Internationally Renowned Mathematical Sciences Research Center Marks its 20th Year

 

In its two decades of existence, an internationally renowned mathematical sciences research center at Rutgers has moved beyond its early roots to embrace such diverse disciplines as life sciences, social sciences and public policy.

On November 20, DIMACS, the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, celebrated its 20th birthday.

When it began in 1989, the center was a focal point for mathematics and computer science research that supported modern information technology. Rutgers partnered with Princeton University and two commercial telecommunications research entities, AT&T Bell Laboratories and Bellcore.

Today, DIMACS consists of 14 academic and corporate members, and over the years has hosted visiting researchers from around the world.

The center’s initial 11-year funding of $22 million came from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a prestigious Science and Technology Center (STC) grant. These grants, aimed at increasing the nation’s economic competitiveness, funded areas of research that frequently crossed traditional disciplines. They also mandated creation of educational opportunities and encouraged technology transfer from centers to commercial ventures. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology also funded DIMACS in its early years.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of DIMACS’s growth is its evolution beyond mathematics and computer science into physical and life sciences, environmental sciences, social sciences, engineering, economics, agriculture and public policy. The interdisciplinary nature of the DIMACS faculty made it possible for researchers to see how mathematical solutions could be applied to situations such as gene sequencing, evolutionary biology, epidemiology, and homeland security.

DIMACS has provided summer research opportunities to undergraduates and funded graduate and postdoctoral research fellowships. As part of the NSF’s educational outreach mandate, it has also worked with thousands of K-12 teachers and students. Working with science education experts at Rutgers and elsewhere, DIMACS has equipped teachers to convey the rigor and excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – often called the “STEM” fields. And it has worked with faculty in higher education, notably at community colleges and non-research institutions, to update their knowledge of the frontiers of research.

 

Read more about DIMACS history and accomplishments:

• Director Fred Roberts recounts DIMACS's history and prepares for the future
• Nature of Discrete Mathematics and DIMACS accomplishments
• Implementation Challenges
• Homeland Security