2009 REU and REV Program Participant Profiles: Cameron Auker

Major(s): Applied Mathematics and Mathematics School: Hampden-Sydney College, Virginia Hometown: Ephrata, PA REU/REV Research Project: Modeling predictors of geographic distribution of Campylobacter infections in East Tennessee

What is the purpose of your research?
The purpose of our research is to investigate the higher occurrence of Campylobacter (similar to E. coli and Salmonella) in East Tennessee than the rest of the U.S. We are beginning to build a model that will help us identify specific risk factors that lead to a higher occurrence of Campylobacter in certain counties.

What does the research ultimately accomplish?
Hopefully our research will be able to reduce the occurrence of Campylobacter in East Tennessee, thereby reducing the costs associated with stomach infections (lost pay, missed school, etc.)

What were your favorite parts of the REU/REV program?
I really enjoyed working with our advisors because you had such a knowledgeable person helping you learn almost every day.

Would you recommend the REU/REV program to others?
Yes, it was extremely helpful for me because I come from a small school, so coming here allowed me to see what other schools are teaching their math majors and what they expect them to know.

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From 2008 until early 2021, NIMBioS was supported by the National Science Foundation through NSF Award #DBI-1300426, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.