Undergraduate Research

About the Freiwald Scholars Program

In 2012 the Advanced Research Training For Undergraduates (ARTU) program was founded and was originally funded by the National Science Foundation. Its goal is to introduce and train bright undergraduate students to do research in mathematics and closely related disciplines. The program allows students to work over the course of multiple semesters with a faculty mentor, and includes a funded summer residency. By 2017 the ARTU program had evolved from its original founding and received a name change to honor our Professor Ronald Freiwald, who retired in 2017.

The Freiwald Scholars are supported by a donation from a department alumnus in  honor of Professor Freiwald, and also by the Office of Undergraduate Research.

Eligibility

Juniors, sophomores, and exceptionally strong first-year students from Washington University in St. Louis will be considered. It is a small and selective program.

Mentorship

Student work takes place under the supervision of mathematics faculty who are leading researchers in their respective fields.

Timeline & Commitment 

Minimum participation time is 1 semester and 1 summer. The expectation is that most students will want to continue significantly longer. Students will write progress reports approximately every 4 months, and after their first summer of funding, they are also expected to do oral or poster presentations every four months. These students are also expected to fulfill requirements outlined by the Office of Undergraduate Research, including presenting their work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Residency

Students and faculty must be in residence in St. Louis during the summer research months. Long-distance supervision is not allowed.

Spring/Summer 2025

The 2025 Freiwald Program will be run by Prof. Renato Feres.  

Spring 2025 Research Seminar

Participating students are expected to enroll in the Honors Seminar in Mathematics, Math 401. This is a 3 credit course to be offered in the spring semester.  The main goal of the spring semester research seminar is to obtain the background and preparedness to begin pursuing a research project by the end of the semester and into the summer. Another main goal is to create a community of researchers.  Students may work on individual or group projects and they may work with Prof. Renato Feres or seek other faculty mentors among the faculty members of the Mathematics department.

Activities at the seminar may include:

• General aspects of research in mathematics
• Discussion of topics for potential research projects
• Reading and analyzing papers
• Giving presentations

Freiwald Scholars Summer 2025 Program

Summer activities will take place during the months of June and July 2025. In addition to individual study and research related work conducted outside of meetings, these activities will consist of seminars (at least 3 hours per week) focused on presentations by the students reporting on their progress and, depending on time availability, presentations by faculty on topics related to the students’ research interests. By the end of summer, each student is expected to produce written expositions of their work, both in a research article format (in Latex) and in presentation style (LaTeX Beamer or PowerPoint).

In Fall 2025, Freiwald Scholars are required to give a poster presentation of their results at the Washington University Undergraduate Research Symposium.

How to Apply: Freiwald Scholars

Applications for the Freiwald Scholar Program for Spring-Summer 2025 are due on October 18, 2024.

Applications are reviewed and finalists are notified and invited to an informal interview to assess the applicant's motivations and consider matches for faculty mentorship.  An application is made up of the following:

• Updated resume (PDF format)
• Statement of interest (PDF format; please keep to one page or less)
  In particular, students should answer the following questions:
  What are your expectations from participating in an undergraduate research program in mathematics?
  Why do you think that the Freiwald Program is the right fit for you?
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members familiar with your mathematical knowledge and skills.

Strong academic records are the primary qualification for admission into the Freiwald Scholar program. Students interested in this program, but who have not taken any math classes at the 400 level or above are encouraged to discuss summer research options with either Prof. Martha Precup or Prof. Renato Feres.

Applications and letters can be sent to Prof Blake Thornton. 

Freiwald Summer Course

During Summers 2024, 2026 and 2028, Prof. Martha Precup will be leading a summer reading course in computational and algebraic combinatorics. Competitive applicants will be first or second-year students with a strong academic record who have taken at least one math course at Washington University and plan to complete a math major, but have not taken classes at the 400 level or above. By the end of the summer, each student (or team of students) will produce written reports on their work and give a poster presentation at the Washington University Undergraduate Research Symposium.  

Participation in the Freiwald Summer Course includes summer funding. Students in the summer course are expected to participate full-time and be in residence in St. Louis during the months of June and July. 

Note: The Freiwald Summer Course run by Prof. Martha Precup is slightly different from the Freiwald Research Program described above.  It will still involve intensive work in the summer but there is no associated spring seminar.

How to Apply: Freiwald Summer Course

Applications for the 2026 Freiwald Summer Course are due in February 2026. The precise deadline and application information will be posted in January 2026.

Applications are reviewed and finalists are notified and invited to an informal interview to assess the applicants' motivations and consider matches for faculty mentorship.  An application is made up of the following:

• Updated resume (PDF format)
• Statement of interest (PDF format; please keep to one page or less)
  In particular, students should answer the following questions:
  What are your expectations from participating in an undergraduate research program in mathematics?
  Why do you think that the Freiwald Summer Course is the right fit for you?
• Two letters of recommendation from faculty members familiar with your mathematical knowledge and skills.

Strong academic records are the primary qualification for admission into the Freiwald Scholar program.

Applications and letters can be sent to Prof Blake Thornton. 

 

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