Updates
WMU Department of Mathematics
March/April 2008 Edition
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Talk series explores Careers in Mathematics. What can you do with a math degree? The WMU Department of Mathematics is hosting the Focus on Careers Lecture Series for 2007-2008. These talks are intended to inform students about the wide variety of careers available to those with a background in mathematics. Each speaker holds a degree in mathematics, and uses mathematics in his or her chosen line of work. The talks are aimed at college students, but will also be of interest to high school students and counselors, graduate students, and the general public. All talks are 4:00-5:00 pm in Rood Hall 1110. Speakers and dates for spring 2008 are as follows.

Friday, Jan 25 Deming Zhuang, PhD
Securities Analysis and Risk Management
CitiGroup, Inc, New York

Friday, Feb 22 Gordon Wilfong, PhD
Mathematical and Algorithmic Sciences Center
Bell Labs, Murray Hill, New Jersey

Tuesday, Mar 18 Don Southwell, FSA
President and CEO
Unitrin, Inc, Chicago

Friday, Apr 11 Erica Klampfl, PhD --CANCELLED--
Supply Chain Management Research Group
Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, Dearborn, Michigan

These talks are hosted by Western’s Pi Mu Epsilon chapter. Light refreshments will be served.
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Department announces new Minor in Actuarial Science. Beginning in the fall 2008 semester, students will have the option to declare a minor in actuarial science through the Department of Mathematics. Coursework for this exciting new program cuts across several departments, including mathematics, statistics, economics, and finance. Details for this program will appear soon on the math webpage. For more information, contact Dr. Jim Zhu (qiji.zhu@wmich.edu).

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Department tops list for grants. According to statistics from the Vice President for Research, the Department of Mathematics brought in more than $3.5 million in external grants during 2006-2007, which is 10.6% of the University total for the year. These awards included more than $269,000 in F&A monies. Both the total and F&A amounts were the largest for any department on campus. Much of this funding supports the Core Plus Mathematics Project and Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum, two major projects directed by Professor Chris Hirsch. More information can be found in the College of Arts and Sciences newsletter from Jan 28
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Two faculty members awarded sabbatical leaves. Congratulations to Jane-Jane Lo and Jim Zhu, whose applications for sabbatical leave in 2008-2009 were recently approved. Jane-Jane will spend time with researchers at Michigan State University working on an NSF-funded project investigating the mathematics education of elementary teachers, and will also travel to Taiwan to work with colleagues at National Sun Yat-sen University. Jim will use his sabbatical to advance his work in financial mathematics, which is a a relatively new field of research. Jim plans to spend parts of his year visiting Peking University in China and Singapore National University working with specialists in the areas of securities analysis and risk management.

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Alumni recognized with national awards. Congratulations to alumnus Timothy Chartier (MS 1996), currently Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Davidson College. Tim was awarded the prestigious 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, one of only 20 given for mathematics this year. Tim also received the 2007 Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching, given by the MAA to a beginning college or university mathematics faculty member. The department also extends its congratulations to alumnus H. Joseph Straight (PhD 1977), who received the MAA 2007 Seaway Section Certificate for Meritorious Service. Joseph is Professor of Mathematics at SUNY-Fredonia.

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Mathematics faculty receive external grant awards. The department is pleased to recognize several Mathematics faculty for recently awarded external grants.

March, 2008: Dr. Laura Van Zoest has received funding in the amount of $156,843 for the project Durability and Generativity of Learning Outcomes from Preservice Experiences with LTLF Materials. Laura's work is part of a larger NSF-funded project which has also funded Co-Invesigator Shari Stockero of Michigan Technological University (WMU PhD, 2006). The term of the project is 2008-2009.

November, 2007: Dr. Terrell Hodge is Co-Director for the project, Modern Biology, Modern Mathematics, and Modern Solutions: Moving Biomathematics Education beyond Calculus. The National Science Foundation awarded a grant of $149,983 in support of this project. Co-Directors on the project are Dr. Alex Enyedi (WMU, Biology and Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences), together with Raina Robeva and Robin Davies of Sweet Briar College (Virginia). The term of the award is 2008-2010.

September, 2007: Dr. Steven Ziebarth and 3 colleagues received a grant of $521,496 from the U.S. National Science Foundation for their project, Assessment for Learning Research Scholars: Capacity Building in Mathematics and Science Education. Dr. Ziebarth’s Co-Directors on the project are William Cobern, Herbert Fynewever, and Arlen Gullickson. The term of the award is 2007-2009. According to the award letter, the NSF expects to continue support for this project with an additional $791,003 for the period 2009-2011.

July, 2007: Dr. Nil Mackey and Dr. Steve Mackey have been awarded a research grant of $177,681 by the U.S. National Science Foundation for the period 2007-2010. Drs. Mackey and Mackey have traveled extensively over the past several years to lecture and conduct scholarship abroad, and their work has won them international recognition in the area of numerical matrix analysis. Their joint project is titled Numerical Methods for Structured Polynomial Eigenvalue Problems.

May, 2007: Dr. Yuri Ledyaev has been awarded a research grant of $150,055 by the U.S. National Science Foundation for the period 2007-2010. Dr. Ledyaev is an internationally recognized scholar in the areas of differential equations, control theory, nonlinear functional analysis, and nonsmooth analysis. The title of his research project is Discontinuous Feedback in Nonlinear Control.

May, 2007: Project Co-directors Dr. Ruth Ann Meyer and Ms Sandra Madden have been awarded a grant of $294,228 by the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, based in Midland, Michigan, for the period 2008-2009. These funds will be used to support continuation of the Michigan Mathematics Rural Initiative Project. The purpose of the project is to improve mathematics teaching and learning in grades 6-12 classrooms in rural areas, primarily low-income schools in Michigan’s central and northeastern Lower Peninsula.

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Math Student Commons now open! The department is pleased to announce that the new Math Student Commons (aka, student lounge) is now open for use. It is located in Rood Hall 3361 (northeast corner of the third floor), and is open weekdays 8 am to 8 pm. This space is for the use of mathematics students and their guests, and is intended as a casual place to study, discuss mathematics (free chalk!), relax between classes, or play a game of chess. The department wishes to thank all those who donated items for use in the Commons, like furniture, bookshelves, a rug, and books. We are still looking for games to put on the game shelves, and books to fill the book shelves (math or other).
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