Undergraduate Research

Three SU students with research projects at Joint mathematics meeting

Creativity is intelligence having fun.

Albert Einstein German-born Theoretical Physicist

Undergraduate Research is an important requirement for the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree. Most students complete their research under the direction of Seattle University mathematics faculty. However, students can choose to do an off-campus Research Experience for Undergraduates sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Below is a partial list of SU faculty advisors along with the students they have directed and the titles of their undergraduate research projects.

Dr. Jeff Boersema

Student Projects:

  • "Power Series for Square Matrices," with Allie Dykes, 2009-2010

Dr. John Carter

Student Projects:

  • “Faraday waves over uneven bathymetry,” with Benjamin Ries-Roncalli, Summer 2020-present
  • “The Whitham equation as a model of waves on deep water,” with Sarah Mahl, Fall 2020-Spring 2021
  • “A comparison of bidirectional Whitham models,” with Sal Calatola-Young, Spring 2019-Spring 2020
  • “Modeling the evolution of harmonics with generalized NLS equations,” with Hannah Potgieter, Winter 2019-Spring 2020
  • "Time-periodic solutions of the Whitham equation," with Christopher Ross, Spring 2018-Spring 2020
  • "Frequency downshift in ocean waves," with Camille Zaug, Spring 2018-Spring 2020
  • "Comparisons between frequency downshift models and experimental data,'' with Isabelle Butterfield, Spring 2016-Spring 2018
  • "Stability of solutions to the Whitham equation with surface tension,'' Morgan Rozman, Fall 2015-Spring 2018
  • "Generalizations of the viscous Dysthe system,'' with Sean Bassler, Spring 2016-Spring 2017
  • "Frequency downshift in a viscous fluid,'' with Alex Govan, Spring 2013-Spring 2015
  • "Viscosity in shallow water," with Ariana Mendible, Spring 2014-Spring 2015
  • "Viscous generalizations of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation," with Alex Govan, Spring 2013-Spring 2015

Dr. Shusen Ding

Student Projects:

  • "Characterizing Ls-averaging domains,” with Dylan Helliwell, Gavin Pandya, and Arya Yae, 2019
  • "Integral Norm Inequalities,” with Dylan Helliwell, Gavin Pandya, and Arthur Yae, 2018
  • "A linear regression of red blood count," with Alisa Yamarat, 2007-2008
  • "Two-weight Poincare inequalities for differential forms in averaging domains," with Philip Opperman, 2004-2006

Dr. Brian Fischer

Student Projects:

  • "Inferring neural connectivity from physiological responses," with Julia Gorman and Anna Miller, 2019
  • "Machine learning models of neural data," with Joseph Koblitz, 2018
  • "Statistical analysis of auditory-nerve data," with Jacob Wydick and Ethan Hunt, 2017
  • "Modeling coincidence detection," with Yeseul Park, 2016
  • "Neural implementation of Bayesian inference," with Dylan Rich, 2015
  • "Learning spatial selectivity in the auditory system," with Brandi Flemming, 2014
  • "Modeling Hebbian learning algorithms in the owl brain," with Allen Seydel, 2014

Dr. Dylan Helliwell

Student Projects:

  • "Characterizing Ls-averaging domains,” with Shusen Ding, Gavin Pandya, and Arya Yae, 2019
  • "Modelling ‘Flow’,” with Luke Luttrell, 2019
  • "Integral Norm Inequalities,” with Shusen Ding, Gavin Pandya, and Arthur (now Arya) Yae, 2018
  • "Apollonian sets in taxicab geometry,” with Eric Bahuaud, Shana Crawford, Aaron Fish, Anna Miller, Freddy Nungaray, Suki Shergill, Julian Tiffay, Nico Velez, 2018
  • "Taxicab Conics," with Emily Frost, 2011-2012
  • "Generalized Conic Sections," with Everett Sullivan, 2010-2012
  • "Taxicab Geometry," with Jade Gan 2007-2008

Dr. Allison Henrich

Student Projects:

  • “Orbits of smoothed pretzel links under the region smoothing change action,” with Colin Murphy and Professor David Neel, 2016-2018
  • “Trefoil parents,” with Justin Bryant, 2016-2017
  • “Knot lineage and fertile knots,” with Elsa Magness, Kayla Perez, and Brianna Zimmer, 2016
  • “The region unknotting game,” with Sarah Brown, Francisco Cabrera, Riley Evans, and Gianni Gibbs, 2015
  • “Minimal sets of pseudo-Reidemeister moves,” with Christopher Cericola and McKenzie Keeling-Garcia, 2013-2014
  • “Multicrossing knot diagrams,” with Christopher Cericola, Colin Murphy, and Jemin Shim, 2014
  • “Pseudoknots,” with Rebecca Hoberg, Lee Johnson, and Elizabeth Minten, 2012
  • “Knot coloring games,” with Kia Braha, Aaron Klingensmith, and Everett Sullivan, 2010-2012

Dr. Mark MacLean

Student Projects:

  • "Chip-firing games on graphs," with Sam Engle, 2013-2014
  • "Infinite classes of non-divisor graphs," with Libby Graff, 2008-2009
  • "Trees whose complements are divisor graphs," with Elizabeth Dick, 2006-2007
  • "A revisiting of Escher tilings," with Leland Jefferis, 2005-2006

Dr. David Neel

Student Projects:

  • "Characterizing Modularly Contractable GF(q) Representable Matroids," with Timothy Carstens, 2005-2008
  • "Linear Complexity of Distance-Regular and Distance-Transitive Graphs," with Thomas Shelly, 2006-2007

Dr. Katie Oliveras

Student Projects:

  • "Solving the Heat Equation on Various Domains," with Uyen Le, 2013 - present (co-advised with Dr. Bahuaud)
  • "Pressure underneath Traveling Water Waves," with Edward Charlesworth, 2012 - present
  • "Stability of Waves with Constant Vorticity," with Patrick Sprenger, 2012 - present
  • "Stability of Purely Capillary Waves," with Erica Yoshimoto, 2011-2012

Dr. Leanne Robertson

Student Projects:

  • “On Prime Labelings of Fibonacci Trees,” with Bayley Larsen, Hunter Lehman & Andrew Park, 2021
  • “Walking to Infinity along Gaussian Lines,” with Elsa Magness & Brian Nugent, 2021
  • “Gaussian Coprime Mappings,” with Julia Gorman & Hannah Potgieter, 2019
  • “Gaussian Lines and Gaussian-Prime Graphs,” with Elsa Magness & Brian Nugent, 2016-2018
  • “Coprime Mappings on n-Sets,” with Bayley Larsen, Hunter Lehmann, & Andrew Park, 2015-2016
  • “Prime Labelings of Trees,” with Bayley Larsen & Andrew Park, Spring 2015
  • "Power Integral Bases for prime Cyclotomic Fields," with Renee Russell, 2011-2012
  • "Monogenic Number Fields," with Michael Gehlke, 2009-2010
  • "Coprime Mappings and Prime Trees," with Benjamin Small, 2008-2009

Dr. J. McLean Sloughter

Student Projects:

  • "Quantitative Analysis of Barriers to Entry and Success in Undergraduate Engineering Programs for Under-Represented and Marginalized Populations", Nancy Mariano, Ranjani Sundaresan, Elena Volpi, 2017 - present  
  • "Assessment of Community Needs and Performance of Solar Microgrid Power Systems", various students, 2014 - present
  • "Calculus Oral Reviews Program Assessment," with Maria Principe, 2012-present
  • "Spatial Modeling of Jeffrey Pine Beetle Infestations," with Patrick Trainor, 2010-2012
  • "Statistical Predictors of Maternal Mortality in Latin America," with Anja Tjaden, 2010-2011

Dr. Donna Sylvester

Student Projects:

  • "Epidemiological Models for Zoonoses", with Christine Beal and Hannah Hogness, 2017-2019
  • "The Mathematics of Medical Imaging," with Charles Rackson, 2013-2014
  • "Locating Transmission Eigenvalues," with Michelle Nuzman, 2009-2011
  • "Transmission Eigenvalues," with Nicole Brown, 2008-2009
  • "The Answer Isn't So Sheer as the Shear Strength Goes to Zero: Fluids Cannot Be Bent," with Dr. Robert Odom and Caitlin McHugh, 2005-2006