University of Colorado Denver Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

09/28/2026

Another Department Seminar! 📚

Join us for another Department Seminar featuring Lucy Martinez, PhD student at Rutgers University, on Monday, October 5.

Lucy will present “Wilf Classes of Parking Permutations with Fixed Lucky Sets.” In this talk, she will explore parking functions and parking permutations, focusing on how pattern avoidance and fixed “lucky” cars can be used to characterize and enumerate these permutations. This work is joint with Melani Ferreri.

📅 October 5, 2026
⏰ 12:30–1:45 p.m.
📍 SCB 4125 or Zoom

We hope to see you there!

09/20/2026

🎉 A new pathway for Data Science students in Denver!

We’re excited to celebrate a new transfer articulation agreement between Community College of Denver (CCD) and University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) that creates a seamless 2+2 pathway in Data Science.

Students who complete CCD’s Associate of Science in Data Science can transfer into CU Denver’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science, with a clearly defined degree plan designed to keep students on track toward completing both degrees in four years.

Even better, eligible CCD graduates in the pathway are automatically accepted into the corresponding program at CU Denver, with the application fee waived.

This partnership is about creating opportunity, reducing barriers to transfer, and giving students a clear path from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree—and onward to careers in data science.

The articulation agreement has been spearheaded by Guy Francis (Director of Data Science Education at CCD) and Joshua French (Director of Data Science programs at CU Denver) and signed by, from the CCD side, Rachel Sefton (Interim Dean of Instruction, STEM Pathway) and Peter Lindstrom (Provost and Vice President of Academic) and, from the CU Denver side, Pamela Jansma (Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) and Karen Marrongelle (Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Affairs).

A big thank you to the faculty, staff, and academic leaders at CCD and CU Denver who worked together to make this pathway possible. We’re excited to see where our students take it! 🚀

09/14/2026

📢 Yet Another Department Seminar!

We’re excited to welcome Tulay Flamand, Associate Professor of Business Analytics at the CU Denver Business School, for our upcoming Department Seminar!

Professor Flamand will present “Store-Wide Retail Shelf-Space Analytics: The Science Behind the Shelf.” The seminar will explore how mathematical and data-driven models can help retailers make smarter shelf-space allocation decisions by understanding in-store customer traffic and how changes in one product category can influence shopping patterns throughout a store.

📅 September 21, 2026
⏰ 12:30–1:45 PM
📍 SCB 4125 / Zoom

Join us to learn how mathematical modeling, optimization, and data analytics can be used to improve retail decision-making and store performance!

09/11/2026

Some of our retired faculty members are still very much active in research! Associate Professor Emeritus Dr. Burt Simon is a great example. Dr. Simon and coauthors Yaroslav Ispolatov and Michael Doebeli recently published their research, “Evolution of Cooperation in Spatially Structured Group-Selection Models of the Continuous Prisoner’s Dilemma,” in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology.

The paper explores how cooperation can evolve and be maintained in spatially structured populations, showing that interactions between groups can play an important role in the evolution of cooperation.

Congratulations to Dr. Simon and his coauthors on this publication! 🎉

Ispolatov, Y., Simon, B. & Doebeli, M. Evolution of Cooperation in Spatially Structured Group-Selection Models of the Continuous Prisoner’s Dilemma. Bull Math Biol 88, 177 (2026).10.1007/s11538-026-01750-z

08/24/2026

lease join us for an upcoming Department Seminar featuring Collier Gaiser, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Community College of Aurora!

Dr. Gaiser will present “Leading Terms and the Structure of Pattern-Avoiding Permutations.” In this talk, he will explore fundamental concepts and results involving permutations that avoid patterns of length three and four, with a focus on what happens when their leading terms are fixed. The talk will highlight several intriguing results and counting techniques that reveal new connections within the study of pattern-avoiding permutations.

This talk is based on joint work with Ömer Egecioğlu (UCSB) and Mei Yin (DU).

📅 Monday, August 31
🕧 12:30–1:45 PM
📍 SCB 4125 or via Zoom

We hope you’ll join us for this engaging discussion!

08/20/2026

Eye-opening article in today's CU Connections about two Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, CU Denver's faculty: Diana White and Pamela Whitten. The article is titled "AI Sprint Grant recipients on helping math students use AI more productively" and explains how Diana White and Pamela Whitten are leveraging the AI Sprint Grant to improve student learning. The project will integrate MathGPT.ai into Calculus I at University of Colorado Denver to address high rates of unsuccessful course completion in a key gateway course for STEM and other quantitatively intensive fields.

More information at https://connections.cu.edu/stories/ai-sprint-grant-recipients-helping-math-students-use-ai-more-productively

Launched earlier this year, the CU system Artificial Intelligence (AI) Sprint Grant: AI for Teaching & Learning is focused on improving course outcomes using AI with goals of supporting and accelerating innovative teaching practices that leverage AI to enhance student learning.

08/13/2026

Graduate student orientation was today!
New students, continuing students, new faculty members, continuing faculty members.

Happy start of academic year 26-27 to all!

08/12/2026

🥳🎉Congratulations to Dr. Florian Pfender, on receiving the National Science Foundation award, "Flag Algebra and Semidefinite Programming" (Award #2554130), with total funding of $150,000. This is a collaborative award with Dr. Bernard Lidický, from Iowa State University, (Award #2554129, $150,000).

This project advances powerful mathematical and computational methods for solving complex optimization problems—problems that ask how to find the best possible arrangement or structure under a given set of constraints. Drs. Pfender and Lidický will expand a technique known as flag algebra, which combines theoretical mathematics with modern optimization software to address problems that have remained unsolved for decades.
Although the research is foundational, the methods it develops have broader significance. Combinatorial optimization and related mathematical techniques underpin many areas of modern science and technology where large numbers of possibilities must be analyzed efficiently, including computer science, data analysis, network design, and operations research. By improving the mathematical tools available for understanding complex discrete systems, this research contributes to the foundation on which future computational and technological advances can be built.

The project will also help prepare the next generation of mathematicians and researchers. Graduate students from both institutions and other universities will have opportunities to participate in the research and in annual workshops organized by the investigators, gaining experience in advanced mathematics, computational methods, optimization, and collaborative problem-solving.

Through the development of new mathematical tools, the solution of longstanding problems, and the training of graduate students, this NSF-supported collaboration strengthens both fundamental mathematical research and the broader scientific workforce.

For more information, see: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2554130

08/10/2026

📢 Please join us for an upcoming Department Seminar!

We are excited to welcome Alejandro Parada-Mayorga, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, for a talk on:

📊 “Sampling and Uniqueness Sets in Graphon Signal Processing”

In this seminar, Alejandro will discuss recent advances in sampling on large and complex networks through the lens of graphs and graph limits. He will explore how graphon representations extend classical sampling and uniqueness-set concepts to large-scale networks, offering practical strategies for efficient sampling and signal reconstruction.

📅 Monday, August 24, 2026
🕧 12:30–1:45 PM
📍 ACAD 4125

All are welcome! We hope you’ll join us for this engaging seminar and learn more about emerging approaches to graph signal processing and large-network data.

08/05/2026

🎉 Please join us in welcoming Lucas Quintero as Instructor in the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at CU Denver!

📚 Lucas joins the department from the Colorado School of Mines, where he has served as a Teaching Postdoctoral Fellow. He brings experience teaching and coordinating a wide range of undergraduate mathematics courses for both STEM and non-STEM students, including Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Probability, Statistics, and Algebra. In addition to classroom instruction, he has developed syllabi, assessments, course materials, and evidence-based teaching practices designed to support student success.

🌟 Lucas earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics in 2022 and is passionate about making mathematics engaging, relevant, and accessible. His teaching philosophy blends traditional instruction with active learning, flipped classrooms, formative assessment, and real-world applications to help students build confidence and deepen their understanding of mathematics. He is committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment where students from diverse backgrounds feel supported and empowered to succeed.

💻 Lucas also enjoys incorporating modern technologies and innovative instructional approaches into his courses, including coding applications, mastery-based grading, and collaborative learning tools that enhance student engagement both inside and outside the classroom. We are excited to welcome Lucas to the department and look forward to the expertise, enthusiasm, and student-centered approach he will bring to our mathematics community. Please join us in giving Lucas a warm welcome! 👏