African-American Researchers Showcase Projects at June Conference

African-American researchers and students from universities and laboratories across the country presented current work in mathematical sciences at the 4th Annual Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS4). Hosted by the CRPC and attended by more than 80 participants, this year's conference took place June 16-19 at Rice University.

In addition to showcasing leading-edge projects, CAARMS conferences serve to strengthen the discipline of mathematical sciences by encouraging the participation of underrepresented groups. The events also facilitate collaborations and working relationships between presenters and attendees to enhance their studies and careers.

CAARMS4 opened with a welcoming reception and conference preview on the evening of June 16. Activities for the remaining days included 12 talks, five tutorials, a graduate student poster session, and a banquet featuring a keynote address by Dr. Richard Tapia, Noah Harding Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice and CRPC Director of Human Resources and Education.

The conference was organized by Dr. William A. Massey of Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies; and Dr. Richard A. Tapia, Dr. Pamela J. Williams, and Computational and Applied Mathematics graduate students Cassandra M. McZeal and Donald C. Williams of the CRPC at Rice University.

Dr. Pamela Williams and Donald Williams were among 17 mathematics experts on the agenda at the conference. In her talk, Dr. Pamela Williams discussed finite termination techniques in interior-point methods for linear programming. Donald Williams gave a tutorial on LaTEX, a system for typesetting documents that is highly popular in the scientific and academic communities. The purpose of the tutorial will be to introduce conference attendees to the power of the software package and familiarize them with basic LaTEX commands.

Conference sponsors were the CRPC at Rice University, Bell Laboratories of Lucent Technologies, the Department of Energy, and the National Security Agency.


Stacy Hill, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Labs, and Conference organizer Bill Massey and Darry Andrews, both of Bell Labs of Lucent Technologies, enjoy the camraderie of CAARMS4.
Donald Williams, a Rice University CAAM Student, presented a tutorial on LaTEX at the conference.

CAARMS4 Organizer Dr. Nate Dean, Rice University and Rice CAAM student Bill Christian display some of the conference momentos.

CAARMS4 Organizer Dr. Pamela J. Williams smiled throughout the challenges of organizing the conference.

Rice CAAM student Cassandra McZeal helped see that the conference plans were effectively implemented.


From left to right Front row Eldon McIntyre, Pamela J. Williams, William A. Massey, Theresa Chatman, Cassandra McZeal, Donald C. Williams. Second row Asamoah Nkwanta, Elaine Terry, J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr., Gloria Porter, Mark Lewis, Jean-Paul Pemba, Johnny E. Brown, Gaston M. N'Guerekata, Roderick Moten. Third row Rodney Wallace, Evelyn Tharnton, Rhonda V. Sharpe, Christine McMillan, James A. Donaldson, Roselyn Williams, Jamila Jones, Allison R. Byrd, Donald R. King, Mark A. Smith, Illya Hicks. Fourth row Johnny L. Houston, Stanley G. Wayment, Della D. Bell, Barbara A. Tankersley, Janis M. Oldham, Talitha M. Washington, Jamylle Carter, Catherine E. Douglas, Harold Figneroa, Angela Grant, Judy Cassamajor, Jonathan Farley. Fifth row Bob Powell, Kathy Lewis, Willie E. Taylor, Vernard Martin, Yves D. Jean, Eric A. Brittain, Raquel Hill, Dennis A. Dean, Ahmad Ridley, Kimberly Weems, Idris Stovall, Regina Hill. Sixth row Charles P. Shelton, Barbara Deuink, Nathaniel Dean, Yared Nigussie, Stacy Hill, Richard M. Charles, Earl R. Barnes, Leon C. Woodson, Ruby L. Horne, Madison Gray, James H. Curry, Charles R. Hardnett, Neal Brand, Melvin R. Currie, Edray Goins and Darry Andrews.

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