Month: December 2015

We have several new members of the Mathematical Sciences Department, and a few familiar faces have taken on new roles in the department.

Our new Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies, Eliza Gallagher, is in her seventh year as a lecturer at Clemson University. Before coming to Clemson, she was a tenured Associate Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education at California State University, Chico. Her mathematical research in graduate school at NCSU was in topological algebra, specifically linearly compact topological rings. For the past sixteen or so years, though, her research interests have been in mathematics education and professional development for teachers. She is particularly interested in developing materials for helping people make the transition from being a student of mathematics to being an effective teacher of mathematics.

Veronica (Connie) McClain is our newest member of our staff. She comes to us with 15+ years of Accounting, Bookkeeping and Property Management experience. Connie enjoys cooking, crafts and spending time with her husband, Billy, and her 2 children, Michalia and Tessa.
Judith McKnew assumed the position of Coordinator of Instruction in May of this year. During her twelve years with the MATH department she has coordinated MATH 2070 and MATH 1010, and taught courses in quantitative literacy, business calculus and statistics. Prior to joining the Department she taught OR and STAT in the Department of Management. She earned a BS in Construction Science, an MS in Industrial Management and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, all from Clemson University. Her checkered past includes working construction (really) and for the Department of Energy. She and Mark have five children, four cats, three dogs and thirteen chickens. She likes to cook, garden and read.

Dr. Jason W. Osborne is Clemson’s recently installed Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Osborne’s home department is Mathematical Sciences. He came to Clemson from the University of Louisville, where he chaired the Educational and Counseling Psychology department, and was founding co-director of the Center for Educational Research, Policy, and Evaluation. He is author of over 70 articles, many on best practices in quantitative methods, and several books. His work has been cited over 9000 times according to Google Scholar. Dr. Osborne’s Ph.D. was in educational psychology. He is an ASA-accredited professional statistician, and looks forward to getting to know the members of his new department.

Yuyuan “Lance” Ouyang was born in Hunan Province of China. He received his PhD from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Florida in 2013. Prior to joining Clemson, he was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida, working at the Research and Engineering Education Facility (UF-REEF) at Shalimar, Florida. His research focus is on algorithm design and performance analysis of large-scale nonlinear optimization, and their applications in machine learning and medical imaging. Entering the big data era, there are many demands on efficient algorithms for solving high-dimensional models, and he is excited for the challenges ahead on large-scale optimization.

Brook Russell joins the Applied Statistics subfaculty as an Assistant Professor after recently completing his PhD in Statistics from Colorado State University. His research interests include multivariate extreme value methods, and ecological and environmental applications. He and his wife are the proud parents of two children (ages 5 and 7) and a Bernese Mountain dog. When not working, Brook enjoys spending time with his family and riding his bikes on roads and trails.

Sean Sather-Wagstaff is a new Associate Professor in the Algebra and Discrete Mathematics subfaculty. His research is in combinatorial and homological commutative algebra. He earned his PhD from the University of Utah in 2000, and was most recently a faculty member at North Dakota State University. In his free time, Sean enjoys spending time with his wife, Joy, listening to music, reading, and running.

Alison Ward is the new Student Services Coordinator for the Mathematical Sciences Department as of July 1st, 2015. She and her family are new to the Clemson area, having just moved to Clemson in March of 2015. Most recently they lived in Greenville, NC where she worked for East Carolina University as a Grant Manager for the Walter and Marie Williams STEPP Program and College STAR. College STAR is a collaboration project with East Carolina University, Appalachian State University and Fayetteville State University that promotes “Supporting Transition, Access and Retention” for students who are either Nontraditional or have a Learning Difference in some way. She has enjoyed working with Mathematical Sciences for the last couple of months and looks forward to building relationships with our Faculty, Staff and Students.

As the first semester comes to a close, many Clemson students have already begun worrying about what their work plans are for the summer or after graduation. Well, for many of the students in the Clemson University Actuarial Club (CUAC), there’s no need to worry! On Tuesday, September 29th, the CUAC hosted its second annual Actuarial Expo career fair. Six companies with offices around the southeast came to recruit students for internships and full-time jobs. Not to be outdone by the delicious hors d’oeuvres or impressive list of employers in attendance, over 25 Clemson students from a variety of majors also came prepared to network at the Expo. The main event was hosted in the David Peebles room, but a handful of companies arrived early or stayed a day late in order to present about their programs and conduct on-campus interviews. Several companies have extended offers to students as a direct result of the event. Lindsey Moyer, a CUAC member and a senior who received an internship last year and, as a result, full-time job this year from the event had a few thoughts to share; “I think the Expo was really well run. The CUAC even helped us with our resumes and interviewing skills before the event and I felt very prepared.” Mark Cawood, co-advisor of the CUAC, added, “This was a great event! Students were able to meet prospective employers and discuss internships and jobs with them. We want to host this event every year.” The CUAC plans to host the event next year on Tuesday, September 27th in the David Peebles room. The event would not have been possible without the help of a committed officer board, our ever-helpful advisors, and the Math Department. Anyone interested in recruiting at the event next year can contact the club at cuac@clemson.edu.

The Clemson AWM Student Chapter took part in a poster session at this year’s MathFest. Rachel Grotheer presented the poster, which was created in collaboration with Amy Grady, Fiona Knoll and Becca Knoll. The poster session was held to celebrate 10 years of AWM student chapters. During the session, members from different chapters, conference participants, and students wishing to start chapters spoke with representatives from various schools to ask questions and get ideas. Many people were very impressed with Clemson AWM Student Chapter and its organization of events, such as:

•   interview fashion show
•   bowling outing
•   math auction
•   tea times

Several chapters were interested in doing similar things on their campuses. The Clemson Chapter of AWM is excited to put into practice some of the ideas they received from other chapters!This summer MathFest was extra special because the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) celebrated its 100th anniversary. The conference had record-breaking attendance with over 2500 participants. During the celebration, the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) participated both by presenting the MAA with a commemorative statuette and with the poster session. Happy 100th to the MAA!

This fall, AWM has planned many events, such as:

•   semester kick-off
•   panel on interships and REU’s for undergrads
•   panel on summer oportinities for grad students
•   fall celebration with a pumpkin carving competition

For more information you can check out our Facebook page, Clemson Chapter for Association for Women in Mathematics. If you are not already on our mailing list, and would like to be added contact, Becca Knoll at rknoll@clemson.edu.

Math Sciences Pow! – Problem of the Week

Solve problems and win prizes

Every week, we pose a fun and challenging question to Clemson students. Undergraduates and graduate students in any program are welcome to submit solutions. Pow! is posted at

https://mthsc.clemson.edu/problemoftheweek/index.php

as well as outside our classrooms with a QR code to scan – so you can take the problem of the week with you wherever you go – and hard copies are distributed at Math Club. All correct solutions are recognized, and prize winners are selected from those submitting correct solutions.

The problem of the week (POW!) is fun and engaging for the students, generates mathematical interactions, and contributes to a sense of community among our students. If you have ideas for future problems of the week, please contact Meredith Burr <burr3@clemson.edu> or Gretchen Matthews <gmatthe@clemson.edu>.

At this year’s CES Fit Run 5K, the team from Mathematical Sciences won the departmental competition. Team members were Mark Cawood, Ryan Grove, Allen Guest, Elena Dimitrova, Hugh Geller, Matthew Menard. The run was held on November 14, 2015, with 174 registered runners. More pictures can be found here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/clemsonuniversity/sets/72157658958707553/

and run stats can be found here.

http://go-greenevents.com/resultsdetail/id/4687

On Friday, September 30, our student chapter of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) once again hosted their bi-annual picnic. Faculty members and graduate students enjoyed an evening of mixing while partaking of pulled pork from the Smokin’ Pig,  pasta from Brioso, and chicken tenders and popcorn chicken as well as delicious homemade desserts and side dishes.

Camille Zerfas, graduate student, won the dessert competition with her Key Lime Pie, followed by graduate student Drew Lipman’s Cookie Bars. Amy Cox, wife of Dr. Chris Cox, won the side dish competition with her Baked Beans, followed by Dr. Sean Sather-Wagstaff’s Arugula Salad.

The next SIAM picnic will occur in the spring on the evening of Friday, April 8, 2015.

SIAM would like to consider offering more vegetarian menu options, so please submit suggestions by email to a SIAM officer.

More information about our SIAM chapter can be found here.

http://people.clemson.edu/~siam/index.php

Packing Optimization of Free-Form Objects in Engineering Design*

Margaret Wiecek, Professor of Mathematical Sciences of the Operations Research (OR) subfaculty, and Georges Fadel, Professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Systems and ExxonMobil Employees’ Chaired Professor of the Clemson Engineering Design Applications and Research (CEDAR) group, have been collaborating on complex systems design and optimization for seventeen years. They have developed and established Clemson’s expertise in multidisciplinary, multilevel, and multiobjective optimization for engineering design with special interest in automotive design.

One part of their research program involves packing for engineering design that involves the development of models and methods to determine the arrangement of a set of subsystems or components within some enclosure to achieve a set of objectives without violating spatial or performance constraints. Packing problems, also known as layout optimization problems are challenging because they are highly multimodal, are characterized by models that lack closed-form mathematical representations, and require expensive computational procedures. The time needed to resolve intersection calculations increases exponentially with the number of objects to be packed while the space available for the placement of these components becomes less and less available. Figure 1 depicts a computer-aided design (CAD) representation of a vehicle underhood to reflect the realism of the underhood packing problem.

Profs. Fadel and Wiecek deal with the packing problem from three different perspectives. The first one is motivated by geometric considerations and does not require optimization. An outer shell or envelope is constructed for each object to be packed while its internal details are ignored. Additionally, an inner shell or envelope is constructed for an enclosure within which the objects are packed. According to the other two perspectives, known as compact packing and noncompact packing, the packing problem is formulated as an optimization problem whose optimal solution is the optimal packing arrangement.

Methods for geometric representation of objects have been employed in effective algorithms that convert CAD representations to formats used in the fast calculation of intersections or overlap between objects. These methods have given a foundation for the development of models and algorithms for compact and noncompact packing. The solution approaches to packing problems rely on exact algorithms as well as on heuristic methods whenever the level of complexity precludes development of effective exact algorithms. The developed heuristic algorithms have made it possible to solve very difficult optimization problems once thought intractable.

The compact packing consists in placing free-form objects with full rotational freedom inside an arbitrarily shaped enclosure so that the volume of the objects inside the enclosure or their number is maximized. The problem is mathematically represented as a single-objective optimization problem since compactness is the only criterion of interest to designers. Figure 2 depicts an optimal arrangement of rectangular boxes representing a set of suitcases of prescribed dimensions inside a nonconvex trunk space. An optimal arrangement of free-form objects with full rotational freedom is shown in Figure 3.

In noncompact packing, the designers are interested in optimizing other objectives evaluating the performance of packing. In automotive design, in addition to compactness the objectives such as balance, maintainability, and survivability of the vehicle are of interest. The mathematical formulation of the problem assumes the form of a multiobjective optimization problem. In the traditional noncompact packing the shapes of components are fixed prior to the packing process during which only their positions and orientations are optimized. However, the ability of packing with morhpable components, i.e., the components that change their shape while their shape and functional requirements are respected, leads to far better packing arrangements. The effect of a morphing water container is shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4 the water container starts expanding to attempt to reach a specified volume and occupy the available space. Figure 5 shows a bigger container which slightly affects the location of the other components.

Engineering design of a complex system, that is composed of subsystems and components, requires interaction among several engineering disciplines (such as fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, structures, controls, and others) that are involved in the design process of the system. Because system and component designs are typically assigned to independent engineering teams with complementary background and expertise, packing for a distributed or decentralized design process has also been studied.

Figures 6 and 7 depict optimal packings of six components (battery, engine, radiator, coolant reservoir, air filter, and brake booster) within the underhood of a hybrid electric vehicle, while one of these components, the battery, is being designed under demanding thermal criteria. The design process is distributed between two design teams: the vehicle-level team responsible for packing of the underhood and the component-level team who designs the battery. When high importance is assigned to the vehicle level, the battery is placed on the left (the rectangular box in Figure 6). In contrast, when high importance is assigned to the battery level, the battery is not only placed on the right but also changes its shape (the long rectangular box in Figure 7), while the other components also change places due to the different location and shape of the battery. The vehicle performs differently with each packing arrangement.

Drs. Fadel and Wiecek will direct their future research toward more advanced packing problems such as packing with multiple morphable components or with the consideration of wiring, hoses, and pipes. Maintaining the interdisciplinary character of work by integrating engineering and sciences perspective is likely to continue leading them to new significant accomplishments in their future studies on packing optimization.

(*) G.M. Fadel and M.M. Wiecek, “Packing Optimization of Free-Form Objects in Engineering Design,” in Optimal Packings with Applications edited by J. D. Pintér and G. Fasano, Springer, 2015, pp.37—66.

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I told a friend that one thing I’ve noticed lately is how fast time seems to fly by.  His response was that the best advice he’d received when faced with time pressure is to ‘walk slowly and drink lots of water’.  At face value that saying seems a bit absurd as a way to deal with a heavy workload.  Upon more reflection I decided it was actually a good motto because it suggests a need to pace oneself and take measures to stay healthy.   I expect that the high level of activity we all experience in our department will get even more frenetic as the reorganization shifts into advanced gear.  Keeping channels of communication open during this period will help make the transition as smooth as possible.  So I’m thankful that Sean Sather-Wagstaff offered to edit the department newsletter.  He told me that a main reason for his offer is to get to know members of the various subfaculties.  Sean is going to feature one or two subfaculties in each newsletter.  Please be sure to provide material for inclusion, when asked.  Connie McClain, the newest member of our administrative staff, is working with Sean to put the newsletter together.  We are very fortunate to have Connie (at the desk behind the glass panel nearest Martin M) and Alison Ward (at the opposite end, i.e. at the desk nearest Martin E) recently join the administrative group.

Another aspect of communication is taking advantage of social events.  I’m enjoying our Wednesday afternoon coffee breaks (hosted by Felice Manganiello). The Welcome Back reception at the Outdoor Lab was fun, and the speaker Rich Ringeisen (at the far right in the picture of our emeritus faculty members at the reception) was both entertaining and thought-provoking.  Rich reminded us of the benefits of an active colloquium series.  It not only enriches us, it also gets the word out about good things in our department when visitors return home and tell others what they saw here.  Towards that end, we’re working with Physics to host a Sobcyzk colloquium in the Spring.

I’m glad to see that our department’s long-held tradition of spring and fall picnics for graduate students, faculty, and their families, sponsored by our SIAM student chapter, continues.  Each Fall we welcome newcomers, and the highlight of the Spring picnic is the graduate student awards.

Also on the social front, we’re working to increase participation in the annual Homecoming gathering.  I’ve included a picture from this year’s event.  We had a strong team effort in putting this on.  Near the center of the photo you can see Timo Heister cooking on the McKnew’s grill, with Kevin James helping.

Please consider donating to the Math Sciences enhancement fund.  Some generous friends of the department, including retired faculty, give regularly.  There are some recurring expenses that cannot be paid for (or at least are not fully covered) from accounts that are used for day-to-day operating expenses.  Donations to the enhancement fund help with undergraduate student awards, some of the expenses associated with faculty recruiting, seminars and colloquia, and scholarships that are promised to winners of the Clemson Calculus Challenge if and when they enroll here.  Checks should be made out to the Clemson University Foundation.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to be the i-chair (that sounds a little cooler than ‘interim chair’, doesn’t it?).   There are many things done by our students, faculty, and staff worth bragging about.  Soon you’ll see a revamped department website that will help us in that regard.  This newsletter is a good step in the right direction too.