Nominees for MAA National Offices

The MAA allows future presidents a full year as president-elect, during which they participate in the governance of the association and prepare for their term as president. So it is time to elect the person who will serve as president-elect starting in 2014 and then as president in 2015.

We also elect the new MAA vice presidents who will serve in 2014 and 2015, and we elect two members to be on the Nominating Committee.

The candidates for the MAA election of officers listed below were chosen by the Nominating Committee. David Bressoud served as chair of the Nominating Committee.

All members of MAA (other than undergraduate students) are eligible to vote. Online voting, using the third-party service Survey and Ballot Systems, began April 3. On this date, all eligible voters with a valid email address received an email with a direct link to a ballot.

Any eligible member of MAA without an email address in the MAA database receives a letter with a web address (as well as the sign-in information) at which he or she can vote. Voting closes at the end of the day on May 15.

Candidates for President-Elect

Haunsperger

Deanna Haunsperger
Carleton College

 

 

 

Selected MAA Activities

Publications Related
Math Horizons, Coeditor, 1999–2004
Mathematics Magazine, Math Horizons, Editorial Boards
The Edge of the Universe, Coeditor, published with the MAA
Search Committee for Director of Publications, Member
Search Committee for Math Magazine Editor, Chair

Governance Related

Second Vice President, 2006–2008
MAA Board of Governors, Member, 2006–2008, 2012–2017
MAA Executive Committee, Member, 2006–2008
Committee on Committees and Councils, Member, 2012–2017
New Agenda Planning Group, Member, 1999
Nominating Committee, Member, 2008 and 2010
MAA Centennial Planning Committee, Co-Chair, 2004–present
Council on Prizes and Awards, Member, 2010–2016

Outreach Related

Strategic Planning Working Group on Students, Chair, 2006–2008
Committee on Undergraduate Students and Chapters, Member
Council on Outreach Activities, Chair, 2012–2017
Dolciani Mathematical Enrichment Grants, Reviewer, 2012
Contributed paper session and Panel on Outreach, Co-Organizer

Section Related

Invited talk at 10 Sections, Presenter
North Central Section Spring Meeting, Organizer, 2011
North Central Section Service Award, Co-Recipient, 2012

Other Selected Professional Activities

Carleton College Summer Mathematics Program for Women, 1995 to present: Co-Director (A summer mathematical enrichment activity for talented undergraduate women in mathematics which now includes an annual workshop for alumnae of the program who are currently in graduate school and a summer conference for alumnae of the program who now hold PhDs in mathematics, of whom there are well over 50.)

Carleton College Department of Mathematics, Chair, 2011–2014
Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Board of Directors, Member, 2013–2018
NSF Review Panels for REUs and Outreach Programs, Member
External Departmental Reviewer for two colleges

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The community of mathematicians, students of mathematics, and friends of mathematics that is the MAA has much to offer including a wealth of quality journals and books, inspiring opportunities in professional development, challenging competitions through the American Math Competitions and the Putnam, local connections through the Sections, and national meetings jam-packed with good talks and good friends. Ultimately, however, the Association is only as strong as its membership. As the MAA looks toward celebrating its centennial in 2015, we wish to preserve, and even extend, the good work we do and the richness that we have to offer. To do that, we need to be better about communicating to our own membership the value of our work. We also need to maintain and strengthen our outreach to others—by extending the reach of our American Math Competitions, by increasing our connections with high school teachers of advanced mathematics and their students, by continually improving our visibility to undergraduate and graduate students of mathematics, and by doing more to communicate the beauty and joy of mathematics to the public. Reaching out to these others who are interested in collegiate-level mathematics and welcoming them into our community is not only the right thing to do, but it will also help keep our Association strong as we enter our second century.

Farris

Frank A. Farris
Santa Clara University

 

 

 

MAA Activities

Service in Publications
Editor of Mathematics Magazine 2001–05 and 2009 (ex officio Governor).
Editorial board, Classroom Resource Materials, 1995–2001.

Speaking

Invited address, MathFest, 2010. Carriage House Lecture, 2009. National speaker at 15 section meetings. Speaker, Silver and Gold Banquet, MathFest 2007.

Governance

Executive Committee 2004–05 and 2010–present, as Chair of Council on Publications and Communications. Governor, Golden Section (Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii), 2008–11.

Committees

Committee on Committees and Councils, 2010–present. Led strategic planning working group for the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), 05–07. Chair, ad hoc committee, MAA Invited Address speakers for New Orleans, 2007. Program Committee, MathFest 2008. Short course committee: 2006–12. Member since 1987.

Other Professional Activities

Member AMS, AWM, and Phi Beta Kappa. Won David E. Logothetti Teaching Award, 1997, and Trevor Evans Award in 2002 for “The Edge of the Universe” in Math Horizons. Eclectic research for expository writing. Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor, Carleton College, 2011. Visiting Researcher, Brown University, 1991, 1998, and 2006; U of MN, 2012. Tamarkin Asst. Prof. at Brown, 1981–84.

Website: math.scu.edu/~ffarris

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

How can we make the MAA indispensable to current and potential members? Our Association is essential to me: it strengthens the threatened infrastructure of mathematics in America, it connects me to wise, friendly colleagues, and it offers an endless stream of excellent exposition. I treasure these three things and they inspire my renewal every year.

Our greatest challenge is to increase awareness of and, indeed, hunger for, these three things the MAA does best: support the common good, nurture a network of generous-minded experts, and spur professional development. As society recovers from recession, it is time to convince people that they cannot afford not to join us.

The common good sounds abstract, but MAA programs advance it in concrete ways. From things like CUPM guides and Project NExT, supporting educators, to our mathematics competitions that stimulate tomorrow’s members, the MAA strengthens us all, even if we do not see it every day.

My second two talking points go hand in hand: networking and professional development. Our national meetings are one key: The talks remind me why I wanted to become a mathematician in the first place. Perhaps more important, I connect with friends—people facing common challenges, enjoying the same jokes, working on related problems.

Between meetings, my shelf of past issues of Mathematics Magazine recalls all the personal connections I have made through the MAA. With our publications online, the new MAA web portal will offer that feeling of connection with mathematical friends: like Facebook, but having all the substance of the Magazine, the Monthly, and the CMJ—with the fun of Math Horizons as a bonus.

What professional mathematician would not find all this indispensable? As President, I would carry this message: Everyone should support mathematics, everyone needs community, everyone needs professional development, and that’s why the MAA is indispensable.

Su

Francis E. Su
Harvey Mudd College

 

 

 

MAA Activities

First Vice President (2010–12);
Editorial Boards: Focus (2012–14), American Mathematical Monthly (2007–11), Math Horizons (2003–08), Spectrum (2000–03);
Invited Addresses: 2007 MathFest Student Lecture, 2006 Leitzel Lecture, 2006 JMM, and 13 Section Meetings;
Committees: Council on Meetings and Professional Development (2011–), 2013 MathFest Program Chair, Status of the Profession (2012–), Dolciani Prize (2012–), Leitzel Lecture (2008–), Association for Women in Science/MAA Awards Task Force (2010–12), CUPM Subcommittee on Research by Undergraduates (2007–10), Hasse Prize (2005–09);
PREP workshop organizer (2004–05);
MAA Players (Mathfests 2011 2012);
Awards: Haimo Award (2013), Alder Award (2004); Hasse Prize (2001).

Other Professional Activities

AMS Council (2007–10); Editorial Board, AMS Pure and Applied Undergraduate Texts (2009–13); AMS Exemplary Award Cmte. (2011–14); AMS Short Course Committee Chair (2006–08); MSRI (2003); Cornell, Visiting Professor (2000); 3 NSF Research Grants; 14 papers with undergraduates; Real Analysis YouTube videos; Author, Developer: Math Fun Facts website and iPhone app.

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The MAA faithfully carries out its mission to advance the mathematical sciences by supporting excellence and innovation in teaching, maintaining high standards of publishing and exposition, nurturing the professional development of its members, and advocating for public policy and public appreciation of mathematics. And the MAA’s strength lies in the deep commitment of its members to broadly engage all aspects of the mathematical profession. Such strength can be leveraged to address two primary challenges the MAA faces.

The first is adapting MAA ventures to the swiftly evolving digital revolution and resulting changes in mathematics education, publication, and outreach. Our conferences should lead the way in disseminating ideas about teaching with new technologies. We should continue to respond nimbly to the rapidly changing landscape in electronic books and journals. Our outreach to underrepresented groups and a skeptical public can be enhanced by strategic online initiatives, such as a student competition to create viral videos matching themes important to the MAA. We can bring mathematics appreciation to a wider audience than ever before.

A second challenge facing the MAA is broadening our membership. We distinguish ourselves from other mathematical organizations by our breadth in addressing all aspects of the profession, and by the excellence of our teaching resources and our exposition. So we are uniquely equipped to help faculty build fruitful synergies between research and teaching. We should ensure that all math-lovers, all those who envision a career in mathematics, and all teachers of college-level mathematics (including high school teachers and graduate students) from diverse backgrounds and institutions would find the MAA an attractive community to learn from and contribute. Our tagline “Participate, Investigate, Educate” succinctly captures the MAA’s welcoming spirit.

As the MAA turns the page on its centennial, we must advance a compelling vision of mathematics as the backbone of science but as beautiful as art, an endeavor worthy of every human without privilege to status or stereotype. I will work to further the MAA’s visibility, mission, and excellence.

Website: www.math.hmc.edu/~su/

Candidates for First Vice President

Carpenter

Jenna P. Carpenter
Louisiana Tech University

 

 

 

MAA Activities

CUPM 2014 Curriculum Guide Steering Committee, Member (2012–2014); MAA PREP (Professional Enhancement Program) Leadership Team, Member (2012–Present); MAA Committee on Professional Development, Chair (2011–2015); MAA Committee on Meetings and Professional Development, Ex-Officio Member (2011–2015); MAA CUPM Sub-Committee on Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years (CRAFTY), Member (2005–2011); MAA Committee on Consultants, Member (2006–2012); Louisiana Mississippi Section Governor (2010–2013); LA MS Section Project NExT Coordinator (2006–2010); LA MS Section Distinguished Teaching Award (2004); LA MS Section Chair (2005–2006), Louisiana Vice-Chair (2004–2005); MAA Curriculum Foundations Project Workshops on Social Science (2007), Engineering (2001 and 2000).

Other Professional Activities

White House Champions of Change Roundtable Event: Girls and Women in STEM, White House, Washington, DC (2011); Plenary Address, Mathematics & Biology: The New Educational Synergy Conference (2009); Reviewer: NSF Graduate Research Fellows Program (2008–2012); PRIMUS, Journal of Engineering Education, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, National Academy of Engineering Applying Research to Practice Series; Professional Organizations: Vice President, Professional Interest Councils, American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Board of Directors (2010–2011); Chair, Professional Interest Council III, ASEE Board of Directors (2009–2011); ASEE Nominating Committee, Member (2010–2012); ASEE National Outstanding Teaching Award Committee, Member (2011); ASEE Membership Policy Committee, Co-Chair (2011–2012); Director, Professional Development, Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) Board of Directors (2010–2012); WIE Member-at-Large, WEPAN Board of Directors (2006–2010); Organizer: Contributed Paper Session (CPS) “Mentoring Graduate Students: Pathways to Success,” Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM), 2013; CPS “Effective Strategies and Programs for Mentoring Women and Minorities in Mathematics,” JMM, 2013; Panel “The Job Search II: Interviewing and Hiring for Academic Jobs - Lessons from Both Sides of the Trenches,” MathFest, 2012; Panel “Mentoring Undergraduates on Research: A Kaleidoscope of Models,” MathFest, 2012; Panel “Utilizing NSF ADVANCE to Promote the Success of Women Faculty in Mathematics”, JMM, 2011; CRAFTY Panel “Reshaping Undergraduate Mathematics for Biology-Related Disciplines: Ideas and Innovation”, JMM, 2007; Panel “Integrating Math with Other Disciplines”, JMM, 2006.

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The MAA has, as its mission, to be the leading professional association for collegiate and expository mathematics, professional development for faculty, and resources for teaching and learning. It is a vibrant and relevant organization, serving professionals and college faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and K-12 teachers. The greatest challenges for the MAA, as it embarks on its second century of service, include leading the community as it seeks to adapt to the financial, political, and technology-driven challenges to higher education in general; potentially disruptive innovations in the concepts and modes of content, delivery, and pedagogy; and changing demographics of college-age students. Challenges also lie ahead in reaching out to a new generation to help them see the value in joining and contributing to their professional organization. With a forward-looking strategic plan, strong executive leadership, and an eye toward sound fiscal management, the MAA is positioned to meet these challenges, with the engagement and support of its members and constituents.

Dorff

Michael Dorff
Brigham Young University

 

 

 

MAA Activities

MAA visiting mathematician (2012), Governor - Intermountain Section (2010–2013), Invited plenary speaker at MAA Sectional Meetings (4 times), Editorial Board - American Mathematical Monthly (2011–present), Project NExT consultant/mentor (7 times), Project NExT Fellow (1997), MathFest Minicourse Presenter - Recruiting students to become math majors (2010, 2011), an organizer for the MAA Trends in Undergraduate Research in the Mathematical Sciences (TURMS) Conference (2012), Committee chair - MAA Invited Addresses at the 2013 AMS/MAA JMM (2011–2013), Committee chair - Early Career Mathematicians (2009–2012), Committee chair - Research by Undergraduate (2009–2012), Provisional committee chair - Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences (2012–present), Service Award - Intermountain Section (2010), Teaching Award - Intermountain Section (2008), Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics (2010).

Other Professional Activities

AMS Fellow (2012), Research and teaching professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) (2000–present), Director/founder of the $2.6 million NSF-funded Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM) (2006–present), Director/founder of the NSF-funded “Careers in Math” speaker series (2008–present), Director/founder of the NSF-funded BYU REU (2005–2011), BYU Lawrence K. Egbert Teaching and Learning Fellowship (2012–2015), BYU Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award (2010), BYU College of Science Distinguished Service Award (2008), BYU Math. Dept. Associate Chair over the undergraduate program (2006–2011), Executive Board Member and Math/Computer Science Chair for the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) (2011–present), Co-author of book Explorations in Complex Analysis, published in 2012, NSF reviewer (11 times), Editorial Board – Involve: a journal of mathematics (2007–present), blog “Math After Math” with Tim Chartier (2012), Invited external reviewer of mathematics departments at other universities (5 times), 3-day workshop for professors on working with undergraduates on research (4 times), Fulbright research scholar in Poland (2005–06), High school mathematics teacher (1986–90).

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

This is an exciting and challenging time for mathematicians. More mathematics is being discovered and created than ever before, and students majoring in mathematics have fabulous new career options opening to them in business, industry, and government. This is a message we need to get out to students, colleagues, and the public especially in light of the 2012 PCAST report and some recent negative editorials in major newspapers, and this message has been a focus of mine as I have visited universities, colleges, and high schools giving presentations.

This is also an exciting and challenging time for the MAA. The MAA has created many excellent programs and materials. At the same time the MAA must confront challenges that have resulted from ever-changing technology and tough economic times. New technologies can offer new ways to make the MAA’s resources more readily available to the many MAA members who are unaware of them. In addition, the MAA needs to find pro-active and creative ways to reverse the trends of declining membership and reduced revenues. Dealing with these issues is important, and during my recent sabbatical at the MAA, I learned about some new and intriguing ideas for the future. I am excited about the great opportunities this could lead to.

Website: www.math.byu.edu/~mdorff

Sellers

James Sellers
Penn State University

 

 

 

MAA Activities

Allegheny Mountain Section Governor (2008–present); MAA Committee on Invited Paper Sessions (chair) (2010–present); MAA Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM) (2007–present); AMS-MAA Committee on Teaching Assistants and Part-Time Instructors (2010–present); Hedrick Lecturer Selection Committee (2012–present), Allegheny Mountain Section Webmaster (2002–2010); MathFest Invited Paper Session Organizer (2008, 2010); MathFest Panel Discussion Co-organizer (2008, 2009); Project NExT invited speaker/consultant (1998–2000, 2002, 2006–2007, 2010–present); Allegheny Mountain Section Distinguished Teaching Award (2006); Allegheny Mountain Section Mentoring Award (2009)

Other Professional Activities

Visiting Fellow, Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge University (2008); Fulbright Scholar at Johannes Kepler University and Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC), Austria (2012); Member, College Board Advanced Placement Calculus Development Committee (2011–present); Instructor, The Teaching Company (2009–present); Author of more than 65 refereed research publications, including eight undergraduate co-authors; McCammon Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Mathematics Teaching, Penn State University (2005); Cohen Mathematics Service Award, Penn State University (2007); Rung Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, Penn State University (2011)

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The MAA must continue to take advantage of emerging technologies as it delivers its publications and improves its web presence. It must play a key role in the advancement of mathematics in a variety of arenas, from the media to policy makers, from educators to mathematicians in business and industry, striving to show everyone the utility and beauty of mathematics. The MAA must continue to seek innovative methods to reach out to young constituencies, including opportunities for undergraduate research and fostering more professional development opportunities for graduate students and new PhDs. It should work to attract new members and convince its current members of the benefits of belonging to such an important organization.

Website: www.math.psu.edu/sellersj/

Candidates for Second Vice President

Cordero

Minerva Cordero
University of Texas at Arlington

 

 

 

MAA Activities

Member of the search committee for the editor of the Mathematics Magazine, 2012–present
Member of the Nominating Committee of the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America, April 2012–present
Member of the search committee for the Director of the Tensor SUMMA Program, 2011–2012
Chair, MAA Committee for Minority Participation in Mathematics, January 2011–present
Member of the Speaker Selection Committee for MathFest 2012
Associate Editor of the American Mathematical Monthly, December 2010–present
Chair, Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America, 2010–2011
Co-chair, Committee for Minority Participation in Mathematics, 2009–2011
Member of the Committee for Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years, 2008–2011
Governor-At-Large for Minority Interests, Mathematical Association of America, 2008–2011
Level III Director, Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America, 2006–2009
Member of the Strategic Planning Committee-Working Group on Membership, 2006–2008
Arrangements Chair for the 85th Annual Meeting of the Texas Section of the Mathematical
Association of America, 2005.
Member of the Executive Committee of the Texas Section of the MAA, 2003–2005

Other Activities

Chair of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) Human Resources Advisory
Committee, Berkeley, California, April 2012–present
Member of the Association for Women in Mathematics Committee on Committees, March 2012–present
Reviewer for Math Reviews, 2011–present
Member of the MSRI Human Resources Advisory Committee, April 1, 2011–present
Member of the Mathematics and Science Committee, National Collegiate Honors Council, 2005–2008
Member of the Mentoring Committee for the Association for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, 2000–2001

Challenges Facing the MAA

As a nation we face the challenge of creating more college graduates with degrees in one of the STEM areas. According to the report of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) one million more college graduates with degrees in STEM will be needed over the next decade for our nation to remain competitive globally. Mathematics plays a major role in accomplishing this. The PCAST report recommended to “launch a national experiment in postsecondary mathematics education to address the mathematics-preparation gap” (PCAST, February 2012, p. 27). The MAA, as the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level should play a major role in this initiative.

Davis

Stephen Davis
Davidson College

 

 

 

MAA Activities

Southeastern Section: Governor (2009–2012), Chair (2003–2005), Secretary-Treasurer (1996–2002), NC State Director (1991–1994), Distinguished Service Award (2006); Committees: Committee on Sessions of Contributed Papers, College Board-MAA Joint Committee on Mutual Concerns; SIGMAA memberships: TAHSM (Secretary-Treasurer,( 2012–2014), MCST

Other Professional Activities

Coordinating Team for the Charlotte Mathematics Club (1992–present); NC Council of Mathematics Innovator Award (2009, Charlotte Mathematics Club); Advanced Placement Calculus Development Committee (2005–2011; Chair 2007–2011); Various roles at AP Calculus Readings (1988–present); NC Association of Advanced Placement Mathematics Teachers: Board Member (1998–2004), Webmaster (2003–present); Coauthor of a calculus textbook.

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The MAA Mission Statement describes our core interests in five areas: education, research, professional development, public policy, and public appreciation. We address these interests with a small and dedicated Washington staff and a multitude of volunteers at both the section and national levels. The Association’s ongoing challenge is to leverage the talents of its membership to promote mathematics as broadly as possible.

My particular interests center on undergraduate education, nurturing the mathematical talents of young people, and the high school-to-college transition. I hope that we can continue to enable MAA constituencies to convey excitement about mathematics, to celebrate the activities of nascent mathematicians, and to maintain and grow the ranks of professional mathematicians in the Association. Much of this happens at the section level, so the MAA’s efforts supporting section activities and promoting cross-fertilization between sections are critical.

Saxe

Karen Saxe
Macalester College

 

 

 

MAA Activities

Anneli Lax New Mathematics Library Editorial Board Chair (2011–2014); Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics, 2015 Curriculum Guide writing group (2012–); Committee on Books (2012–); Math Horizons Board Member (2004–2012); College Mathematics Journal Board Member (1999–2005); Excellence in Teaching Award, North Central Section (2007); Polya Award Committee (2010–); Carriage House Distinguished Lecture (2012).

Other Professional Activities

AWM Nominating Committee (2009–); AWM Travel Grant Selection Committee (2008–2009); Draw the Line MN, Citizens Redistricting Commission (2011–2012); Chair of Macalester College Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science (2007–2013); Organizer/Host AMS Central Section Meeting (2010); Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Advisory Board (2004–2009).

Main Challenges Facing the MAA

The MAA’s chief challenge is the shared national challenge of attracting high school and college students—from all over the country and with every type of background—to pursue careers as research mathematicians and mathematics teachers, and, more generally, to engage meaningfully in the STEM fields.

Our work bringing top-notch expository mathematics to a large audience—through our publications, website, meetings, and lectures—is critical to our efforts sparking and further developing interests in our students. To continue as a lead publisher attracting outstanding authors, we must remain vigilant in exploring and embracing new technologies, and the shifting paradigms in publishing. We must continue to provide a place where the most gifted expositors are keen to publish, and to think of new ways to expand our readership. Educators around the world are at a critical point with online education and we should critically consider its potential role for the MAA; we have begun (see, for example, devlinsangle.blogspot.com), and we should coordinate our exploration—perhaps via a SIGMAA—of the role of MOOCs, as well as hybrid and more intimate models.

It is also our challenge to help ensure that careers tied to the mathematical sciences remain attractive and rewarding. Professions in the mathematical sciences will not be attractive without substantial resources for ongoing networking and professional development. Our involvement with NREUPs, Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013, AMC Contests, JMM Undergraduate Student Poster Sessions, DMEGs, PREP workshops, and Project NExT are examples of our successes bringing groups together. I am interested to see the MAA use connections with other organizations—like the NSA, NCTM and SIAM—to increase, and not duplicate, opportunities to encourage aspiring mathematicians and for continued professional development.

In all our work, we should mindfully use our resources and expertise to influence public policies that assist and promote the work of students, teachers, and researchers in the mathematical sciences.

Website: www.macalester.edu/~saxe

Nominees for the Nominating Committee

Abbott

Steve Abbott
Middlebury College

 

 

 

A graduate of Colgate University (BA, 1986) and the University of Virginia (PhD, 1992), Abbott has spent the large majority of his professional life at Middlebury College, with two short teaching stints at Saint Olaf College and one back at Virginia. His dissertation and early research was in functional analysis and operator theory. In an effort to include undergraduates in research experiences, he shifted his focus to real analysis and eventually wrote an introductory text on this subject. More recently, he developed a strong interest in the relationship between mathematics and art, specifically focusing on contemporary theater. He is currently in the last year of a five-year co-editorship of Math Horizons (with Bruce Torrence).

In addition to the usual array of administrative and committee work that we all do as members of our respective institutions, Abbott spent six years as co-head (together with his wife) of one of the residential commons at Middlebury. This very positive experience necessitated being deeply involved in student life, and consisted of forging connections between students’ academic and residential experiences.

Hawkins

William (Bill) Hawkins Jr.
University of the District of Columbia

 

 

William Anthony Hawkins Jr. earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Howard University, an M.S. in Physics from Howard University), an M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan. During his Michigan studies and after earning his doctorate, Dr. Hawkins worked at Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia), where he became Chair of the Mathematics Department in 1985. In 1990 he became director of the Mathematical Association of America’s program SUMMA (Strengthening Underrepresented Minority Mathematicians) and has continued as volunteer director of this program since 1996.

In addition to Bill’s work with SUMMA, he has served on CRAFTY and as co-PI for the REU Program targeting minority students funded by NSF, NSA, and Moody’s Foundation. Hawkins has directed almost $5 million in government and foundations grants.

LaRose

Gavin LaRose
University of Michigan

 

 

 

Gavin LaRose has a B.A. from Grinnell College and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University. Following graduate school, he held the position of Assistant Professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University, a small liberal-arts school of 1,500 students in Lincoln, Nebraska from 1994–1999. In spring 2000 he was tenured and promoted to Associate Professor. Also in 2000 he accepted a position in instructional technology in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Michigan, in which he has responsibility for implementation and maintenance of on-line homework and testing systems, and other technologies supporting instruction in the Department. He is currently a Lecturer IV and, jointly, a member of the technical staff in the Department.

Gavin was a Project NExT fellow in 1994–95, and since 1997 has been an Associate Co-Director and now Associate Director of Project NExT. As such, he is, among other things, a liaison with the MAA’s Section NExTs, and the member of the team primarily responsible for the technology used by the Project. He will be moving off the Project NExT team at the end of August this summer. He has served on several MAA committees, including, currently, the Membership Committee. Connected with his instructional technology work he has been an ancillary developer on the WeBWorK open-source web homework system. LaRose’s research interests are in mathematical modeling, and specifically in student projects bringing together writing and the modeling of real-world phenomena.

Pollatsek

Harriet Pollatsek
Mount Holyoke College

 

 

Harriet Pollatsek is a Professor Emeritus at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. She currently serves as chair of the Council on Programs and Students in the Mathematical Sciences and, ex officio, as a member of the Committee on Committees and Councils and the Board of Governors. She is also the MAA representative to the AMS Committee on Education.

Pollatsek was previously a member of the Advisory Board to the Calculus project; a member of the Strategic Planning Group on STEM Issues and the Mathematics Program; a member, and then chair, of CUPM; the chair of the writing committee for Undergraduate Programs and Courses in the Mathematical Sciences: CUPM Curriculum Guide 2004; and member of the editorial board for the Illustrative Resources for the CUPM Curriculum Guide. She has authored the MAA textbook Lie Groups: A Problem-Oriented Introduction via Matrix Groups and the Monthly article “Quantum error correction: classic group theory meets a quantum challenge,” and coauthored Calculus in Context and Laboratories in Mathematical Experimentation.

Pollatsek is a winner of the AWM Louise Hay Award and the Mount Holyoke College Teaching Award. She was an adviser and participant in professional development for K-8 teachers of mathematics through SummerMath for Teachers and TERC.