Student Profile: Mashael Mothabet AlBaidani

Mashael Mothabet AlBaidani is an international student who will graduate from Murray State University in December 2014. She came to Murray State from Saudi Arabia to pursue a Masters of Science degree in Mathematics. At Murray State, she works as a graduate assistant and is the primary lecturer of MAT 097 Intermediate Algebra. For this position, she helped design a curriculum with exams, she keeps office hours, and she grades written work and exam papers. This has allowed her to develop her teaching skills. She also volunteered as a Math tutor at the East Calloway Elementary School, and she worked as a substitute teacher part time to teach middle and high school mathematics in Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.

Before Murray State, she completed a degree in Computer Science from a Saudi Community College, then graduated from King Abdul Aziz University with honors. Her hobbies include collecting information about computer programs and usages, solving puzzles, playing tennis, designing models, reading, traveling and mathematics. She believes that education and mathematics are both very important. She states:

The mathematics field is important to the betterment of any society. I love the fact that many in the field work in distinct areas with special needs and to help individual regardless of culture or age. I will be happy to be part of such community. I, especially, like the fact that the United States of America use modern technologies in teaching and learning of mathematics in universities and in schools, in addition to the great knowledge base that this country has to offer. I am more convinced and have a deep interest in completing my studies in the United States.  I don't remember when I became fond of mathematics. At first, it was fun and exciting to solve problems. Later it became more than a hobby. I enjoyed the feeling of success and fulfillment when I realized that the problem is solved. I tried to have my own way of defining mathematical concepts for myself and I always love to look deeply on the open problems in all working aspects and understand them. I always tried to master the elementary mathematics and I had developed my keen interest in various fields of mathematics. These experiences helped me realize that I will always be enthusiastic about mathematics. I have a great passion for the study, enjoyment and an increase in the knowledge of Mathematics and Computer Science.

 AlBaidani has also attended several conferences. She attended the "A Number Theory Conference" that honored the Batemans at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Discrete Algorithms Analytic Combinatorics and the Analysis of Algorighms (SAIM) Conference, and the Educational Success Concepts Saudi Leadership Development Conference. She has attended American Mathematical Society Conferences as well. She gave a talk at the KYMAA Conference at Murray State University, which gave her the opportunity to work with other mathematicians on research problems.

Her goal is to continue her study of Mathematics in a Ph.D. program, then return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to lecture and teach at a University. Right now, she is preparing to defend her thesis. She states:

My main field of interest is Real and Functional Analysis, Partial Differential Equations. Moreover, I am interested in Abstract Algebra, Topology, Complex Analysis, Combinatorics analysis and number theory. Thus my interest in pursuing my Ph. D. Currently, I am involved in a research project by Professor Dr.Yayenie. Under his guidance, I wrote my thesis about Analytic and Combinatorial proofs of Some Classical Partition Identities and defended it with Honors. Essentially, it consisted an overview of integer partitions, establishing several theorems regarding the relationships between partitions of integers under differing conditions. In the second chapter, we present some basic facts followed by combinatorial proofs for some partition identities. In particular we present a bijective proof that the number of partitions into distinct parts ≅ ±1 (mod 3) equals the number of partitions into 3-distinct parts where no consecutive multiples of 3 appear. In the third chapter, we introduce an integer partition function p(n) by employing a generating function and study some of its properties. In addition, we also provide analytical proofs for some of the results in this field as the Rogers-Ramanujan identities. Furthermore, we give a proof of the explicit formula for p(n) by using the circle method and subtle techniques from complex analysis. During this work I acquired a broad range of research experience and background necessary for further research. 

The Murray State University Mathematics program gave AlBaidani the opportunity to develop her skills and meet other mathematicians with similar interests. As an international student at Murray State, she taught classes and attended conferences, which gave her valuable work experience and the ability to network in her field.