latrice Lamar Paine College, GA	Greetings. My name is Latrice Lamar. I am a recent graduate of Paine College (May 7, 2006) I have a Bachelors of Science degree in Mathematics. During my free time I enjoy playing basketball, softball, pool, tennis, and hanging out with my friends. I look forward to meeting everyone in June.
Megan McCormick Ohio State University, OH	hey! my name is Megan McCormick and I'm graduating this spring from Ohio State University with a math major and philosophy minor. I'll be attending the University of Kentucky next year for math graduate study and I'm pretty excited about it. Right now I am interested in geometry, but I'm pretty open to other areas too. I had some trouble finding a picture, but this is a good one, this is me and my best friend Mary, she is Korean and I'm the other one. This was a good day because the ice cream we are eating was free! I also like to rock climb and run and I'm very excited to meet you all.
Karen McCready The College of New Jersey, NJ	My name is Karen McCready. This is me (all the way to the left) with my sisters. I am a math major at The College of New Jersey and will be starting graduate school at Lehigh University in the fall. My area of interest is algebraic topology. Besides math, I also like to read, paint and spend time with family and friends. I am looking forward to learning more fun math this summer and meeting everyone!
Carolyn Otto University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, WI	Hello everyone!! First of all I am really excited to meet all of you. I am currently finishing my undergraduate work at UW-Eau Claire and this fall I will be attending Rice University. I am a pretty outgoing person, love to talk and I am funny sometimes. When I'm not working on math, you can find me reading, watching movies or stargazing. I love astronomy and work at the planetarium here at school. Mathematics is obviously a really big passion of mine and I like math jokes, so if you have any please send them to me.
Ellen Peterson Wittenberg University, OH	Hi my name is Ellen Peterson. I will be graduating from Wittenberg University Ohio with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Computational Science. I currently live in Ohio and have considered it my home for most of my life. This fall I will be attending North Carolina State University to pursue a doctorate in Applied Mathematics. I am really excited about this new step and look forward to starting it out this summer in this program. I enjoy playing tennis, reading, running, and generally just being outside.
Carly Williams University of Connecticut	Hi. My name is Carly Williams. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2005 with a bachelors degree in applied mathematics. Next year I will be returning to the University of Connecticut to pursue a doctorate in mathematics. Besides math I enjoy learning foreign languages and playing all kinds of sports.
Shelby Wilson Spelman College, GA	Hello Everyone! My name is Shelby Wilson and I am from Milledgeville, GA. I am a recent graduate of Spelman College with majors in Mathematics and Computer Science. In the fall, I will begin pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics at the University of Maryland, College Park. In my spare time I enjoy working out, sleeping, watching TV, and doing anything fun. I look forward to seeing you all in Florida!
Biji Wong Pomona College, CA	"Hi! I am really looking forward to mathematically getting my feet wet (more likely, soaked), having spent the past three years teaching high school mathematics. I graduated from Pomona College (in California) in 2003 and will be starting a Ph.D. in Geometric Topology (Knot Theory) at Indiana University in the fall. I grew up in New York City and in my spare time avoid working out as much as possible. I watch a lot of movies; High Fidelity is by far my favorite, the French movie Read My Lips is a very close second. I also voted for Howard Dean."
Carmen Wright Oakwood College, AL	My name is Carmen Wright and I will be graduating from Oakwood College this upcoming May with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. I will also be getting a minor in Computer Science. I currently live in North Carolina, but was born and raised in Connecticut. My current plans include going for my doctorate in mathematics at the University of Iowa starting in August. My favorite activities include reading, playing racquetball, tennis, and basketball, and hanging out with friends. I think it’s going to be an exciting summer!

Mentors	Profile
Alejandra Alvarado & Devina Arizona State University, AZ	Hey, my name is Alejandra and I am a graduate student at Arizona State University. My research interest lies in Elliptic Curve Cryptography, and "plan" to graduate May 2008. I am blessed with a beautiful daughter named Devina. We are originally from San Jose, California, but have lived in Arizona for the past five years. I ran my first half marathon in December and will be running my first full marathon in October. I was an EDGE participant in 2002, and am thrilled to be returning this year.
Sarah Douthitt Purdue University, IN	My name is Sarah Douthitt. I graduated from Berea College (in Kentucky) in 2002, and I have been at Purdue since then. I'm working with Dr. Banuelos, and I'm interested in analysis and probability. Besides school (when there's time!) I love reading and cooking. I'm getting married in May, and my fiancé Lance is also a grad student in math. I was a participant in EDGE in 2002, with Alejandra, and I was a mentor last year. I really look forward to meeting everyone and having a fun summer.
Emille Davie University of Georgia, GA	Hello all! My name is Emille Davie (right), and I am a member of EDGE c/o 2001. I am a fifth year student in the mathematics department at the University of Georgia, where Clint McCrory and Will Kazez are my major professors. My research interests include mapping class groups of surfaces, 3-manifolds, braids, and links. When I am not doing mathematics, I enjoy practicing ballet, cooking, doing aerobics, playing Scrabble, and reading Newsweek, Vogue, and W magazines. I am a proud alumna of the renowned Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Instructors	Profile
Dr. Tara Brendle Louisiana State University, LA	Hello, 20006 EDGE students! I am Tara Brendle, and I'll be teaching the first two weeks of your algebra course. I first became involved with this program as an undergraduate math major at Haverford College in its previous incarnation, "The Bryn Mawr-Spelman Summer Program for Undergraduates" back in 1993, and then later served as a graduate student mentor for the same program. When the program shifted its focus to become EDGE, I served again as a graduate student mentor from its inception in 1998 until I got my PhD from Columbia a few years later. While a post-doc at Cornell, I returned to EDGE as a short course instructor in 2003, and now, one year after starting a tenure-track position at Louisiana State University, I am so excited to be teaching the algebra course this year! It's been fun reading everyone's profiles, and I look forward to meeting all of you. One last thing -- I second everything Ulrica says, so make sure to take careful note of all her comments!
Dr. Yewande Olubummo Spelman College, GA	Hello 2006 EDGE’rs, My name is Yewande Olubummo and I will be teaching the first two weeks of the Analysis course. I am a faculty member at Spelman College and have been teaching at Spelman since 1991. My main research interest is in the area of Functional Analysis, specifically, duality in Banach spaces. I was an instructor in the EDGE program in 2001, 2002 and 2003, and I was the EDGE local coordinator in 2004. I am excited to be teaching in the program once again this year. EDGE is a wonderful program and I have no doubt that each of you will gain a lot from the experience. I look forward to meeting you all in a few weeks.
Ami Radunskaya Pomona College, CA	Greetings, 2006 EDGE'rs. My name is Ami Radunskaya (known to my students as "Dr. Rad") and I'll be your analysis instructor for the second two weeks, so watch out! Although we'll be enjoying FUNctions, we'll also be doing some challenging problems. I've been part of the EDGE family since 1998, mostly teaching analysis. In 2003 I was the local director when the summer program was held at my institution: Pomona College in Claremont, California, just outside of Los Angeles, and this picture is of me receiving "THE PLATE" as a symbol of that responsibility. Why do I do this every year? Because I love mathematics, and I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with you; because each year I meet a new cohort of fantastic people; because I love to learn, and I always bring away at least as much as I give: from you the students, from the mentors and instructors, and from my OWN mentors, Rhonda and Sylvia. My mathematical background is in ergodic theory and dynamical systems, and, recently, my research has led me in the direction of cancer tumor modeling. I like to collaborate, and this year I've been working with my colleague Lisette de Pillis of Harvey Mudd College and Sarah Hook of the University of Otago, in New Zealand. I'll be giving a talk later this summer on my research at the SIAM conference in Boston at a session called "Women at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology".
Dr. Ulrica Wilson Claremont McKenna College, CA	Hello 2006 EDGE'rs! I am Ulrica Wilson and I joined the EDGE family in 1999 as a graduate mentor and I am proud to say that since then I have been involved in the EDGE program in some capacity every year. This year I am thrilled to be teaching the Algebra course in the second two weeks of the program. I am currently doing a post-doc at Claremont McKenna College in southern California and my research straddles two areas of mathematics---algebra and number theory. This summer you will be introduce to an extraordinary infrastructure, called EDGE. I encourage you to take full advantage of the formal and informal opportunities that will come to you via EDGE, not only this summer but also throughout your graduate education and beyond. I challenge each of you to actively seek and discover how EDGE can best serve you so that you will be better prepared for the subtleties of academic life and the rigor of graduate level mathematics. Congratulations. I look forward to meeting you all. Have a great first two weeks and I will join you on the Saturday of reunion weekend. With best wishes, Ulrica

Mini Class Instructor

Profile

Dr. Pat McDonald

New College of Florida

Hi! I am Pat McDonald. I am a Professor of Mathematics at New College of Florida where I have been for the last decade. Broadly construed, my research interests are in Geometric Analysis. I particularly enjoy working on problems which lie in the intersection of a number of fields (primarily geometry, partial differential equations, probability and mathematical physics). Such problems offer a number of attractive benefits; in particular, they provide individuals an opportunity to discover their own strengths and interests in the context of working on a specific research project. During my lectures I will discuss a number of such problems in hopes that everyone can find something of interest on which to work. I look forward to getting started!

Difficult Dialogues Coordinator

Profile

Dr. Sarah Hernandez

New College of Florida

Greetings! I am Sarah Hernandez. At New College I teach Sociology. My research focuses on the organization of work and labor movements. However, my teaching is broader, I also have taught courses on the Sociology of Development (Third World development), Race and Ethnic Relations, and Gender studies. I agreed to coordinate the Difficult Dialogs Seminar, which I anticipate will be a very enriching experience for all of us. I look forward to getting to know each of you at our sessions.

EDGE Directors

Profile

Dr. Sylvia Bozeman

Spelman College, GA

Hello 2006 EDGE'rs! I am Sylvia Bozeman, co-director of EDGE with Rhonda Hughes. I am also a member of the faculty at Spelman College in Atlanta where I just completed a semester teaching Differential Equations and a Senior Seminar in Mathematics (using topics in linear algebra). One of my favorite teaching activities is to supervise students in independent study projects on image processing and related topics.

I remember my graduate school days at Vanderbilt University and at Emory University, some parts more clearly than others. I look forward to discussing your choices of institutions. In my other life, I am married with two adult children (and two more children whom they married) and two grandchildren.

I welcome you into the EDGE family. We began EDGE in 1998 with eight students and a goal of helping women to have a better experience in their mathematics graduate programs. Over the eight years since, EDGE has become a supportive community for scores of women graduate students cheering each other on to success. You will bring the number of EDGE participants to a glorious 105. It will be a pleasure to meet each one of you.

Dr. Eirini Poimenidou has taken great care to prepare for your arrival at New College. See you there.

Dr. Rhonda Hughes

Bryn Mawr College, PA

Hi, EDGE'rs! I'm Rhonda Hughes, and I've been Co-Director with
Sylvia Bozeman since EDGE was born in 1998. I've been a professor at Bryn Mawr College for a very long time, and my research is in the area of functional analysis and operator theory. Most recently, I've been working in the area of ill-posed partial differential equations.
We are so excited about this summer's program, and can't wait to meet you. You will be in great hands with Local Coordinator Eirini Poimenidou, an old friend and great mathematician and teacher. The instructors will be fabulous, as they've all been with EDGE for many years, and the mentors are all former EDGE'rs. We've assembled a program we hope will help you in your mathematical journey. I'll be arriving in the first week, and look forward to getting to know you all well. Best, Rhonda

Local EDGE Coordinator

Profile

Dr. Eirini Poimenidou

New College of Florida, FL

Hi EDGE'rs 2006! I feel very privileged to be part of the EDGE family and to be putting together this year's program. I am Eirini (pronounced ee-REE-nee) Poimenidou and I have just completed my thirteenth year of teaching at New College, the Honors College of the state of Florida. My mathematical interests are in Algebra and in particular character theory of finite groups, algebraic combinatorics, number theory and graph theory.

In addition to hosting the EDGE program this summer, I am also hosting the 2nd PascGalois Undergraduate Research Retreat at New College, an NSF funded program , taking place the week before the EDGE program begins. So I am busy this summer!!

Rhonda and Sylvia have been my role models for many years and I know they will become yours too. The instructors and the mentors are wonderful and we all refer to them as the "Dream Team" as I am sure you will agree.

Can't wait to meet you.

Local EDGE Assistant Coordinator

Profile

Elena Jeliazkova

New College of Florida, FL

Hi, my name is Elena Jeliazkova and this fall I am transferring from the University of Florida to New College. As Prof. Poimenidou's assistant you will most probably see me dashing around between classes and at events arranging things and helping out. I am very excited to be a part of the EDGE program. I am looking forward to meeting all of you!

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