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Department of Mathematics
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Research

Jennifer Newman and students sit around a table collaborating with laptops.

The Department of Mathematics offers a wide range of research opportunities and events for both undergraduate and graduate students—including options where you can even receive funding for your work. From weekly colloquia to seminars, including undergraduate research in the college of Liberal Arts and Sciences, opportunities abound to participate alongside our award-winning faculty.

Our annual ISMaRT program brings together research teams that include faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students. One student’s research used machine learning to solve physics problems, while another’s helped create a data science curriculum for future mathematics teachers. Opportunities such as these await you in the Department of Mathematics.

Faculty Research Areas

Faculty in the Department of Mathematics lead active, well-funded research programs across a variety of focus areas. Explore the sections below to learn more about each area and the faculty involved.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

  • ISMaRT - post its

    ISMaRT

    The Iowa State Mathematics Research Teams (ISMaRT) program runs every spring semester for ISU undergraduate students Participants work on research projects in a variety of mathematical areas, such as graph theory, numerical analysis, algebra, mathematical biology, probability, or analysis.

    Students work in collaborative teams with 2-4 undergraduate members as part of active research groups throughout the semester. Undergraduates may receive up to 2 credits of Math 4900.

  • Group of Math REU students posing on stairs

    Math REU

    Participants in the Math REU program spend eight weeks working on research projects coming from a variety of mathematical areas, such as graph theory, numerical analysis, linear algebra, mathematical biology, probability, computational mathematics, logic, and dynamical systems. The topics for any individual summer are determined by the research mentors which primarily come from the Department of Mathematics at Iowa State University (ISU).

  • Group of 5 students in a classroom working on a math project

    Weekly Colloquia

    Take part in a weekly colloquium from 1:10 – 2:00pm in 0074 Carver with other students. Topics can range from a guest talk on discrete mathematics to deep learning in biology and chemistry.

Seminars

Mathematics faculty hold regular seminars throughout the academic year on a variety of topics ranging from discrete mathematics, logic, mathematical biology and more. These seminars are a great way to both learn new things and meet new people interested in the field of mathematics. Attending a seminar can give you new insight on a topic or spark a completely different interest.

Mathematics seminars at Iowa State University

Endowed Lecture Series

Thanks to generous donor support, the Department of Mathematics offers two distinguished lecture series that bring leading mathematicians to Iowa State. These events connect students and faculty with scholars whose work spans pure mathematics, applied research, and public engagement.

Aggie Ho Memorial Lecture Series

As a student in the Department of Mathematics, you’ll have opportunities to hear from mathematicians whose work and ideas reach far beyond Iowa State. The Aggie Ho Memorial Lecture Series is one of those experiences. It honors Professor Aggie Ho, a cherished member of our department who was known for her enthusiasm for teaching, her active research, and her love of mathematical beauty.

Aggie Ho was born in China, immigrated to the United States in 1960, and joined the Iowa State Mathematics faculty in 1979. Though her career here was cut short in 1985, her passion for mathematics and her students continues to shape the department. Each year, this lecture series brings outstanding visitors to campus to share not only their research, but also the human stories behind mathematical discovery.

Richard Miller Family Endowed Mathematics Lecture Series

You’ll also benefit from the Richard Miller Family Endowed Mathematics Lecture Series, which supports extended visits by leading mathematicians from around the world. These visits go beyond a single talk—they often include public lectures, department colloquia, and smaller research seminars where students can listen, ask questions, and see how mathematics is created and applied today. Together, these events help make mathematics at Iowa State both vibrant and connected to the larger mathematical community.