KU math prof, students take workshop on control systems to Hawaii conference

LAWRENCE -- A popular and successful math workshop developed at the University of Kansas is going on the road to Maui, Hawaii, Dec. 7 through 12, with a National Science Foundation workshop for about 300 middle and high school students and their teachers of math, science and technology.

The Dec. 9 workshop, conducted by KU math professor Bozenna Pasik-Duncan, along with four KU seniors, is part of the 42nd annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Conference on Decision and Control, Dec. 9 through 12 at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, 200 Nohea Kai Drive, Lahaina.

Titled "Students + Workshops = Success + Fun" the NSF workshop demonstrates techniques that Pasik-Duncan has developed to help students learn about the complex mathematical principles of control systems.

Four KU seniors who have been participating in the NSF Research Experience Undergraduate Program under Pasik-Duncan's supervision will not only assist her with the workshop but also present their posters in the Invited Conference Session. They are Sarah Feldt of Norman, Okla.; Josh Meyers of Wichita; Ian Lewis of McPherson; and Jason Shea of Tecumseh.

"This workshop also demonstrates a KU success story in cross-boundaries research at all levels from K-12 through Ph.D. and beyond," Pasik-Duncan said. "I am very proud to represent KU and to be able to have some of my students to join the more than 1,000 participants who will attend this international conference."

Feldt, Meyers, Lewis and Shea also will present their posters in the Invited Conference Session "On Control Education: An Interactive Interdisciplinary Session -- Research Experience at ALL Levels: From K-12 through Ph.D. and Beyond." They will present their research results on subjects such as "Modeling the Heart: A Stochastic Process," "Simulation of Stochastic Differential Equations with Noise Modeled as Fractional Brownian Motion" and "A Family of Continuous Time Weighted Least Squares Estimators."

Pasik-Duncan added that a KU Ph.D. student and KU math alumni will attend the conference, representing different levels of research experience. Yiannis Zachariou, KU doctoral student, will represent the Ph.D level. Shane Haas, KU 1999 graduate, and Mark Frei, KU 1993 graduate employed in Lawrence, will represent "the beyond level."

Dominique Duncan, who participated in the REU Program at KU while in high school and who is a 2003 Lawrence Free State High School graduate now attending the University of Chicago, will present research at the K-12 level.

Haas' presentation during the 12:30 p.m. session is "How to Turn a Single Dollar into Billions."

"Because the workshops are taking place in conjunction with the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, the KU students will be able to attend a prestigious international conference that will bring together over 1,000 participants, including distinguished professors and researchers from all over the world," Pasik-Duncan said.

The trip for all KU students is fully covered by the NSF.

Pasik-Duncan said this was the second time high school students had been invited to the conference. The first time was last year in Las Vegas when about 100 high school students attended. This year more than 1,000 students requested to attend the workshop developed and organized by Pasik-Duncan.

In addition to the workshop for middle and high school students, Pasik-Duncan is also organizing the first NSF workshop for women in math control systems.

Hometowns of the KU students and alumni attending the conference are

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence
Dominique Duncan, 2003 Lawrence Free State High School graduate, daughter of Tyrone E. Duncan and Bozenna Pasik-Duncan.

FRANKLIN COUNTY
From Wellsville and Cambridge, Mass.
Shane Haas, 1999 KU graduate with degrees in mathematics and in electrical engineering, son of Judy Haas; he is employed with AlphaSimplex Group LLC, of Cambridge, Mass. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this year. In 1999, he received graduate research fellowships from the U.S. Department of Defense and from the National Science Foundation. He is a graduate of Wellsville High School and attended Neosho County Community College in Chanute while a high school student.

MCPHERSON COUNTY
From McPherson
Ian Lewis, senior majoring in engineering physics, physics and mathematics, is the son of Loretta Lewis. He is a graduate of McPherson High School.

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita
Josh Meyers, senior majoring in physics and mathematics, is the son of Evan and Jane Meyers. He is a graduate of Wichita East High School.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Tecumseh
Jason Shea, senior majoring in physics, is the son of Donald and Elaine Shea. He is a graduate of Shawnee Heights High School.

MASSACHUSETTS
From Cambridge (see Franklin County, Kan.)

OKLAHOMA
From Norman
Sarah Feldt, a senior majoring in physics and mathematics, is the daughter of Andy and Jan Feldt. She is a graduate of Norman North High School.

CYPRUS
Yiannis Zachariou, Ph.D. student (male) in math.