Undergraduate Student Research
August 14, 2019
Undergraduate research plays a prominent role for students in the College of Arts and Sciences – and the desire to get involved is growing.
Funded through the College of Arts and Sciences, more than thirty students dedicated their summer to research. Scroll below to read about one of the projects.
Abby Brickner, Sophomore; Natalie Anderson, Junior (Department of Mathematics, Dr. David Gerberry)
A Mathematical Approach to Congressional Redistricting
This summer, Abby Brickner and Natalie Anderson sought to find a solution to one of the most pressing issues in today’s society: partisan gerrymandering. After taking courses with their mentor, Dr. David Gerberry, both students were encouraged to pursue this research project. Brickner and Anderson worked to modify a code using R that would create optimal districts based on the following criteria: fairness, competitiveness, compactness, and population. This project facilitated an opportunity for both students to approach learning in a different setting. Brickner noted, “Unlike in the classroom, there weren't set answers for right and wrong. We could try anything we wanted to try.” With the support of Dr. Gerberry, Anderson and Brickner were given the opportunity to apply math knowledge in a very tangible way. While reflecting on their summer, both researchers are grateful to have such a fulfilling experience that not only increased the skillset on their resume, but also has the potential to reshape the country.