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Joaquin Bustoz, Jr.

  • Ethnicity: Hispanic
  • Gender: M
  • Year of Birth: 1939
Dept. of Mathematics
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-1804
(602) 965-1690 Voice
(602) 965-0333
bustoz@asu.edu

Education

  • PhD Institution: Arizona State University, 1968
  • Dissertation Title: Gibbs Sets and the Generalized Gibbs Phenomenon
  • MA Institution: Arizona State University, 1963
  • BA Institution: Arizona State University, 1962

Biography

Dr. Joaquin Bustoz, Jr. was born in Tempe Arizona in 1939. His parents were farm workers and in addition they were employed by the Tempe Elementary School District. In recognition for their years of service to Tempe Schools and their devotion to the children, the Joaquin and Ramona Bustoz Elementary School was named after them.

Bustoz attended elementary and secondary school in Tempe. He then attended Arizona State University (ASU), majoring in Mathematics, and in 1962, he received his BA. He received an MA in Mathematics from ASU in 1963. In 1963-1964 he was employed by the Military Systems Division of Univac in California. He returned to graduate school at ASU in 1964 and received at Ph.D. in Mathematics in 1968. Since this time he has been an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cincinnati (1969-1973), an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cincinnati (1973-1976) and ASU (1976-1978). Presently Bustoz is a Professor of Mathematics at ASU.

In the summer of 1973, he was a Senior Fulbright Lecturer at Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bustoz was also a Visiting Professor of Mathematics at Universidad de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal (1995) and Visiting Mathematician at the Mathematical Association of America. He has received numerous teaching awards including the Wexler Award at ASU and the Alumni Association Service Award. His mathematical research has been in Analysis, most recently in Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions.

Since 1985, Bustoz has been deeply involved in enhancing the number and quality of minority students entering the university intending to pursue mathematics and science. He initiated and directs the ASU Math-Science Honors Program. This summer residential program provides an intense introduction to university mathematics for 200 high school students each summer. As a direct result of the program, nearly one-third of ASU mathematics majors are minorities. He has worked extensively on the Navajo and Pima Reservations. The Navajo Reservation work has been primarily focused on a program funded through the National Science Foundation. The work with Pima students is in the Gila River Indian Community and involved enhancement of Pima teacher aides and an after-school program at St. Peters Indian Mission School.

[Florence D. Fasanelli]