erabadie, Author at Department of Mathematics

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14th Annual Books & Bears Drive Gives Campus Way to Say Thanks

Posted on: December 1st, 2011 by erabadie No Comments

Most of them work the graveyard shift. From dusk to dawn, they clean, straighten, repair and prepare the University of Mississippi for next day.

“The work of our custodians, groundskeepers and other Physical Plant staff members is key not only to making this huge university enterprise work smoothly but also to making the entire campus environment as pleasant as possible for more than 17,000 students, faculty and staff,” said Jackie Certion, president of the Black Faculty and Staff Organization and senior academic adviser in the Academic Support Center.

To show appreciation for the Physical Plant staff’s dedication, the BFSO collects new teddy bears, children’s books and toys each year to present to children of custodial and grounds workers. Donated items for the 2011 “Books and Bears” drive will be distributed after a reception for Physical Plant employees and friends at 10 a.m. Dec. 16 in the Ole Miss Union Ballroom.

“The response to the university for donated gifts is always overwhelming as there are always plenty of gifts to go around,” Certion said. “This is an appreciation opportunity for those university employees whose work so often goes unrecognized but whose tireless efforts greatly benefit our comfort and aesthetics.”

Donations to the 14th annual Books & Bears drive can be dropped off at several campus locations: third floor of the Khayat Law Center, the provost’s office in the Lyceum, the Department of Mathematics office in Hume Hall, the UM Box Office in the Union, Room 350 of Martindale Hall and the second floor of Vardaman Hall.

“Our service workers provide the fuel which powers the UM engine,” said Donald Cole, associate provost and assistant to the chancellor for multi-cultural affairs. “Because of their dedicated service to the university, we are able to maintain our margin of efficiency. As members of the UM family, they reflect the core values of diligent work, optimism and family dedication inherent in our institution.”

For more information, contact Jackie Certion at 662-915-5970 or jcertion@olemiss.edu, or Don Cole at 662-915-1712 or dcole@olemiss.edu.

UM Launches Effort to Become Regional Leader in STEM Education

Posted on: October 16th, 2011 by erabadie

October 16, 2011

The University of Mississippi has launched an aggressive initiative to increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, aka STEM, in the state.

The Innovations in STEM Education Initiative includes scholarship support, greater emphasis on scientific literacy across disciplines and expanded facilities for teaching and research.

Alice M. Clark, UM vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, will direct the new effort. The announcement follows a year of planning, supported by a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the conclusion that the university is positioned to become a regional leader in STEM education.

“The University of Mississippi has had a long-standing commitment to STEM education and research, and has established a strong foundation for future innovations in STEM education,” Clark said. “In the coming years, the University of Mississippi will be at the forefront of STEM education, answering critical national needs.”

The Innovations in STEM Education Initiative aims to substantially increase the number of STEM professionals educated in the state, thereby fulfilling critical national needs to sustain economic development and competitiveness, quality of life, homeland security and leadership in solving global problems related to energy, health and the environment.“An important component of this initiative will be to identify and implement the most effective methods to prepare K-12 teachers to nurture scientific curiosity at an early age and instill the math and science foundations students need to pursue STEM degrees and careers,” Provost Morris Stocks said.

A chief focus of the initiative will be to increase access to STEM education through undergraduate and graduate scholarships for first-generation college students and traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM, including minorities, women and persons with disabilities. UM STEM graduates will enter the workforce with a well-rounded education – the hallmark of a traditional Ole Miss experience – prepared to lead and work on diverse, interdisciplinary STEM teams, Stocks said.

“The university has recently earned national acclaim for its exceptional record of providing educational opportunities for groups that are underrepresented in STEM professions,” he said. “By providing these opportunities, the university has achieved a minority STEM doctoral degree completion rate that is much higher than the national average and, in one recent year, was responsible for graduating one-third of the nation’s African-American Ph.D.s in mathematical sciences.”

In addition to preparing scientists and engineers, the initiative will focus on providing every UM undergraduate student, regardless of major, with a greater understanding of science- and technology-related issues that affect every citizen, Chancellor Dan Jones said.

“American students face a rapidly changing job climate and global competition,” Jones said. “Now more than ever, skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are essential to giving students the broadest range of career opportunities.

“In the coming years, Mississippi will need more nurses, physicians, dentists, engineers, pharmacists and other STEM professionals, and we will all benefit from having a more scientifically literate public.”

“The urgent need for enhanced STEM education and more STEM professionals has been recognized not only by the university, where this effort has strong synergy with the new UM2020 Strategic Plan, but also within the Blueprint Mississippi 2011 workforce development goals and recommendations”, he said.

As a key part of the Innovations in STEM Education Initiative – and to accommodate record growth in undergraduate enrollment, exploding demand for STEM courses and a commitment to increasing graduate enrollment – the university plans to enhance and expand facilities in its science complex, a row of 10 buildings extending west from Coulter Hall to just southwest of the Lyceum.

An immediate priority is an expansion of Coulter Hall to accommodate growth in chemistry research and education programs, Stocks said. A long-range goal is the construction of a new science education and outreach facility, which will be designed to foster collaboration and innovation among faculty and students across STEM disciplines and to enhance public awareness of the importance of science in everyday life.

“The University of Mississippi is uniquely positioned to be a major player in cultivating STEM professionals and citizens who will contribute to the future, by attracting talented, diverse students to its campus and providing them with state-of-the-art STEM resources, programs and experiences,” said David Heil, president of David Heil & Associates, a consulting firm assisting the university with its Innovations in STEM Education Initiative planning.

The planning for the initiative is based on work supported by NASA under award No. NNX10AJ19G. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

For more information on the Innovations in STEM Education Initiative, contact the office of the vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs at 662-915-7583 or go to https://www.research.olemiss.edu/.

Student Connects Math and Languages

Posted on: July 11th, 2011 by erabadie No Comments

For many people, mathematics and a foreign language such as Spanish are two very different fields. However, for University of Mississippi senior Reed Gilbow of Cleveland, MS, they have a common connection.

Majoring in math, physics and Spanish with a minor in chemistry, Gilbow has a unique take on how the study of these disciplines is similar. “Sure, math can be a bunch of numbers and equations, but it is more broadly about logic and rational thinking,” he said. “Like a language, it has a unique vocabulary. In that sense, learning Spanish has been very much akin to mathematics.”

Gilbow’s mathematical thesis subject, generalized Boolean algebra, may contribute to his foreign language studies, too. Gilbow’s advisor and professor of mathematics, Gerald Buskes, sees the connection. “Boolean algebras were invented by Boole to provide a language of algebra for all of human thought,” Buskes said. “The mathematical idea invented as a model language might still have some weak connection with each and every language.”

Gilbow plans to return to UM after graduating in May with a degree in mathematics for a second degree in Spanish and a third in physics. His ultimate plan is to attend medical school. The UM math department is fully supportive of Gilbow’s other academic pursuits. “Mathematics is useless if it is not communicated with others,” Gilbow said. “The math department has always encouraged me to learn Spanish because it allows me to communicate with a greater number of people.”

“From my perspective as a linguist, there is a clear connection: math and also music are like language; they all utilize symbols for the expression of ideas, although most people don’t think of it this way, “said Donald Dyer, professor and chair of Modern Languages. “At their core, all three disciplines attach meaning to the symbols, whatever form they may take (sounds in language, for example), and then arrange these symbols into higher systems that are used for the communication of ideas. In language, these ideas take the form of information. I will leave it to the mathematicians and musicians to explain what that means for their disciplines, although I suspect for the former it means trying to explain the physical world and for the latter it means communicating one’s artistry and emotions.”

Mathematics Instructor Receives Honor

Posted on: April 29th, 2011 by erabadie No Comments

University of Mississippi mathematics instructor Julie Anderson and Sue Hodge, assistant to the Dean of the School of Business were recently honored for their work with disabled students.

“Each spring we ask students registered with Student Disability Services to nominate one faculty/instructor and one staff member who provided outstanding support and service specific to the student and the student’s disability,” said Stacey Reycraft, director of the Office of Student Disability Services. “Once we receive all of the nominations, the SDS staff votes on the recipients based on the student’s comments and any contact we ourselves have had with the nominee.”

Students who nominated Hodge said, “She actually cares about me…and she takes time to help me,” and “I feel like I can share things with her and not be superficial.”
Students who nominated Anderson noted the way that she inspires students to do well in math.
“She makes math fun and she works well with my disability,” said one student. Another said, “She told me that I am very smart, and there is no reason I cannot take calculus. Her class is my favorite class!”

This is the second year that the Access Awards have been presented, and the award ceremony is set to coincide with Disability Awareness Month, and this is the second year. Last year’s recipients were Denis Goulet, an instructor of biology, and Natcha Knight-Evans, a staff member in the Registrar’s Office.

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As Easy As 1, 2, 3: Meet Math Instructor Julie Anderson

Posted on: February 16th, 2011 by erabadie No Comments

From The Daily Mississippian by Morgan Bradley

Sitting at the front of professor Julie Anderson’s calculus class is not like sitting at the front of a typical math class.

Waking up for her class is not like waking up for any other dreaded 8 a.m.

This is because Anderson is not an ordinary math instructor. (more…)

Annual Dalrymple Lecture to Focus on Intriguing Natural Problems in Mathematics

Posted on: May 14th, 2010 by erabadie No Comments

A three-legged stool doesn’t wobble. But four-legged stools often teeter because the tips of their legs don’t lie in the same plane.

This phenomenon of dependent sets, first theorized 75 years ago, is the focus of the 16th Dalrymple Lecture in Mathematics, set for 5:30 p.m. Friday (May 21) at the University of Mississippi. James Oxley, who holds an alumni professorship at Louisiana State University, is to deliver the address, which is free and open to the public in the Student Union Ballroom.

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Noted Mathematician to Present Annual Dalrymple Lecture

Posted on: November 11th, 2009 by erabadie No Comments

Michal Karonski, professor of mathematics at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland and Emory University in Atlanta, is to discuss “Random Graphs: From Paul Erdos To The Internet” during a lecture Nov. 19 at the University of Mississippi.

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Numb3rs: “Crime Scene” for Math Camp

Posted on: March 19th, 2009 by erabadie No Comments

Yellow crime-scene tape blocked the entrance to Hume Hall. Just inside the doors, red tape outlined the place the “body” was found. It would take some of the brightest minds in northern Mississippi to solve the case.

That was the scenario waiting for 13 high-school students during a weeklong summer math camp at UM. The setup jump-started the camp, providing a real-life situation in which students could learn how mathematics is used in everyday life.

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Sam Watson Wins Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Posted on: February 12th, 2009 by erabadie No Comments

The word “mathematics” comes from the Greek word “mathema,” which means learning, study and science. Sam Watson doesn’t need to be told the definition of mathematics, though, because his intrinsic knowledge of the subject has already garnered him several accolades.

Watson, a graduate student in mathematics at the University of Mississippi, can add one more award to his resume as recipient of a prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

The Gates Cambridge Trust has awarded 37 new Gates Cambridge Scholarships to American students to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees at the University of Cambridge in England. Watson is the first recipient from UM, and one of three from the SEC.

He said winning the Gates scholarship is meaningful to him on many levels.

“It means a lot to me to receive this award as an Ole Miss student,” Watson said. “Several times, when recruiting high school students to Ole Miss, I have been met with skepticism about the opportunities available to students who choose a public school in the South over more prestigious institutions. I think laying the groundwork for more Ole Miss students to get the Gates Cambridge scholarship in the future is a good step, because it really shows that you can take advantage of those opportunities no matter where you come from.”

Watson, an Oxford native, is a graduate of UM as a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, finishing in May 2008 with a B.S. in math and physics, and a B.A. in classics. He is a Taylor Medalist, a 2006 Goldwater Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.

He graduated high school from the Mississippi School for Math and Science in Columbus and has taught math at the Regents School of Oxford since he was a college sophomore.

Debra Young, associate dean of the Honors College, said the Gates Cambridge is a relatively new scholarship, but it began as one the most prestigious programs in the world.

“It’s not just modeled on the Rhodes, it is the Rhodes equivalent,” Young said. “I’m delighted for Sam and very proud of him, but I’m equally proud of what the scholarship says about the University of Mississippi: Our students compete with the best of the best.”

Founded by Bill and Melinda Gates to honor Bill Gates’ father, the scholarship program was designed to bring to Cambridge the quality and prestige of the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford. For October 2009 entry, 752 U.S. students applied for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

“Gates considers intelligence a privilege, and the Cambridge education a privilege, and they want to be sure they select scholars who feel the same way and who intend to use their privileges to create a better world,” Young said. “Sam’s record and behavior clearly indicate that he feels the same way; he’s a superb choice for the Gates.”

The Gates Cambridge funds two to four years at Cambridge University, the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, for study in any field. Applicants must be under 30 and demonstrate outstanding achievement in academics, service and leadership. The program emphasizes potential to make a lasting contribution to one’s field, and a commitment to use that work toward the betterment of the world. Competition is open to applicants from any country, and roughly 100 scholarships are awarded each year.

The opportunities provided at the SMBHC caused him to think about the world in a real and immediate way, Watson said. Since the honors college requires students to contribute and give back to the community as part of their community action component, it inspired him to be interested in life outside of equations and formulas.

The young mathematician also credits former mathematics professor and department chair Tristan Denley with planting the seeds of interest in Cambridge, since Denley earned his doctorate there.

“Sam has worked tremendously hard to get to this level of mathematical ability,” said Denley, who recently left UM to become provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at Austin Peay State University. “But it has also been wonderful to see the generosity with which Sam has been willing to share his time with young people who too have an interest in mathematics. I am so thrilled about Sam’s well deserved success.”

Denley said the intensity of his own experience at Cambridge left his mathematical career forever transformed.

“The program that Sam will be beginning in Cambridge is one of the premier programs worldwide for young mathematicians,” Denley said. “Looking back on my days as a young graduate student, fresh to Cambridge, I can remember the excitement of seeing the breadth and depth of the courses on offer. It seemed that there was no corner of the mathematical universe left unrepresented.”

Watson said the selling point of his scholarship interview was that he wanted to make a difference in math education. “I want to improve the quality of mathematics education at the university level, by bringing sound pedagogical principles to bear in the university classroom, and, as Dr. Denley has done at this university, by rethinking course format to incorporate technology. Also, I want to influence policy to make math education more effective for students in public schools all across the country.”

Gerard Buskes, professor of mathematics who has been on the UM faculty for 24 years, said Watson is the brightest, most personable and most promising student he has taught.

“Mr. Watson is extraordinarily precise and has an insatiable curiosity as well as a balanced personality,” Buskes said. “He also is very conscientious, frequently asks questions that go beyond what is taught in class or books and, most importantly, makes highly non-trivial connections between the various parts of mathematics that he has an interest in.”

Watson’s enjoyment and enthusiasm for math radiates to his peers and his teachers, and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is an extraordinary first step on the path to success, Buskes said.

Watson said he is interested in seeing how his time in England will affect his Southern accent, and he is excited about student life at a great European center of learning. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the other Gates scholars in England, as well as discovering the ways that this experience will broaden my perspective.”

Watson is the son of Marvin and Jean Watson of Oxford and is married to Nora Watson.

Learn more about the Gates Cambridge Scholarships at http://www.gatesscholar.org/ . For more information about mathematics education at UM, go to https://www.olemiss.edu/depts/mathematics/ .