Dr. Cynthia J. Wyels received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from U.C., Santa Barbara in 1994. Her B.A. and M.S. degrees are also in Mathematics, from Pomona College and the University of Michigan, respectively. Prior to joining CSU Channel Islands, Dr. Wyels served as chair of Mathematics at California Lutheran University; her faculty experience also includes Weber State University and the United States Military Academy.

Dr. Wyels’ research interests lie in combinatorial mathematics and linear algebra. Most recently she has focused on questions in graph pebbling and graph labeling. She promotes student engagement in mathematical discovery by working with students on any topic that is mutually interesting. She is an advocate of undergraduate research and believes it is particularly meaningful for students from non-traditional backgrounds.

Dr. Wyels is the PI for an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Mathematics site hosted at CSU Channel Islands: 12 – 14 students from across the U.S. and one from our partner institution in Mexico spend eight intensive summer weeks working on original research in mathematics. Dr. Wyels also directs the Channel Islands LSAMP program, which helps students who face educational barriers graduate with Science, Technology, and Mathematics majors and pursue graduate education and careers in their fields. This led naturally to her work as part of the leadership team that obtained CI’s largest grant to date: Project ACCESO, designed to inspire and educate the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduates at CSU Channel Islands and nearby community colleges.

Dr. Wyels was recognized by the Mathematical Association of America, receiving the “Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics” in 2011.

The Mathematical Association of America named Dr. Wyels one of three recipients of the 2012 Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

Dr. Wyels enjoys reading, traveling, and interacting with people from other cultures, at home and abroad. She is particularly fond of CI’s location, and takes advantage of it by pursuing outdoor sports in her free time.

Graph Parameters and Beyond: Crafting Questions for Research
Graph theory constitutes an engaging area of research with myriad open problems, some of which are relatively accessible, yet still demanding and intriguing. Many graph parameters have been defined – some for use in modeling physical situations, others to extend mathematical ideas. I’ll share several research questions regarding different graph parameters that I’ve collaborated on with students and others. Throughout, I’ll share ideas for creating additional research questions in fields ranging beyond graph theory.

Cindy Wyels
Professor of Mathematics
California State University Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA

Conference Schedule

Presentation Schedule

ASB is Anisfield School of Business

What can I do with a mathematics degree other than teach?  The panelists will explain their career paths and how mathematics has played a role.  Here is a short biography of our panelists.

Jessica Crane, Prudential Financial
Jessica Crane has worked for Prudential Financial in both the Life Insurance and Annuities divisions of Prudential.  In both areas she worked as part of the Financial Modeling team responsible for calculating the financial reserves for the company.  She is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey Class of 2006 with Bachelors in Mathematics.  After graduation she moved to Juneau, Alaska for a year.  During the summer she worked as a tour guide, and once the tourist season ended found a job working in a loan office at Alaska Pacific Bank.  In April 2007 I moved back to New Jersey and accepted my current position at Prudential Financial beginning May 2007.

Laura Roberts, Senior data administration analyst at United Parcel Service
Ms. Roberts is a senior data administration analyst with United Parcel Service, the worldâ?Ts largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services.  Ms. Roberts works closely with functional representatives, business analysts, data base administrators and application development project teams to identify and define data requirements, develop data models and define standardized metadata to support the effective storage of data.   She also supports the transformation of business requirements into logical data models and preliminary physical data models and supports the information needs of the business in a flexible manner.
Laura is a 1981 graduate of Ramapo College with a degree in Geology and Computer Science.  She continued her education at New Jersey Institute of Technology earning a Master of Science, Management Science.
Prior to her current position, Ms. Roberts had assignments as an application project leader for several application development areas at UPS.   Ms. Roberts held positions as a data analyst performing statistical data analysis for a multinational pharmaceutical company and as a systems analyst for a health insurance company prior to joining UPS. She enjoys reading and horseback riding.

Jessica Thalman, Mathematician for the US Army at Picatinny Arsenal
Jessica Thalman is a mathematician for the US Army at Picatinny Arsenal since December 2009.  Picatinny is home to ARDEC – Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center.  She works in the Systems Analysis Division.  Her group is part of the Systems Engineering Directorate (SED) and primarily works on operations research and computer simulations.  She is currently working on an MS in Homeland Security through Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Michael Walker, Quantitative Analyst at Augsburg Energy, LLC
Michael joined Augsburg Energy, LLC at the beginning of 2011 as a Quantitative Analyst, and works on developing a (profitable) automated trading strategy for commodity futures markets.  He went to high school in the Bergen county magnet school, Bergen County Academies and came to Ramapo College in Fall of 2008 on a Presidential (full) scholarship to study computer science. Since then he added a math and an economics minor and will be graduating this May.  He is also a member of Mensa, enjoys playing various computer and board games, attending concerts, and just got engaged on spring break in Dominican Republic.

Previous Conferences

• 2011 at Manhattan College
• 2010 at St. Francis College
• 2009 at SUNY New Paltz
• 2008 at Manhattan College
• 2007 at CMSV
• 2006 at Manhattan College