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Iowa Section of the Mathematical Association of America |
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| Call for papers | Elections | Special Event - Face Off | Campus Information | Lodging | Schedule | Abstracts | Preregistering |
The fall meeting of the Iowa Section of the Mathematics Association of America will soon be here. We are fortunate to have MAA President Deanna Haunsperger giving two invited talks on Friday evening and Saturday.
Deanna Haunsperger
Carleton College
Dr. Deanna Haunsperger is a professor of mathematics at Carleton College in Minnesota. Since her own undergraduate days at Simpson College, Deanna has been interested in increasing the number of students who pursue advanced degrees in mathematics. That passion has guided her as a former co-editor for Math Horizons (the Mathematical Association of America’s magazine for undergraduates) and as co-founder and co-director of Carleton's Summer Mathematics Program for Women (a successful, intensive four-week summer program to encourage talented undergraduate women to pursue advanced degrees in the mathematical sciences). She has chaired the MAA’s Strategic Planning Committee on Students and the Council on Outreach. Currently, Deanna is President of the MAA. Deanna is married to fellow mathematician Steve Kennedy, and together they have two grown children.
A Glimpse at the Horizon
What do a square-wheeled bicycle, a 17th-century French painting, and the Indiana legislature all have in common? They appear among the many bright stars on the mathematical horizon, or, um, in Math Horizons. Math Horizons, the undergraduate magazine started by the MAA in 1994, publishes articles to introduce students to the world of mathematics outside the classroom. Some of mathematics’ best expositors have written for MH over the years; here is an idiosyncratic tour of the first ten years of Horizons.
Does Your Vote Count?
Are you frustrated that your candidate never wins? Does it seem like your vote doesn’t count? Maybe it doesn’t. Or at least not as much as the voting method with which you choose to tally the votes. Together we’ll take a glimpse into the important, interesting, paradoxical world of the mathematics behind tallying elections.
As usual, we hope for a wide variety of talks from our own members. If you have something interesting to say about mathematics or teaching, contribute a talk and share with the rest of the section. Students (both undergraduates and graduates) are encouraged to participate.
Proposals for talks are due October 6. Please use the electronic submission form, if at all possible. (Logging in first will make it easier, so you are encouraged to do so.) If you are unable to use the submission site, please send the following information to Sergio Loch:
Contact information for Sergio Loch: Sergio Loch Mathematics & Computer Science Department Grand View University 1200 Gradview Ave. Des Moines, IA 50316 voice: 515-263-2814 email: sloch@grandview.edu
We will be holding elections for a new vice-chair elect at the meeting. The candidates for vice-chair elect are Steve Butler (Iowa State) and Chris Spicer (Morningside).
We will be holding elections for a new treasurer at the meeting. The candidates for treasurer are Luke Bennett (Grand View) and Brittney Miller (Coe).
The fall meeting of the Iowa section of the MAA is fast approaching, and along with the usual slate of excellent talks and mathematical conversations, there will be a new and fun student-centered event. "Face Off!" the mathematical game show will be making its Iowa debut, after many years of excitement at math conferences throughout Wisconsin!
What is it? Face Off is a mathematics quiz show with questions from the broad realm of mathematics. And we do mean broad! Teams of 2-4 students representing their schools compete to answer these questions.
Who is it for? Any undergraduate who has taken or is enrolled in Calculus I is eligible to join a Face Off team. You definitely don't need to be a mathematical genius to play. A flexible mind and a willingness to have fun with math is all that is required.
When is it? Friday, October 20, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Where is it? Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa
How to enter? Contact Steve Szydlik (szydliks@uwosh.edu) or Ken Price (pricek@uwosh.edu)
Schools can enter teams of up to 4 undergraduate student players, but even if you can only find one or two interested students, please let us know. We can put students together with other groups to form teams if necessary. Space is limited (we have space for a total of ten teams), so sign up soon. You can find lots more information about the game on the "Face Off!" website: http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/szydliks/faceoff.shtml
We also have a "Face Off!" Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Face-Off-the-math-game-show/243064535081 that includes lots of photos from previous games.
We hope to see a team from your school on October 20!
Here is a link to a map of the Loras College campus: http://www.loras.edu/about/maps-and-directions/.
Parking is available along Alta Vista Street and in Keane Lot (across the street from #15 on the campus map). There is also disability parking directly in front of Wahlert Hall.
Registration, concurrent sessions, and Face Off! will be held in Wahlert Hall, #28 on the campus map. Plenary addresses and the business meeting will be held in St. Joseph Hall of Science, #25 on the campus map.
Iowa NExT will be in the Kehl Room in the Alumni Campus Center, #2 on the campus map.
Hotel options: (Remember to tell them that you are with the Iowa Section of the MAA.)
A block of rooms has been reserved at both the Best Western Plus and at the Super 8 for Friday, October 20.
Super 8 Dubuque/Galena Area
2730 Dodge St, Dubuque, IA 52003
(563) 582-8898
$64.49 per night
Rooms in the Iowa MAA meeting block will be held until October 6.
Best Western Plus Dubuque
3100 Dodge St, Dubuque, IA 52003
(563) 557-8000
$128.35 per night
Rooms in the Iowa MAA meeting block will be held until September 20.
Here is a link to the schedule: Schedule
If you have questions, please contact the
Chair, Jason Smith jajsmith@graceland.edu (for general issues);
Vice-Chair, Sergio Loch sloch@grandview.edu (for program issues);
Vice-Chair Elect, Angela Kohlhaas angela.kohlhaas@loras.edu (for local, on-site issues);
or Secretary, Susan Crook at susan.crook@loras.edu (for registration or other issues).
Thank you for considering preregistering for the upcoming meeting. This will save you time at the meeting, make it easier for our secretary at the meeting, and increase the efficiency in gathering the data that the MAA headquarters asks of us for each meeting (including gender, whether you are a presenter, and student/faculty/other status). When you come to the registration table at the meeting, indicate that you have already preregistered. Your name will be looked up from the list gathered from this registration tool and you will only need to pay the registration fee ($15) to complete the process; this is done in the paragraph below. Preregistration takes place here. Note that you can use this page whether you are currently in our database or not (see below), but the process will be much easier if you already are.
The registration fee for those who have to pay (people who aren't students or invited speakers) is $15 and can be paid below. Note that this is a second step to the registration process.
We are trying to maintain an up-to-date database of all section members to provide better communication, save expenses on mailings, and help with the registration and proposal process. If you have not already updated your information, you may do so by using the log in page here. The credentials that you need here are your email and your password. If you forgot your password, you can always have it sent to by using the "I forgot my password" link on the log in page (log in). This assumes that you are in the system. If you are not sure if you are or not, check here. If you are not in the system, use the Contact menu there to send a message to request to be added.