Site Map
Course Overview (MATH-GA 2420.012)
To see materials from prior years this seminar has been taught as a full course (it used to include teaching as well as writing), see pages for Spring 2018 and Spring 2020.
Class Meetings
Wednesdays 10-11am in WWH 1314
Instructor
Aleksandar “Aleks” Donev (he/they), 1016 CIWW, contact donev@cims.nyu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Description
Communication, both oral and written, is essential in academic careers and beyond. This course aims to help graduate students in mathematics develop skills to more effectively communicate their discipline and their research through writing and oral presentation. This half course (1.5 credits) will focus on academic writing and presentations, and will help students understand the “logic” of writing so as to construct clearer prose both at the sentence, paragraph, and article level. Throughout, the course will pay attention to how skills from both of these areas transfer to creating clearer, more engaging research presentations.
This seminar-style course will be highly interactive, with much of the learning occurring through feedback from other students. Students are expected to actively participate during the course time, and to complete several assignments including observing a class, teaching a short class, writing a research report and completing shorter writing exercises.
Expectations
Students enrolled in this course will be expected to attend the class meetings and participate fully in the discussions and activities. Students will also be expected to complete approximately one hour of work outside of class each week. This work will include reading and writing assignments, preparing presentations as well as classroom observations. For more detail on assignments, see the Course Schedule.
Postdocs are encouraged to audit the course for professional development. Auditors will be expected to prepare for class by doing the assigned reading, and to participate fully in discussions and in-class activies. Auditors will not be ask to submit written assignments.
Final Reports
To see examples of prior final reports, see pages for Spring 2018 and Spring 2020.
Inclusiveness
As an instructor, I will strive to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students regardless of their identity. I recognize and value diversity inside and outside of the classroom, and recognize that each student has a unique contribution to make and brings with them different strengths and weaknesses. I welcome your ideas for how to promote a better understanding and deeper learning in this class as a community. Please feel free to ask questions, to participate in discussions, and to suggest new approaches to the class content. Please also feel welcome to raise any issue you may have in class or outside of class, including reporting incidents of bias or discrimination, whether intentional or unintentional, either to me, to your advisor(s)/mentor(s), or by using the NYU Bias Response Line.