Undergraduate Research in Mathematics and Statistics

Even as an undergraduate, you can explore new mathematical ideas and conjectures, find new results, and present and publish your work. The Department of Mathematics & Statistics offers multiple opportunities for you to pursue undergraduate research in mathematics. For information on what undergraduate research is like, how to find a faculty member or lab to work with, how to start an Honors Thesis project, or how to find external research opportunities, check out this link: Start a Research Project with a Faculty Member.

Join a Research Lab

Our department is host to multiple research labs that support undergraduate research. In these labs you can measure jet noise in an anechoic chamber, study how tiny worms move through obstacles, explore mathematical models, and create physical models of mathematical objects. Reach out to the contacts listed on the lab pages below for more information. 

Early Research Experiences

If you're a new student, even if you aren't a math major (yet!), you can get started by pursuing exploratory computational digital fabrication projects in the JEM Lab above. For more information, contact Laura Taalman.

If you're an entering freshman you can apply to participate in a year-long mathematical research seminar as part of the Haynes Scholars Residential Learning Community for incoming first-year STEM majors at JMU who identify as Black, Indigenous American, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or as part of other underrepresented groups in STEM fields. All students are welcome to apply to be Haynes Scholars if they feel that they can contribute to and benefit from the goals of the program. For more information, contact Beth Arnold or Laura Taalman.

Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences

Current JMU students can apply for funded summer research collaborations with faculty, or to external summer opportunities at other universities. For more information, see our page Start a Research Project with a Faculty Member and the "External Opportunities" section of the For Current Students page.

Our department is proud to have hosted a National Science Foundation REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) site in mathematics since 2002. Students from outside of JMU and select JMU students are encouraged to apply to our flagship undergraduate research program, the JMU Mathematics & Statistics REU. For more information, contact Brant Jones.