The primary mission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics is to provide high quality mathematics education to mathematics majors, to students in other majors enrolled in mathematical content courses, to students in general education courses, and to students in developmental mathematics courses. As a service to the College and University, it also is part of the department’s mission to provide leadership and expertise in questions of mathematics and statistics as necessary across the disciplines.

Mathematics and Statistics Colloquiums

Missing Data in Physics Education Research - A Case for Multiple Imputation

Dr. Robin Donatello
Math & Statistics Department
CSU Chico

Professor Donatello shares research regarding missing data bias that Dr. Ben Van Dusen, his research assistant Jayson Nissen, and she have completed. Specifically, she discusses the bias that can result from incorrectly handling or analyzing data when data is missing. She references prior physics education research completed by Ben Van Dusen and Jayson Nissen. Insightful questions and comments from the students and faculty audience punctuate the final segment of the presentation. Presentation time: 50 minutes | View Now

The Role of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science in Bioinformatics

Dr. Todd A. Gibson
Faculty, CSU, Chico Computer Science Department

Bioinformatics slide thumbnailAs an example to introduce the field of bioinformatics, Dr. Gibson discusses the Human Genome Project, a 13-year, $3 billion project launched in 1990 by the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health. The project, drawing from several academic disciplines, mapped genetic variation among human genomes – quite a task, considering the variations within human DNA. Currently, scientists are working on a follow-up study, The 1000 Genomes Project. For this project, the genomes of over 2,600 people from 26 populations around the world are being mapped. Dr. Gibson’s talk explains the role of mathematics, statistics, and computer science in the history and breadth of the bioinformatics field. Presentation time: 58 minutes | View Now