Dr. Doug Iannucci visits Department of Math and Statistics

Professor Doug Iannucci spoke on "A family of weird numbers" on Wednesday, October 28. He is the visiting professor to our department for the Fall of 2009.

Dr. Douglas E. Iannucci is an Associate Professor of Mathematics. He was born and reared in Rhode Island. He served in the U.S.Navy and taught high school mathematics before attending graduate school. He earned an M.S. in Mathematics at the University of Rhode Island, and then a Ph.D. in Mathematics at Temple University. He has been at the University of the Virgin Islands since 1994. A number theorist, his research interests are integer sequences and arithmetic functions.

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EKU WORKS WITH GARRARD COUNTY SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP
MATH TRANSITION COURSE

RICHMOND, Ky. – Through its P-16 Regional Council, Eastern Kentucky University has entered into a collaborative arrangement with the Garrard County School District to develop a math transition course.
The course, to be taught at Garrard County High School beginning in November, is expected to reduce the number of students who must enroll in developmental math courses (for no academic credit) in college. The transitional algebra course targets seniors who have successfully completed algebra I, geometry and algebra II, but do not have ACT math scores that allow them to enroll in regular college math courses.
Under the new arrangement, the transition course, to be taught by teachers at the school, is based on the curriculum and tests of the MAT 090, 095 and 098 courses at EKU. Students who pass the transition course and make a passing grade on the KYOTE, a Council on Postsecondary Education standardized test, will be recommended (if reading and writing scores are acceptable) to take Math 105 or 107 upon admission to EKU.
“We are hoping to prevent GCHS students from taking remedial math classes when they enroll in college or vocational classes,” said Garrard County Schools Superintendent Donald Aldridge. “This will allow students to be taking classes for which they will receive credits, and it will also save them money.”
The math transition course is “critical to college retention and graduation because they prepare students to enter college in a regular math course that counts toward graduation,” said Dr. Bill Phillips, dean of EKU’s College of Education. “The number one indicator of college success is being able to pass college algebra without remediation.”
The transition course is the result of “exemplary” cooperation between the University and the local school districts, said Dr. Robert Thomas, a faculty member in EKU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “These collaborations involve selfless efforts at a variety of levels: two EKU colleges (Arts and Sciences and Education), two EKU departments, area schools, school districts, local education agencies and several individuals whose one common goal is to help students.”
The collaborative arrangement is a response to requests from the public schools.
“True systemic and sustainable change needs to be bottom up and tailored to the needs of the groups and individuals involved,” Thomas added. “That is what is taking place here. Helping students has been the driving force behind pulling together the diverse groups with a common purpose with very challenging time constraints and deadlines.”
Nancy Blue Williams, an EKU faculty member and regional coordinator for the Kentucky Center for Mathematics at Eastern, said, “Successful collaborations such as this will no doubt encourage future partnerships that foster important learning for our children.”
EKU has similar arrangements with Madison County Schools, Estill County Schools and the Berea, Corbin and Somerset independent school systems.

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Dr. Cheryll Crowe Named Project NExT Fellow

Dr. Cheryll Crowe has been accepted to become a Project NExT fellow, a program sponsored by the MAA. 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, and participating in professional activities.

Dr. Crowe was invited to attend workshops and seminars discussing issues such as innovative approaches to a variety of introductory and advanced courses, alternative methods of assessing student learning, preparing future K-12 teachers of mathmatics, and writing grant proposals. Congratulations Cheryll!

 

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EKU WORKS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP
MATH TRANSITION COURSE

RICHMOND, Ky. – Through its P-16 Regional Council, Eastern Kentucky University has entered into a collaborative arrangement with two local school districts to develop a math transition course. The course, to be taught at Madison Central, Madison Southern and Berea Community high schools beginning this fall, is expected to reduce the number of students who must enroll in developmental math courses (for no academic credit) in college. The transitional algebra course targets seniors who have successfully completed algebra I, geometry and algebra II, but do not have ACT math scores that allow them to enroll in regular college math courses.
Under the new arrangement, the transition courses, to be taught by teachers at the respective schools, is based on the curriculum and tests of the MAT 090, 095 and 098 courses at EKU. Students who pass the transition course and make a passing grade on the KYOTE, a Council on Postsecondary Education standardized test, will be recommended (if reading and writing scores are acceptable) to take Math 105 or 107 upon admission to EKU. The math transition course is “critical to college retention and graduation because they prepare students to enter college in a regular math course that counts toward graduation,” said Dr. Bill Phillips, dean of EKU’s College of Education. “The number one indicator of college success is being able to pass college algebra without remediation.”
In fact, studies have shown that over the past 10 years approximately 60 percent of the Madison County students who took a developmental math class at EKU never went on to earn a college degree. The transition course is the result of “exemplary” cooperation between the University and the local school districts, said Dr. Robert Thomas, a faculty member in EKU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics. “The collaboration involves selfless efforts at a variety of levels: two EKU colleges (Arts and Sciences and Education), two EKU departments, three area schools, two school districts, three local education agencies (LEAs) and several individuals whose one common goal was to help students.”

The collaborative arrangement is a response to requests from the public schools. “True systemic and sustainable change needs to be bottom up and tailored to the needs of the groups and individuals involved,” Thomas added. “That is what is taking place here. Helping students has been the driving force behind pulling together the diverse groups with a common purpose with very challenging time constraints and deadlines.” Nancy Blue Williams, an EKU faculty member and regional coordinator for the Kentucky Center for Mathematics at Eastern, said, “This successful collaboration between EKU and Madison County and Berea Independent schools will no doubt encourage future partnerships that foster important learning for our children.” Thomas said “special thanks” are due Dr. Billy Thames, director of field services for the EKU College of Education; Dr. John Wade, dean of EKU’s College of Arts & Sciences; Randy Peffer, chief academic officer and assistant superintendent with Madison County Schools; and Donna Lovell, director of district-wide services with Berea Independent Schools.
“I appreciate the efforts of the faculty and staff of EKU, Madison Central and Madison Southern,” Peffer said. “This transitional mathematics course will allow students who have not met the ACT benchmark to receive an additional year of instruction on the key concepts needed to begin their freshman year of college in credit-bearing mathematics courses.” “Many times, students struggle with math and reading at a level that leaves them not completely prepared for postsecondary education,” Lovell said. “Because of this, we have seen an increase in the need for remedial courses to assist these students in reaching an appropriate level.
“The result is that students begin from below the ground level and have to climb their way up to where postsecondary institutions have set the appropriate standards,” Lovell continued. “Many times this is discouraging, frustrating and, without necessary support, can be an insurmountable hurdle.”
Thames said the Madison County/Berea project could be replicated in other school districts.

Please congratulate Laura Lawson, a statistics major from Shephardvill, KY. She has been accepted into the McNair Scholar's Program.

Please congratulate Brittany Walker. She has been accepted into the McNair Scholar's Program.

Courtney Biddle, Statistics
William Meurer, Math Teaching
Ai Kagawa, Mathematics

Twenty-Third Annual Eastern Kentucky University Symposium in the Mathematical, Statistical, & Computer Sciences
April 18, 2009

Top Left: Amanda Bowling, EKU
Top Right: Vince Castallena and Bethany West, EKU
Middle Left: Jennifer Fischesser, EKU and Dr. Matt Cropper
Middle Right: Chelsea Bugg, EKU
Bottom, from left to right: a Berea student, Zubair Ahmad and Curtis Britland, Berea College; Jonathan Marc Jones, EKU

See here for a complete list of speakers at the syposium.

Dr. Pat Costello Among Top 25 Downloads

Dr. Pat Costello's CMJ article titled "Computing Jordan Canonical Forms" is among the top 25 downloaded articles at JSTOR. The JSTOR database is an archive of important scholarly journals, offering researcher high-resolution, scanned images of journal issues and pages. His article and the top 25 can be found
at http://www.maa.org/pubs/cmjjstor.html

New Minor Offered

As of Spring 2009, a minor in Actuarial Science is being offered at EKU.  Seven students are currently preparing to take the Probability Actuarial Exam in a class taught by Dr. Margaret Yoder.

This year's JobsRated.com report lists Mathematician as the country's best job, Actuary as second and Statistician as third.  For more information, see  www.careercast.com/jobs/jobsRated.

Vernon Wilson Endowed Chair to Give Talk

President Dr. Doug Whitlock, Dr. Zvi Arad, Rivka Arad, and Provost Dr. Buz Piercy

On Tuesday, February 17th, Professor Zvi Arad, the EKU Vernon Wilson Endowed Chair, will present his abstract on "The History of the classification of Finite Groups with a cc-subgroup". Dr. Arad will be with us throughout the semester hosting several international professors. The presentation will be in Wallace 447 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.

Visit his EKU homepage for more information and a schedule of speakers at www.math.eku.edu/arad/.

View a copy of his abstract here.

Congratulations Scott Metcalf and Bob Nelson

Professors Scott Metcalf and Bob Nelson each are being recognized for their 25 years of service to EKU. Scott Metcalf recieved his Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky in 1981 and enjoys running marathons and playing tennis. Bob Nelson recieved his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981. His teaching interests incule Calculus and Real &Complex Analysis and he also enjoys the art of Origami.

CHRISTMAS PARTY2008!!!

A big thanks to all of you who joined us for our Christmas party!

Dr. Pat Costello Named KYMAA Teacher of the Year

Every year KYMAA (the Kentucky section of the Mathematical Association of America) recognizes one of its own for excellence in teaching mathematics.  This year’s recipient is EKU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics professor, Dr. Patrick Costello.

Dr. Costello has taught at Eastern Kentucky University for 25 years.  Tom Richmond, president of the KYMAA presented the award to Costello at Western Kentucky University on March 28th.  Richmond commented, “He was a pioneer in his department for using Computer Algebra Systems in instruction, utilizing Derive, Mathematica, UBASIC, and other software. He was active in calculus reform and instrumental in getting his department to become a test site for Ostobee & Zorn's reform text, and is currently running an acclaimed lab course for calculus.”

Besides being active in the MAA, he has also served in the math honor society Kappa Mu Epsilon, coordinating a national KME meeting at his institution in 1983, and serving as national President of the KME from 1997 to 2001.  “As a member of KME,” says former student, Shannon Lockard, “I experienced first-hand the enthusiasm with which Dr. C introduces students to mathematics in the ‘real world’. He worked closely with the officers to plan activities for the club, even taking us to Florida to attend a national KME meeting.”   Current president of KME, Don Tosh, says that Dr. Costello “guided the organization through the transition to electronic media.”  Dr. Costello still serves the society as the editor of the Problems Corner for the national magazine, The Pentagon.

For seven summers, he has taught top high school Juniors from Kentucky in the Governor's Scholars Program.  “I had the good fortune along with a number of others to work with Pat on the EKU Campus of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program,” says Charlie Myers, a faculty member at Lexington Catholic.   “Pat had a creative mind and was able to involve students in such a way that they found mathematics to be exciting and useful.”

The KYMAA Teacher of the Year award was started in 1992 and Amy King from EKU was the first recipient.  Paul Bland was the 1999 recipient.

Congratulations, Dr. C!!

Math and Science Academy Visits Mathematics and Statistics Department

The EKU Mathematics and Science Academy is a week-long residential summer program for talented rising high school juniors and seniors who have exhibited success in science or mathematics. This student-centered program is an exciting opportunity for young Kentucky scholars to explore the hands-on study of mathematics and science at the college level. Yesterday, they visited EKU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics for some hands on learning. The title of the workshop was Mathematics & MIDI. It was conducted by Dr. Dirk Schlingmann, Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics..

For additional information on the EKU Mathematics and Science Academy, please contact: Kathy Williams, Coordinator, at 859-622-8860 or kathy.williams@eku.edu

Mathematics Major Returns from NASA

(above) Felicia and Commander Frederick W. "Rick" Sturckow, the commander of the STS 117 (pictured right). (below) Felicia standing inside one of the main engines for the space shuttle.

Felicia Hall, a mathematics major, has returned from her student researcher position in the NASA Undergraduate Research Program (NASA-USRP). The session began June 4th and ended August 10, 2007 at the Kennedy Space Center. Felicia's project title was Mathematical Analysis of Particle Size Distributions from 3-D images. "I was fortunate to have had some experience using Mathematica before I arrived for my position at KSC with NASA. A lot of the research that I conducted while in the Applied Physics lab was done or verified using Mathematica." "Overall, it was the best summer of my life. I hope that other students from our university have an opportunity to work with NASA in the future." For more information on this opportunity for undergraduates...

	For more information on EKU's programs in mathematics and statistics write: Dr. Dirk Schlingmann, Chair Department of Mathematics and Statistics 521 Lancaster Ave. 313 Wallace Building Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY 40475-3133 or Phone: (859) 622-5942    FAX: (859) 622-3051    E-Mail: Dirk.Schlingmann@eku.edu