Research: Statistics

RESU: Research Experience in Statistics for UNCG Undergraduates

Program Description

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UNCG is launching a new campus wide research experience program (RESU) for undergraduate students.

The program is designed to provide high performing UNCG undergraduate students opportunity to get involved in quantitative research. The program is open to all students irrespective of their major. However, interested students must have completed a course on statistical methodology equivalent to UNCG course STA 271 or higher. Transfer students will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Depending on student’s background, the project may be computational in nature involving computer simulations to validate statistical models, or it can be an applied project involving modeling of some real life data. In some cases, it may even involve derivation of new theoretical results. Yet another possibility is for students to bring their own project from their home department. In all cases, the work on the project is expected to lead to at least a poster presentation at some conference in the student’s field of study. In some cases, the work will lead to a peer reviewed journal article.

The program will recruit approximately 5 students each semester. Some students may continue to work on the project for a maximum of one additional semester. Thanks to the UNCG Office of Undergraduate Research, each student in the program will get a financial support of 500 dollars if the research work leads to a peer-reviewed journal article, or a conference presentation (oral or poster). If a student continues the research work for an additional semester and the new work leads to an additional paper/presentation, the student will be eligible for an additional stipend of $500. We would like to emphasize that the main motivation for prospective students in the program should be the research experience, and not the stipend. With the approval of the Head/Chair of the Home Department of the student, one may earn 1-2 credits for the work done.

Program Coordinator:
Sat Gupta, Professor of Statistics & Associate Head, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, UNCG
Research Interests: Sample Surveys, Biostatistics, Time Series Forecasting

Other Faculty:
Xiaoli Gao, Associate Professor of Statistics, UNCG
Research Interests: High Dimensional Data Analysis, Statistical Genetics

Scott Richter, Associate Professor of Statistics, UNCG
Research Interests: Non-Parametric Methods, Multivariate Analysis

Haimeng Zhang, Associate Professor of Statistics, UNCG
Research Interests: Survival Analysis, Spatial Statistics, Applied Probability

Deadlines

Students interested in the program must apply for the program as per the following deadlines.

Fall Program: September1
Spring Program: December 1

Application should be sent to the program coordinator, Dr. Sat Gupta by email at sngupta@uncg.edu. Application package must include

  1. Letter of support from the Head/Chair or Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Home Department
  2. Updated CV
  3. A copy of all transcripts
  4. Brief (limited to 500 words) statement describing your interest in quantitative research.