Department Of Mathematics, Kansas State University
| April 2007 : | Alyson Deines receives Presidential Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Student in Research |
| Deines, a graduate of Chapman High School, is the daughter of Ruth and Alan Deines and a 2006 Goldwater Scholar. Her studies have focused on mathematical biology and number theory. "I was drawn to research in general out of curiosity," Deines said. "I grew up reading about new developments in research, and I wanted to be a part of these discoveries." The research that prompted her nomination for the award helped build an algorithm for the College of Veterinary Medicine, with the goal of increasing the accuracy of pain prediction during castration of cattle. "Our goal is to be able to tell them that their current model is or is not accurate," Deines said. Deines enjoys creating models in mathematics biology to see how variables might affect a given system. Number theory attracts her "because the math is very beautiful," she said. "The problems are easily described, but the solutions are often very deep." After her graduation from K-State in May, Deines will pursue graduate work in mathematics at the University of Washington in Seattle. |