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Project NExT
90 Strong
The Blue '17 cohort of
Project NExT fellows.
Disseminating Innovative Teaching Strategies
Lindsay-Kay Lauderdale (Gold'14) learning how to use Play-Do in Vector Calculus.
Promoting Inclusive Excellence
Associate Director Alicia Prieto Langarica (left) and Carmen Wright (Brown'13 dots) contributing to a MathFest discussion on diversity.
Winning Awards
Red dot (1994) and former Associate Director of Project NExT, Judith Covington, accepting a 2015 Haimo Award.
Producing Leaders
Past MAA President and Blue dot (1996) Francis Su.
Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) is a professional development program for new or recent Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences. It addresses all aspects of an academic career: improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, engaging in research and scholarship, finding exciting and interesting service opportunities, and participating in professional activities. It also provides the participants with a network of peers and mentors as they assume these responsibilities. Since 1994 there have been over 1700 Fellows, who have appeared in all capacities in the academic mathematical profession.
Coronavirus update
Summer 2020 workshops were virtual, as is JMM'21. We are accepting applications for the Gold'21 cohort, which will meet for the first time in the summer of '21, whether in person or virtually. Because of the uncertainties, in their letter of support, deans and chairs should note their institution's commitment to supporting their applicants in non-financial ways, and also how much travel support they can commit to. We will update this space as we know more.
Two application Dates each year!
The first round of applications for next summer's MAA Project NExT cohort will be due on October 15th. New(ish) faculty who are already in full-time teaching positions should use this deadline. Decisions will be sent out by December 1. Those accepting positions during this academic year (to start the following Fall) may use the second application deadline of April 15th.
The Project NExT program
Each cohort of Project NExT Fellows will participate in (either remotely or in person):
- A three-day Project NExT Workshop in late July / early August, preceeding MathFest (the summer meetings of the MAA).
- Project NExT sessions during MathFest.
- Special events at the Joint Mathematics Meetings the following January.
- A one-day Project NExT Workshop preceding MathFest (and more during MathFest) the following year.
- An electronic network that links Project NExT Fellows with one another and with seasoned mathematicians and award-winning teachers.
At these workshops and other Project NExT sessions throughout the year, Fellows will explore and discuss issues that are of special relevance to beginning faculty, such as:
- Innovative approaches to a variety of introductory and advanced courses;
- Strategies for engaging students in specific mathematics courses;
- Supporting students from historically underserved groups;
- Involving undergraduates in mathematical research;
- Preparing future K-12 teachers of mathematics;
- Writing grant proposals; and
- Balancing teaching and research.
Project-NExT Fellows during a workshop session.
Outcomes
MAA Project NExT'ers have earned teaching awards at their institutions, in their MAA Sections, and nationally. This includes more than two dozen Alder and Haimo Award winners. Many more have served in the leadership of their MAA Sections and of the MAA nationally, and several serve as Vice Presidents or Presidents of their institutions. The MAA's past president Francis Su and incoming president Michael Dorff are both Project NExT'ers. More about our amazing NExT'ers here.
History of Project NExT
Christine Stevens (St. Louis University) and Jim Leitzel founded Project NExT in 1994 and directed it until Jim Leitzel's death in 1998, after which Christine Stevens directed the program until 2009. Aparna Higgins (University of Dayton), who had served in the leadership team since 1998, then took over as director. Over the years, the leadership team has also included Judith Covington (Louisiana State University in Shreveport, 1997-2014), Gavin LaRose (University of Michigan, 1997-2012), Joe Gallian (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1998-2012), Steve Schlicker (Grand Valley State University, 2012-2014), and Anthony Tongen (2014-2016).
The current leadership team is composed of
- David Kung, Director, St. Mary's College of Maryland (since 2014)
- Alissa Crans, Associate Director, Loyola Marymount University (since 2014)
- Matt DeLong, Associate Director, Marian University (since 2012)
- Trish Hammer, Assistant Dean for Administration and Analytics, Virginia Tech (since 2020)
- Alicia Prieto Langarica, Associate Director, (starting Summer 2019)
How to become a Project NExT fellow
If you are about to start or recently started a job teaching college-level mathematics, you might be eligible to join the next NExT cohort! For details about eligibility, cost, and how to apply, please see the applications page. Most questions are answered on that page or in the FAQ section.
Timeline
For each Project NExT Fellow, the timeline looks about like this (give or take a few days), assuming in-person meetings are possible:
-
Application Deadlines:
- For new(ish) faculty who start full-time teaching positions the following fall, the deadline is April 15th. Acceptance emails will be sent out on June 1st.
- For new(ish) faculty already in full-time teaching positions, the deadline is October 15th. Acceptance emails will be sent out on or before December 1st.
- July 1st: listserve for all new Fellows goes live
- Late July/Early August: travel to MathFest location, three days before the larger conference begins
- Late July/Early August: each Fellow is assigned a consultant as a mentor
- January: travel to Joint Math Meetings
- Late July/Early August: travel to MathFest location, one day before the larger conference begins, graduate as a Project NExT Fellow!
Afterwards, Project NExT Fellows continue to participate in the program in many ways: through their listserve, organizing events, attending Project NExT events at MathFest & the Joint Meetings, and (eventually) returning to participate in programs for future "dots."
Support MAA Project NExT
Want to ensure that the next generation of college students experiences the type of engaging, energizing, and informative mathematics experience that makes them want to continue in STEM fields? Join the many organizations below and help us make that dream a reality: Support Project NExT.
Major funding for Project NExT is provided by the Mary P. Dolciani Halloran Foundation, the Educational Advancement Foundation, theAmerican Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the American Institute of Mathematics, the Association for Symbolic Logic,& and individuals and sections of the Mathematical Association of America.
