CAIMS*SCMAI E-News Volume 07 Number 7 December 22, 2007 Editor: Abba Gumel (gumelab@cc.umanitoba.ca) ---------------------------------------------------------- CONTENT Society News: 1. CAIMS*SCMAI Call for Nominations for 2008 Cecil Graham Doctoral Dissertation Award 2. CAIMS*SCMAI Call for Membership Renewal Other News and Search Positions: 3. Mathematical Biology Summer School, University of Alberta, May 2008 4. Call for Minisymposia at Society for Mathematical Biology Conference, Toronto, July/August, 2008 5. Postdoctoral Position in Mathematical Epidemiology, University of Miami 6. Tenure Track Position in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Memorial University of Newfoundland 7. CAIMS*SCMAI E-news Information --------- Item 1 --------- Call for Nominations for the 2008 Cecil Graham Doctoral Dissertation Award Objective The award has been established by the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society (CAIMS) to recognize and to publicize an outstanding PhD thesis in Applied Mathematics defended at a Canadian University during the calendar year prior to the year of the award. The Award The award consists of a trophy, a monetary prize, and a free one-year membership in the Society. The winner will be invited to present a communication based on the thesis at the Annual Meeting of the Society. Assistance with expenses to attend the meeting will be provided. Competition Normally, the Award Coordinator must receive by January 31 of a given calendar year four (4) copies of the thesis together with a covering letter from the thesis supervisor indicating why the thesis is suitable as an entry in the Competition (including a description of the problem, techniques and results, potential impact, ...). A complete nomination must also include a separate letter identifying the possible applications of the work, as well as proof of the official date the thesis was accepted. Judging The submitted theses will be evaluated by a panel of judges appointed by the President of the Society. Their decision will be final. Judging will be on the basis of the level of originality in the ideas and techniques, the possible applications and their treatment, and the potential impact on science and engineering. The panel of judges may seek advice from other experts. The panel may arrive at the conclusion that more than one or none of the submissions merits the award or an honourable mention. Nominations are due by January 31, 2008, and they should be sent to: Dr. Raymond J. Spiteri (DDA Award Coordinator), Department of Computer Science 176 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5C9 CANADA email: spiteri@cs.usask.ca ------ Item 2 ------ Call for CAIMS Membership Renewal for 2008 Dear CAIMS/SCMAI members, As the year rolls to an end, may I cordially invite you to renew your membership for 2008. CAIMS/SCMAI is the principal scientific society for Applied Mathematics and Applied Mathematicians in Canada. We value your continued membership and participation in our friendly & collegial society. New for 2008 is a reciprocal membership agreement recently signed with SIAM, which will allow for a reduction in membership fees for those CAIMS/SCMAI members who are also SIAM members. The full details of the agreement can be found at http://www.caims.ca/Society/reciprocity.html The agreement essentially works as follows: (i) If you are based in Canada and a regular member of both societies, you will be eligible to a reduction on your SIAM membership fees (US$99.20 in place of US$128), but pay full fees for CAIMS/SCMAI. (ii) If you are based in the US and a regular member of both societies, you will be eligible to a reduction on your CAIMS/SCMAI membership fees ($35 in place of $50), but pay full fees for SIAM. The 2008 membership form for CAIMS/SCMAI and the SIAM form (for CAIMS members) are available at http://www.caims.ca/Society/subscribe.html We hope to see you all in Montreal in June 2008 for the annual meeting. With best wishes and on behalf of the CAIMS board Ian Frigaard Chair, CAIMS Membership Committee --------- Item 3 --------- 2008 Summer School on Mathematical Modeling of Infectious Diseases May 1 - 11, 2008, University of Alberta Organized by the NCE-MITACS team on mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, the summer school is aimed to provide effective training for collaborative research in infectious diseases based on mathematical modeling and qualitative analysis. The goal is to educate mathematics and statistics students how to address issues of great importance in disease control and prevention, and to educate public health students and researchers why and how mathematical and statistical techniques and tools are useful. It is our hope that the summer school will prepare students who might wish to work as modelers in a public health environment, and to help public health researchers and mathematical modelers to learn a language in which they can communicate with one another. The scientific program of the summer school consists of a variety of formats: 1. Short Courses. These are two 1.5-hour lectures on the following subjects: o Mathematical basics o Statistical methods for data analysis o Basic epidemiology for infectious diseases o Deterministic models o Stochastic models o Network models 2. Case Studies. These are 1.5-hour lectures that focus on modeling analysis of specific diseases including o Pandemic influenza o West-Nile virus o HIV/AIDS o Tuberculosis 3. Public Lectures. These are lectures given by distinguished scientists and mathematical modelers on broader issues related to mathematical modeling and public health. 4. Group projects. Participants will be working in groups on assigned research projects. Group projects are an essential part of the summer school. They are designed to provide participants with hands-on research experience by applying the knowledge they have learned and working in a collaborative environment. To participate, please visit the summer school website at:http://www.math.ualberta.ca/~irl/summer_school.html and register using the online registration form. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged. A limited number of scholarships are available to graduate student participants to partially offset their travel expenses. For more information, please contact the local organizers: Dr. Michael Li (mli@math.ualberta.ca) and Dr. Sabrina Plitt (S.Plitt@provlab.ab.ca). ------- Item 4 ------- Call for Minisymposia for The Society for Mathematical Biology Conference 2008 Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada July 30 - August 2, 2008 Invited Plenary Speakers: Marty Golubitsky (University of Houston) Melissa Knothe Tate (Case Western) Natalia Komarova (University of California, Irvine) Herb Levine (University ofCalifornia, San Diego) Mark Lewis (University of Alberta) L. Mahadevan (University of Harvard) Tim Secomb (UniversityArizona) Yicang Zhou (Xi'an Jiatong University)) The call for minisymposia proposals, submitted talks and posters can be found at: http://www.fields.utoronto.ca/programs/scientific/CMM/08-09/SMB/index.html ***Deadlines*** Minisymposia Proposals - January 31, 2008 Contributed talks - May 15, 2008 Poster proposals - July 15, 2008 These will all be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Committee and a decision made asap (within 2 to 3 weeks of each deadline). For further information, please contact: Siv Sivaloganathan, Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont N2L 3G1. www.math.uwaterloo.ca/~biomech & Director of the Centre for Math. Medicine, Fields Institute, 222 College Street, Toronto, Ont. M5T 3J1 www.mathematicalmedicine.ca Email: ssivalog@math.uwaterloo.ca - - - - Item 5 - - - - Postdoctoral Associate Positions in Mathematical Epidemiology, University of Miami Applications are invited for postdoctoral associate positions, starting in January 2008, in Mathematical Epidemiology in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. The goal of this interdisciplinary project, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences/NIH, is to integrate individual-patient data with mathematical modeling to provide population-level analysis of the spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) in hospital settings. The first position (postdoctoral associate for 18 months) will focus on development of mathematical models applied to characterize the superspreaders of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, the subgroup of patients responsible for the majority of ARB spread. It will also involve developing theory relating to the transmission dynamics and persistence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) in hospital settings. The second position (postdoctoral associate for 1 year) will involve analyzing individual-level patient data obtained from an extensive integrated online medical record system of over one million hospitalized patients using statistical and computational methods. Work will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Shigui Ruan (http://www.math.miami.edu/~ruan) and will involve collaboration with Dr. Erika D’Agata (Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, Harvard University) and Dr. Glenn Webb (Department of Mathematics, Vanderbilt University). Applicants should hold a PhD in Applied Mathematics or a related field with strong modeling, analytic, computational, or statistical skills. Previous experience in the modeling and analysis of ecological/epidemiological systems, or previous collaborations with experimentalists (biologists, ecologists or epidemiologists) will be preferred. Salary is in the range of $35,000-40,000 per year (depending on experience) plus fringe benefits. For further information about these projects, please contact Dr. Shigui Ruan (ruan@math.miami.edu). Applicants should send a detailed CV, together with a cover letter stating your research interests and three reference letters to Dr. Shigui Ruan, Department of Mathematics, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124-4250, USA. Electronic applications are encouraged. Review of applications will start immediately and will continue until the positions have been filled. The University of Miami is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to increasing the diversity of its faculty. We especially encourage applications from women, minorities and other underrepresented groups. For further information, contact: Dania Puerto Department of Mathematics College of Arts and Sciences University of Miami Email: dania@math.miami.edu Tel: 305-284-2348 - - - - Item 6 - - - - Tenure-Track Position in Computational Fluid Dynamics, Memorial University of Newfoundland The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Memorial University of Newfoundland is undergoing a process of faculty renewal and is making a number of tenure-track appointments. The Department invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Computational Fluid Dynamics. Applicants must have an earned doctorate and an excellent publication record with research covering the development of mathematical/numerical models for flow and transport processes relevant to ocean engineering or geosciences. Candidates should have some teaching experience and the skills required to become an excellent teacher. Duties for the position include the development of a vigorous research program, graduate supervision and teaching; and undergraduate teaching. Teaching will include courses in the areas of numerical methods and fluid mechanics. The closing date for applications will be February 15, 2008. Candidates should submit a Curriculum Vitae, a description of research and teaching interests; and the names and addresses (include e-mail) of at least three referees. Applications should be sent to: Head of Department VPA-MAST-2007-007 Department of Mathematics & Statistics Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7 Canada E-mail: mathstat@math.mun.ca Internet: www.math.mun.ca You MUST use the code VPA-MAST-2007-007 on all correspondence. Memorial University is the largest university in Atlantic Canada. As the province’s only university, Memorial plays an integral role in the educational and cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador. Offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs to almost 18,000 students, Memorial provides a distinctive and stimulating environment for learning in St. John’s, a very safe, friendly city with great historic charm, a vibrant cultural life, and easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities. Memorial University is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from qualified women and men, visible minorities, aboriginal people and persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. Partners of candidates for positions are invited to include their resume for possible matching with other job opportunities. - - - - - - Item 7 - - - - - - CAIMS*SCMAI E-news Information CAIMS*SCMAI E-News is distributed electronically several times a year by the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society/Societe Canadienne de Mathematiques Appliquees et Industrielles (http://www.caims.ca). Past issues are available on the web at http://www.caims.ca/Society/pub.html Submissions are welcome and should be sent in plain text format to: Abba Gumel, CAIMS-SCMAI Secretary, Email: gumelab@cc.umanitoba.ca. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Board or Membership of CAIMS*SCMAI. The editorial policy of this publication is to encourage the discussion of issues and facilitate the dissemination of information relevant to Canadian applied and industrial mathematics. 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