Q Club
The Q-Club, which is short for "Quantitative Club," is the departmental student organization, boasting over fifty members. Students speak on their research or share their internship and summer program experiences. Scheduled events take place approximately every Friday 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm with pizza being served. Q-Club will meet in Brown Hall Room #122 also known as Bloomer Auditorium.
Faculty members occasionally give talks as well, on topics ranging from "Math and Horror" to "An Outrageously Brief History of Mathematics."
All are welcome to attend; any questions please contact the club advisor, Lisa Torrey.
If you know of students interested in giving a talk during the semester, please contact Lisa Torrey.
Additional activities planned by the club include a Piathlon (held on or near 3/14) and Euler's Birthday Party (on 4/15).
Q-Club Archive Page (Fall 2013 - Fall 2012)
Archive Page (Spring 2019 - Spring 2014)
Archive Page (Spring 2022 - Fall 2019)
FALL 2023
December 8, 2023
Title: SYE Projects in Statistics and Data Science.
Presenters: Oliver Fisher and James Wolpe
Abstract: At this week's Q-club, Oliver will present his SYE project on Nature Up North camera trap data while James will discuss his SYE project on an R package for paired competition modeling.
November 3, 2023
Title: Teaching Stats with Sports
Speakers: Sarah Weaver & Jack Fay
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, two majors will present their recent work with SLU professors on an NSF grant. They have developed educational modules for statistics courses, centering around the analysis of sports data.
October 27, 2023
Title: How To Train Your Drone
Speaker: Peyton Hamilton
Abstract: At this week's Q-club, Peyton will present his recent work on a project involving sensor transplantation in autonomous drones.
October 20, 2023
Title: Networking With Alumni
Speaker: Anne Warren
Abstract: Anne is an Assistant Director of Employer Engagement at SLU's Center for Career Excellence. At this week's Q-club, she will conduct a workshop on the important skill of networking with alumni.
October 6, 2023 PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGED TO 3:00 (To make room for the "holding space" in chapel at 2pm)
Title: Summer Research
Speakers: Molly Sullivan & Lesley Reyes
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, two majors will tell us about their summer research projects.
- Molly Sullivan developed a puzzle game in Unity.
- Lesley Reyes conducted an exploration into fractals.
September 29, 2023
Title: Summer Internships
Speakers: Rodrick Mpofu & Jax Lubkowitz
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, two majors will tell us about their summer internships.
- Rodrick worked on automated testing for experimenters at the New York Times.
- Jax worked on R packages for genetic data analysis at the University of Vermont.
September 22, 2023
Instead of Q-Club…Check out these Laurentian Weekend events!
INTERNSHIP FELLOWSHIP POSTER PRESENTATION
Friday, September 22 (2 – 3 pm)
Winston Room, Sullivan Student Center
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP POSTER PRESENTATION
Friday, September 22 (3:30 – 4:30 pm)
Winston Room, Sullivan Student Center
Students from across campus will share their individual internship and research experiences.
September 15, 2023
Title: Grad School Info Session
Speaker: Erica Miner
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, Erica (from Northeastern University's Roux Institute in Portland, Maine) will tell us about their graduate programs in Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Analytics, Data Science, and more.
September 8, 2023
Title: Assessing Parity in the NBA
Speaker: Gop Arop
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, Gop will tell us about his summer fellowship in data science, which analyzed the impacts of NBA policies on the competitive balance of teams in the league.
September 1: Title: Tips for Succeeding in our Courses
Speakers: Math/CS/Stats Faculty
Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, faculty in the department will share their advice for being a successful student in math, computer science, statistics, and data science courses.
August 25: Title: Welcome to Q-club!
Abstract: At this first Q-club meeting, faculty and students in Math, Computer Science, Statistics, and Data Science are invited to enjoy some Sergi’s pizza and celebrate the start of a new semester.
SPRING 2023
May 5: Title: End-of-Semester Social
Abstract: The last Q-club of the semester is a purely social event. Join us for pizza and cookies on the last day of classes!
April 21: Speakers: Senior majors in Math, CS, Stats, and Data Science Title: SYE lightning talks Abstract: At this week’s Q-club, a bunch of seniors in the department will give brief descriptions of their SYE projects. Come to hear a bit about the interesting things they’ve been doing and to get a sense of what SYEs can be like!
April 7: Speaker: Glendalys Medina Title: Understanding Bias in Online Ad Delivery
Last summer, Glendalys replicated and expanded upon a study on bias in online ad delivery, investigating whether racially identified names are associated with personalized ads suggestive of an arrest record. At this week’s Q-club, she will present the results of her project.
March 10: Speaker: Nate Wilbert Title: Data Services at DFW Airport
Nate lives in Potsdam and works remotely as a Business Intelligence Analyst for Dallas Fort Worth airport. At this week’s Q-club, he will tell us about his career and share some advice about working in the data world.
March 3: Panelists: Nika Husinec, Cai Lemieux Mack and Trent Meyer Title: Grad School Info Panel Abstract: Thinking about applying to grad school? At this week’s Q-club, students who have recently applied will pass on their advice. Faculty will also be on hand to answer questions about what grad school is like.
February 24: Speaker Tom Fraatz Title: Resume Writing Workshop
Abstract: The advent of the “easy apply” button has made resume writing even more important. We’ll explore how you can craft a resume that looks good to the AI gatekeepers and explains to the human hiring committees why you’re not just a good candidate, but the right candidate for their positions. Please bring your laptops if possible.
February 17: Speaker: Janeil Speid Title: Off-Campus Adventures in Computer Science
Abstract: Last summer, Janeil participated in the SEO Tech Developer program. Then, in the fall semester, she studied abroad in Denmark, where she was able to take Computer Science electives in Big Data and Game Development. She'll talk about both of these experiences at this week's Q-club.
February 3: Title: Data Science Internships
At Q-club this week, hear from two majors about their data-oriented summer internships. Ben Sunshine worked at RK Mission Critical. Cameron Kessler worked at Tyler Technologies. They'll talk about how they found their internships and what the experience was like.
January 20: Title: Welcome Back!
Abstract: At this first Q-club meeting, faculty and students in Math, Computer Science, Statistics, and Data Science are invited to enjoy some Sergi’s pizza and hear about events and opportunities that are coming up this spring and summer.
FALL 2022
December 2: Speaker: Jamie Kuppel Title: Building an Image/Video Search
Abstract: At this last Q-club of the fall semester, we'll welcome a SLU alum back to the department! Jamie is a member of the class of 2017. In his talk, he'll tell us about an image/video search system that he helped build at his current company, and he'll share what he's learned about tech careers during the five years since he graduated.
November 11: Speaker: Dr. Michael Sheard Title: Why a Mathematician Can't Tune a Piano Abstract: You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish! Actually, you can’t tune a piano, either, at least if you want the frequencies of the notes to satisfy some very simple mathematical relationships. This talk will explain why. You don’t need any background in music to understand the talk; also, the math involved is very basic, so feel free to invite your musically-inclined friends.
November 4: Title: Asking good questions: A key to success in statistics and data science Speaker: Susan Paddock, Chief Statistician, NORC (Univ. of Chicago) Abstract: Our career success and personal fulfillment as statisticians and data scientists rely on our ability to ask good questions of ourselves and of others, and to engage with others who ask us good questions. However, as demonstrated by the existence of entire scientific disciplines devoted to asking good questions, it is not necessarily easy to do so. I will touch upon three domains encountered by statisticians and data scientists for which asking good questions can reveal important insights: navigating our career development, evaluating, and improving data quality, and leading our collaborators and teams to success.
Bonus eUSR sessions for an extended (virtual) QClub in Bloomer: 3:00-3:45 Graduate School Information Session with reps from Duke, Middlebury, Univ. of Washington, and Microsoft Research, 3:45-4:30 Panel Discussion about Careers with reps from Google, NY Yankees, US Census Bureau, and Wisconsin Health Services
October 28: Title: Art of Mathematics and Mathematics of Art Speaker: Dr. Gabriel Dorfsman-Hopkins Abstract: Mathematical understanding is built in many ways, and among these, illustration has been a companion and tool since the very beginning. Conversely, mathematical ideas have shined light on new avenues of artistic exploration for over a thousand years! In the modern era, there has been an explosion of tools for computer graphics, animation, digital fabrication, 3D printing and more, opening new doors and techniques for anyone trying to explore the intersection of mathematical and artistic ideas.
In this talk I want to share my own walk along the boundary of the mathematical and the artistic, showcasing projects which give physical form to the abstract. Some of these create interactive installations to communicate mathematical ideas broadly, while others gave sparks of inspiration to prove new theorems—and often both! This talk should serve as an invitation for students who would like to explore this area with me—including through summer research—as well as a plug for the forthcoming makerspace I am co-founding with Dr. Angstadt.
This talk includes joint work with students (Daniel Rostamloo and Shuchang Xu), artists (Merle Maynard and Afroditi Psarra), and folks in industry (Bernat Espigule).
October 21: Title: Summer Fellowships in Data Science - At Q-club this week, hear from two Data Science majors about their summer fellowship projects. Hope Donoghue: What Characterizes a Winning Combination - Network Analysis using Sports Data. Grace Bridge: ‘You’re a [Data] Wizard, Harry!’ - A Data Science Approach to Analyzing the Harry Potter Series.
October 7: Title: Software Engineering Internships - At Q-club this week, hear from two Computer Science majors who did internships last summer. Brandon Dickson was a Software Engineering intern at iXperience. Charlie Reinhardt was a Software Development Engineer at Amazon Web Services. They'll talk about how they found their internships and what the experience was like.
September 30: Title: Finding Hidden Jobs and Internships that You Want Speaker: Tom Fraatz (Center for Career Excellence) Abstract: As we approach application season, it’s important to look beyond buzzwords to find positions at organizations that may escape our attention. Join us for a discussion on using your degree in Math, Computer Science, Statistics, or Data Science to get a leg up on the market and sell yourself as the best candidate for the positions you want.
September 23: Title: Statistics for SLU Abstract: At Q-Club this week, hear from two majors who did research projects this summer and produced statistical analysis of data collected here on campus. Hailey Quintavalle and Trent Meyer are the speakers.
September 16: Title: Research Experiences for Undergraduates Abstract: At Q-club this week, hear from two majors who did research projects this summer at other universities through an NSF program called Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). Sarah Bellefleur: Comparing the Most Likely Path of Drifters in Laminar and Turbulent Flow. Ned Smith: Classification of Protein Binding Sites using Statistical Learning. They'll present their projects and talk about what REUs are like and how to find them.
September 9 - Title: Deep Learning for Image Data. Abstract: At Q-club this week, hear from two CS majors who did research projects this summer as Clare Boothe Luce fellows. Laura Bolduc: Identifying Animals in Game Camera Images with Deep Learning. Grace Cicchinelli: Denoising Protein Images with Deep Learning. They'll present their projects and talk about what summer research at SLU is like.September 2 - Title: Tales of Two Summer Internships. Abstract: At Q-club this week, hear from two majors in the department who did internships last summer. Paige Delaney was a Tax, Technology, and Transformation summer intern at Ernst and Young. Cassandra Richter was a data analytics intern working remotely for Diib Inc. They will talk about how they found their internships and what the experience was like.
August 26 - Title: Welcome Back Majors! Abstract: At this first Q-club meeting, faculty and majors (and intended majors) in Math, Computer Science, Statistics and Data Science are invited to enjoy some Sergi's pizza and celebrate the start of a new semester.