News and events

  • Srushti Desai Masters Project Presentation: Tuesday, November 4, 11:30 AM

    Wednesday, October 29, 2025 | By

    Srushti Dhavalkumar Desai, a Master of Science candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will present the Masters Research Project titled Graph-Theoretical Analysis of Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Human Brain: Weighted vs. Binary Representations on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 11:30 AM.

    The examination committee includes Supervisor Dr. William Marshall and Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Xiaojian Xu.

    Students (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as other members of the Brock Community are invited to attend. If you are interested in the presentation, please contact [email protected] for the room location.

    Keywords: Functional connectivity; resting-state fMRI; graph theory; small-world propensity; weighted networks; binary networks; resilience; ADHD

    Abstract: The brain is always active, even during rest, as different regions continuously interact and exchange information. Understanding these patterns of interaction is essential for exploring how the brain functions as a networked system. When regions exhibit consistent and statistically significant coactivation over time, they are considered functionally connected. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) allows researchers to study these connections and construct functional connectivity networks. Graph theory provides a powerful framework for analyzing such networks, where brain regions are represented as nodes and their interactions as edges. Through measures such as small worldness, graph analysis can characterize how efficiently information is processed, reflecting networks that are both highly clustered and globally integrated. However, most graph theoretical metrics were originally designed for binary networks, where connections are treated as either present or absent. Preserving the continuous weights of functional connectivity can provide a more nuanced representation of connection strength and potentially yield deeper insights into brain organization. The present study aimed to determine which representation, binary or weighted, better estimates Small World Propensity (SWP), a measure that quantifies how strongly a network exhibits small world characteristics, and to examine whether SWP is associated with resilience, defined as the capacity to adapt and recover from adversity. Results indicated that weighted graphs performed better for dense networks, while selecting appropriate thresholds improved binary representations for sparse networks. No significant relationship was found between resilience and small worldness within the ADHD group, suggesting that small world organization alone may not account for individual differences in resilience in this dataset.

  • Sambavi Arulnandhy Master Thesis Defence: Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 9:30 AM

    Thursday, July 10, 2025 | By

    Sambavi Arulnandhy, a Master of Science candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will defend the Statistics thesis titled Enhanced EEG Spectral Decomposition with Applications to Neurodevelopmental Changes in ADHD on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 9:30 AM.

    The examination committee includes Chair Melanie Pilkington, Supervisor William Marshall, External Examiner (Brock University) Stephen M. Emrich, and Committee Members Jan Vrbik and S. Ejaz Ahmed.

    Students (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as other members of the Brock Community are invited to attend. If you are interested in the presentation, please contact [email protected] for the room location.

    Keywords: ADHD, Aperiodic Activity, Customized Loss Function, EEG Spectral Decomposition, Modified Specparam

    Abstract:
    Aperiodic activity in electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, typically modeled as a 1/f-like trend in the power spectrum, reflects the brain’s excitation-inhibition balance, and provides valuable insights into neurodevelopment and cognitive function. This thesis focuses on two main goals: (a) to propose algorithmic improvements to EEG spectral decomposition methods; and (b) to apply the most effective method to investigate age- and sex-related differences in aperiodic EEG activity among children with and without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A comparative simulation study evaluated four spectral decomposition algorithms — Better Oscillation Detection Method (BOSC), Irregular Resampling Auto-Spectral Analysis (IRASA), Specparam and modified Specparam — on simulated EEG-like signals. BOSC and IRASA consistently underestimated components in multi-peak contexts. Specparam and modified Specparam demonstrated the highest accuracy with the modified version introducing a customized loss function that penalizes localized spectral dips differently than peaks and uses subgradient descent for adaptive fitting. This led to more stable parameter estimates and reduced mean squared error across simulations. The second objective is addressed in a registered report, applying Specparam to resting-state EEG data from the Healthy Brain Network. This study includes children aged 5-18 years, grouped by sex and ADHD diagnosis. Notably, it aims to address the long-standing underrepresentation of girls in ADHD research by analyzing aperiodic EEG activity in both sexes. The aperiodic estimates will be analyzed as functions of age, sex, and ADHD status, controlling for socioeconomic status, IQ, and the use of psychiatric medications. Statistical hypothesis testing will include Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) or non-parametric equivalents, with adjustments for group imbalance. These contributions enhance EEG spectral analysis techniques and offer insights into sex- and age-related neurodevelopmental differences in ADHD.

  • Yujia Luo Masters Paper Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM

    Wednesday, July 09, 2025 | By

    Yujia Luo, a Master of Science candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will present their STAT 5P99 MRP titled Optimal Design of Progressive Stress Loading Accelerated Life Tests under Progressive Type II Censoring on Monday, July 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM online on Microsoft Teams.

    The examination committee includes supervisor Dr. Xiaojian Xu and Supervisory Committee Member Dr. S. Ejaz Ahmed.

    Students (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as other members of the Brock Community are invited to attend. If you are interested in the presentation, please contact Jesse Larone at [email protected] for a link to the team presentation. Please join with microphones and cameras turned off.

    Keywords: Mean Lifetime Estimation, D-optimality, A-optimality, Exponential distribution, Weibull distribution, Robust design, Relative Efficiency

    Abstract:
    In traditional life testing experiments, it is often difficult to observe failures in highly reliable products due to their long lifespans, especially under normal operating conditions.  Accelerated life tests (ALT) is a widely used strategy to obtain sufficient failure data within a shorter period.

    This project focuses on developing optimal and robust designs for ALT using progressive stress loading plans under progressive Type-II censoring.  The underlying lifetime distributions are assumed to be either exponential or Weibull.  Optimal designs are derived based on three different criteria: c*-optimality, D-optimality, and A-optimality.  The resulting designs demonstrate high efficiency.

    However, these optimal designs are only locally optimal, as they depend on unknown parameters that must be estimated.  To address this uncertainty, we adopt a minimax approach to identify robust stress loading rates that minimize the maximum potential loss.  The resulting minimax designs are shown to be robust over a plausible range of parameter values.

  • FMS Undergraduate Research Symposium 2025 (July 31, 3pm-6pm)

    Wednesday, June 18, 2025 | By

    On behalf of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science (FMS), we are pleased to present to you the information below for the 2025 FMS Undergraduate Research Symposium.

    The FMS Undergraduate Research Symposium is back for 2025! For those unfamiliar, the event will consist of a poster session from undergraduate researchers in FMS at Brock. This event is a great opportunity for undergraduate researchers to share their research with the Brock community and develop valuable skills in their career as scientists. We again will be looking for volunteer judges (senior graduate students, staff, and faculty) and invite all undergraduate researchers in FMS to submit a poster.

    The 2025 FMS Undergraduate Research Symposium will take place on July 31 at 3 pm in the Pond Inlet. Refreshments and snacks will be served. All are invited to attend!

    Student Poster Signup (Deadline July 18): https://forms.gle/2ihaMntrYESgqzgQ6

    Judge Volunteer Signup: https://forms.gle/DxioqJz7RWqTJTbD9

    Check out the webpage for other details.

     

    Categories: Events

  • Remembering Professor Thomas Wolf

    Thursday, June 12, 2025 | By

    The community at Brock University is saddened to learn of the passing of Thomas Wolf, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics.

    Headshot of Thomas Wolf, Brock University Professor of Mathematics

    Wolf was an inspiration to many — students, staff, and faculty alike.

    In addition to his research interests in differential equations and integrability, computer algebra, general relativity, and combinatorial game theory, Wolf had a passion for the computerization of the game Go and organized the Brock Go Club.  He was also actively engaged in various youth outreach and student initiatives, including the Caribou Contests, a mathematics camp, and serving as a judge in the Niagara Science Fair.

    More details about Wolf and his work can be found in the article in Brock News: Professor Thomas Wolf remembered for sharing his love of math – The Brock News

    The Faculty of Mathematics and Science is planning memorial activities in the Fall. Further details to follow.

    Categories: News

  • Department of Mathematics and Statistics Colloquium: Dr. Basil Nanayakkara

    Thursday, May 22, 2025 | By

    The Department of Mathematics and Statistics invites students, faculty, and staff to attend the upcoming colloquium with speaker Dr. Basil Nanayakkara on Thursday, May 29, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.  The talk is entitled Limits and co-limits: the categorical viewpoint

    Abstract:

    Registration link:  https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/295746

     

    Categories: Events

  • Our Muller Learning Centre in the Newsletters of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction!

    Friday, March 21, 2025 | By

    Congratulations again to our colleague, Professor Emeritus Eric Muller, whose outstanding contributions and commitment in mathematics education were recognized through renaming our Math & Stats Learning Centre after him, and now mentioned in the Newsletter of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction, published on March 15, 2025:

    Math Learning Centre named after Professor Eric R. Muller

    It may be rather rare nowadays that a university room be named after a person, not in gratitude for a generous financial donation—however important these may be in the life of universities—, but as a tribute to academic excellence and dedication.  Such an event occurred recently at Brock University (Canada), when the Learning Centre of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics became the “Eric Muller Math & Stats Learning Centre”.

     

    Read the full article here.

    Read about Professor Emeritus Eric Muller here.

     

    Categories: News

  • Kamran Asgari Masters Thesis Defence Thursday, January 9th, 9:30 AM

    Monday, January 06, 2025 | By

    Kamran Asgari, a Master of Science candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will present their Masters Thesis titled Evaluation of Bayesian Networks in Soil Moisture Prediction on Thursday, January 9th, 2025 at 9:30 AM online in-person on campus.

    The examination committee includes supervisors Georgii Nikonov, Chair; Pouria Ramazi, Supervisor; Kelly Biagi, External Examiner (Brock University); and William Marshall and Xiaojian Xu, Committee Members

    Students (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as other members of the Brock Community are invited to attend. If you are interested in attending the presentation, please contact Neil Marshall at [email protected] for the room location.

  • Mo Ahsan Ahmad Masters Project Presentation Friday, December 20, 10:30 AM

    Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | By

    Mo Ahsan Ahmad, a Master of Science candidate in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, will present their Masters project titled Advancing Generative Modeling and Applications with Boltzmann Machines, Restricted Boltzmann Machines, and Sum-Product Networks on Friday, December 20, 2024 at 10:30 AM online on Microsoft Teams.

    The examination committee includes supervisors Dr. Ejaz Ahmed and Dr. Yifeng Li and Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Pouria Ramazi.

    Students (both graduate and undergraduate) as well as other members of the Brock Community are invited to attend. If you are interested in the presentation, please contact Neil Marshall at [email protected] for a link to the team. Please join with your microphones and camera turned off.

    Keywords: Probabilistic Models, Boltzmann Machines, Restricted Boltzmann Machines, SPNs, FMNIST Dataset, Model Performance

    Abstract:
    We live in the era of advanced machine learning methodologies with promising applications in generative probabilistic modeling. This study explores advanced machine learning methodologies with promising applications in probabilistic modeling and real-world problem-solving. The investigation focuses on Boltzmann Machines (BMs), Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs), and Sum-Product Networks (SPNs), emphasizing their ability to analyze complicated data distributions and reconstruct meaningful outcomes. BMs and RBMs, as energy-based probabilistic models, provide a strong foundation for capturing patterns in a variety of datasets. SPNs, with their hierarchical structure, allow for scalable probabilistic inference and efficient data representation. Using the Fashion MNIST dataset as a benchmark, this work demonstrates the practical performance of these models, highlighting reconstructed images, and precise predictions, alongside quantitative performance metrics. These findings are relevant for a variety of applications, such as image synthesis, object detection, and pattern recognition in domains like healthcare diagnostics and scientific research. The results highlight the distinct strengths of each strategy: the scalability and inference effectiveness of SPNs, as well as the capacity of BMs and RBMs to efficiently reconstruct and model data distributions. By providing a comparative analysis of these approaches, the study provides practical insights for both researchers and developers, demonstrating generative models’ revolutionary capability in developing machine learning and deep learning applications.

  • Congratulations to Dorothy Levay winner of the 2024 Brock President’s Distinguished Staff Award

    Friday, December 13, 2024 | By

    The Department of Mathematics and Statistics would like to congratulate our staff member, Dorothy Levay who is the recipient of the 2024 Brock President’s Distinguished Staff Award. This award is to recognize staff who, in addition to their normal duties:

    • Demonstrated exemplary service and/or make a significant contribution in his/her unit

    • Done something exceptional to advance Brock’s reputation

    • Made a significant contribution to the University and/or community

    • Provided a valuable service to the broader community at Brock University outside his/her own unit 

    Photo of Dorothy Levay and her award

    Dorothy has for many years contributed to the success of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Brock University. She voluntarily took on a leadership role for the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ teaching assistants years before it was officially added to her job description. She mentors the Department’s part-time instructors and teaching assistants, including observing lectures for first-time instructors and serving as chair of the Department’s Sessional and ILTA Teaching committee. As part of this, Dorothy reviews applications, makes recommendations to other committee members, conducts interviews and provides workplace references to part-time instructors and teaching assistants as requested.

    She also steps up when needed to assist with the the Department’s teaching, including rearranging her teaching deployment on short notice when, for example, sudden enrollment required a second section of Math 1P06 (Calculus II for Scientists). While regular teaching is a part of her job description, Dorothy goes above and beyond to provide exceptional instruction to our students, as recognized by her recipient of the 2015 FMS Distinguished Teaching Award as well as the 2001 Making a Difference Award, by the Brock Centre for Students with disABILITIES (now called Student Accessibility Services)

    Dorothy has contributed to advancing Brock’s reputation, by being the principal organizer of the tribute event in recognition of Professor Emeritus Eric Muller on October 3rd, 2024, officially announcing the newly renamed ‘Eric Muller Math & Stats Learning Centre.’ She also served as the co-chair of the local organizing committee of a 4-day Professional Development and Symposium, titled Coding, Computational Modeling, & Equity in Mathematics Education from April 26-29th 2023.

    She has served the university and the community by participating on the external Best Practices Recognition Advisory committee from 2001 to 2010. Dorothy also coordinated from 1996 to 2000 the First Nations Science Camp  during summers.

    She has been involved for many years with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ continuous development of its large service courses Math 1P97 and Stat 1P98, which serve close to 3000 students annually. As part of this, she volunteered to join the team responsible for updating the online course modules for both courses. Dorothy took the initiative to consult client departments such as Business, Health Sciences, Biology, Computer Science and Economics) to create program-focused examples as way to make the course contents explicitly more relevant to students. She has also lead the Department’s Service Course Committee when it redeveloped the assignments for Stat 1P98 to include a group case study including real-world data. She has been involved in the creation of the original online modules for the Math 1P97 online course. This commitment to these courses dates back to much earlier times, when she supported the (at the time, innovative) integration of Minitab in STAT 1P98 and of Maple in MATH 1P97.

    We are so happy that Dorothy’s exceptional contributions to the student experience and the Brock Community have been recognized by President Lesley Rigg and the University. Congratulations again Dorothy!

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