|
Sources: Ruth Dyer, 785-532-4797, rdyer@k-state.edu;
and Natalia Rojkovskaia, 785-532-6750, rozhkovs@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-532-6415, kmayes@k-state.edu
Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008
FALL 2008 K-STATE MENTORING FELLOWSHIP AWARDED TO MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR STUDYING REPRESENTATION THEORY
MANHATTAN -- Natalia Rojkovskaia, an assistant professor of mathematics at Kansas State University, is the fall 2008 recipient of the K-State Mentoring Fellowship.
Rojkovskaia's specialty is representation theory, a branch of mathematics that studies the action of abstract algebraic structures in linear vector spaces. Representation theory is key to the study of topics like quantum physics.
The K-State Mentoring Fellowships are designed to assist tenure-track women and minority faculty members in science and engineering to develop their research programs to a level that attracts outside funding. The mentors provide valuable guidance and advice as the new faculty members plan their research projects, develop grant proposals, write manuscripts, and learn about the culture of their departments, colleges and the university. One fellowship is offered in the fall and four are awarded in the spring.
Rojkovskaia and her mentor, Zongzhu Lin, K-State professor of mathematics, will work together not only to grow K-State's research program in representation theory, but also will work on teaching and engaging graduate students. They plan to collaborate with their mathematics department colleagues to host a math conference for graduate students in May 2009.
"It is very important for graduate students to be engaged because they are future colleagues and are the future of the mathematics community," Rojkovskaia said.
Ruth Dyer, K-State associate provost and coordinator for the committee that awarded Rojkovskaia the fellowship, said that Rojkovskaia's proposal will further her studies here and allow her to expand her network of national and international colleagues.
Dyer said the fellowship program is helping to catalyze new K-State faculty. "The achievements of those who have participated in this program since it began in 1995 are truly outstanding," she said. "The recipients of these awards have indicated how important the funding and the mentoring they received have been to their careers and their professional advancement."
The deadline for applications for Spring 2009 Fellowships is March 23, 2009. For more information, contact the provost's office at 785-532-6224.
