Winter 2011 Newsletter

From the Chair	A Call for Papers
The Governor's Corner	Hey Students!!
The Annual KYMAA Meeting	Kentucky Section NExT

From the Chair

I recently returned from the Joint Meetings in New Orleans-it was enjoyable and informative. On the first day, I attended the Section Officers' Meeting and I learned a few things I want to pass on to you.

We were given two suggestions for topics of discussion at upcoming section meetings. One is something of which we're all aware- the(mostly) national adoption of the Common Core Standards in math and the role colleges and universities can play in shaping implementation and assessment. There are a number of assessment consortia you could join if you are interested; I would also add there are grant opportunities out there to help teachers improve their content understanding.

Also, the Board on Mathematical Sciences and their Applications (BMSA), part of the National Academy of Sciences and which reports to a division of the National Research Council, is undertaking "The Mathematical Sciences is 2025." Information about this project, which aims to assess and project the direction mathematical research is taking, can be found at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DEPS/BMSA/DEPS_059424. The national MAA is suggesting that sections may wish to hold discussions on the role of research at the undergraduate level, and how it can be used to energize work in the classroom.If anyone is interesting in organizing a panel or simply wanting to set aside time at an upcoming KYMAA meeting to talk about one or both of these topics, please make sure to send Dora Ahmadi, our Chair-Elect, a response to her Call for Papers.

I also learned in New Orleans that the MAA will soon be offering a discounted membership for secondary math teachers, aiming particularly those who teach calculus. I ask you to consider contacting any teachers you know who might be interested in this opportunity (memberships include electronic access to Math FOCUS and Math Horizons).

I encourage you to think about volunteering to serve on a national MAA committee. I am told that your chances of success in being selected to serve are greater if you identify a council area of interest, rather than a specific committee of interest. about councils and committees can be found at http://www.maa.org/EBUSPPRO/committee-list.aspx. If you are interested, please contact either Bill Fenton (Section Governor), or Robert Hebble (Section Secretary); their email addresses can be found on the Section website. The Committee on Committees meets each April, so you should let Bill or Robert know of your interest by early-to mid-March.

If you know of people in your department who might be interested in our Section NExT activities, please entreat them to apply! More information about this program appears below.

Please put our Annual Meeting on your calendar; I hope to see you on March 25-26 at EKU!

Will Harris at William_Harris@georgetowncollege.edu
KYMAA Chair

The Governor's Corner

I was able to attend only a couple days of this year's Joint Meetings in New Orleans. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable and productive time. Of course, the food is always good in New Orleans.

The Board of Governors met on Wednesday January 5, 2011, immediately before the Joint Meetings. President David Bressoud gave an encouraging report on the grant project Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus. The response rate for the initial survey was quite good. This year will be spent cleaning and analyzing the data, with next year spent on case study analysis at different types of institutions.

There was mixed news on the finances of the MAA. First the good news: investments have made back every dollar that was lost in the market drop of a few years ago. Also, the MAA's total assets grew again from 2008 to 2009 and remain high. Thus the overall financial picture is strong. Now the bad news: The budget for 2010 was planned to be balanced but did not reach that goal. Consequently, the Board reviewed and approved a revised budget for 2011, based on flat revenues and cuts in expenses. Despite these financial stresses, dues for 2012 will increase by a minimal amount: $1-2.

There will be personnel changes at the MAA this year. David Bressoud's term as President is ending, and Paul Zorn of St. Olaf College will take his place. Also, the Executive Director of the MAA, Tina Straley, will retire at the end of 2012. A search committee has been appointed for her position. My position is ending as well, and there will be an election for a new governor sometime this spring.

The Annual KYMAA Meeting

Our 2011 KYMAA Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 25 - 26, 2011, at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. This meeting should be outstanding and we strongly encourage you to join the fun. Perhaps you and/or your students can give a talk, or just come and listen to what your mathematical colleagues from across the state are up to these days.

More information is provided below, including information for students and a call for papers . Information to facilitate your attendance of the KYMAA meeting, including various forms for registration and talks and lodging information, can be found on our 2011 Annual Meeting. Complete program details will appear in the next newsletter on March 7, 2011. There will also be a lnk there to the meeting program.

Please note the following important dates for the KYMAA Annual Meeting:

• Monday, February 28 : Deadline for submitting abstracts for talks at the meeting.
• Monday, March 7 : Publication date of meeting program on this website.
• Friday, March 11 : Registration Deadline. You Must register by this date if you would like to join us for meals at the meeting since the caterer needs a headcount by this date. At the very least e-mail our section treasurer Molly Dunkum at molly.dunkum@wku.edu . Payment for meals should be in regular mail by this date.
• March 25 - 26 : a grand celebration of Kentucky mathematics at EKU!

• Presentation Abstract Form
• Registration Form

• Presentation Abstract Form
• Registration Form

For speakers, the rooms will have available PCs, laptop docks, ELMO document cameras and whiteboard or chalkboard. If you need something other than any of these, indicates so under "Equipment Nedds" on the abstract form. In general, the time for individual presentations will be 15 minutes, including time for questions. Special presentations can be allocated more time if necessary.

Finally, our schedule of hosts for future section meetings is:

March 30-31, 2012	Bellarmine University in Louisville
March/April, 2013	Transylvania University in Lexington

Please contact any officer of KYMAA if you would interested in hosting a future meeting; we're always on the look out for a good meeting site!

A Call for Papers

Excitement is in the air as we prepare for a celebration of mathematics! It is time to begin planning your talk for our 2011 Annual Meeting of the Kentucky Section of the Mathematical Association of America. The meeting will begin March 25 and conclude on March 26 at Eastern Kentucky University. Faculty and students, both graduate and undergraduate, from across the state and beyond are encouraged to present a talk. We look forward to presentations from faculty and students! Whether you wish to present recent research, the solution to an interesting problem, or share some pedagogical insight, your submission is welcome. We are also always very glad to hear from undergraduates about work they have done in summer research projects, competitions, or on honors projects. If you wish to organize a panel discussion, please let us know

For both faculty and students, if you wish to make a presentation, fill out the Presentation Abstract Form and submit it by February 28. A copy of the form can be obtained here: Presentation Abstract Form (MS Word) or Presentation Abstract Form (PDF). In general, the time for individual presentations will be 15 minutes, including time for questions. Special presentations can be allocated more time if necessary. For speakers, the rooms will have available PCs, laptop docks, ELMO document cameras and whiteboard or chalkboard. If you need something other than any of these, indicates so under "Equipment Nedds" on the abstract form.

Dora Ahmadi
Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics
Morehead State University
150 University Blvd.
Morehead, KY 40351

E-mail: d.ahmadi@moreheadstate.edu

Phone: 606-783-2930
Fax: 606-783-5002

Hey Students!

I hope your fall term went well. Seniors who are planning to go to graduate school are busy applying to graduate programs - and working hard to finish their undergraduate studies strong! If you will still be an undergraduate in the Fall Semester of 2011, then you should consider participating in a summer REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates). Check out http://www.maa.org/students/undergrad/research.html for more information. Faculty members can help you determine which REUs you would like best, and they can help you apply. Depending on the REU, the application deadline may be any time from the end of January through late March.

Don't forget the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) and the Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM).  These are four day competitions that start at 8pm on Thursday, February 10 and end at 8pm on Monday, February 14. This competition is for three-student teams. Your institution may have more than one team, but a student may be on only one team and each team works on only one problem. More information is available from http://www.comap.com/undergraduate/contests/mcm/. The registration deadline is 2pm on Thursday, February 10.

April is Mathematics Awareness Month. This year's theme is "Unraveling Complex Systems". For information concerning activities and to download a poster, check out http://www.mathaware.org/. Encourage your mathematics and computer science clubs to organize activities during the month of April.

You can also kick off the 2011 Mathematics Awareness Month celebration by organizing a trip to attend the Annual KYMAA Section Meeting, March 25 - 26, 2011 at Eastern Kentucky University. The KYMAA Section Meeting is a great opportunity for students to give a talk to a friendly audience. Twenty-one of the papers presented at the 2010 meeting involved undergraduates. Start thinking about a presentation, discuss it with a professor at your institution and get ready. Here are some ideas: Discuss your team's work in the MCM or ICM. If there is a mathematics or computer science topic you would like to investigate, do the work, then share what you learned at the section meeting. This activity makes your resume more attractive. When you register for the meeting, register for the Friday evening banquet, too. Meals for students will again be at a discounted price. Students who have attended the banquet in the past have truly enjoyed it. Don't miss it!

I will be writing a newsletter to be included with the registration packet at the section meeting, and I need your help providing highlights of your activities. Please have one of your club members send a brief summary to m.dobranski@moreheadstate.edu. Your responses are highly appreciated.

If you have any questions about the information above, please feel free to contact me.

Kentucky Section NExT

The KYMAA is soliciting applications for our KYNExT program!

Modeled after the National Project NExT, the mission of the Kentucky Section NExT (New Experiences in Teaching), is to support soon-to-be, newly-minted, and recent-but-untenured Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences (including all areas of mathematics, statistics, operations research, and mathematics education) in their role as mathematics faculty, as well as more experienced math faculty who are new to Kentucky and KYMAA. In particular, the goal of KYNExT is to foster and enhance all aspects of an academic career: high-quality teaching and learning of mathematics, productive research and scholarship, and meaningful professional activities.

The KYNExT program will immediately precede the annual KYMAA spring meeting, beginning with lunch just before the KYMAA meeting commences. A discussion at the luncheon on Saturday will conclude the program. The Friday afternoon session will include a presentation by an award-winning faculty member from Kentucky, as well as discussions on discovering one's teaching style and on balancing responsibilities and activities beyond teaching.

To these ends, KYNExT seeks applications from any and all untenured mathematics faculty and mathematics graduate students who anticipate graduating with a Ph.D. by Fall 2012, and those who have recently relocated to Kentucky.

Please submit applications to Will Harris at William_Harris@georgetowncollege.edu by February 28. We anticipate that review of applications will be completed no later than March 7. A complete application will include:

• A brief personal statement (two-page maximum, one-page preferred) describing your approach to teaching and learning mathematics, and what you expect to gain from participating in KYNExT.
• A short (one-page) vitae, which should include contact information, education and employment history, teaching experience, and research interests.
• A statement of support from your chair or dean indicating a willingness to support or coordinate your release from teaching and other responsibilities on Friday, March 25, 2011.

KYNExT funds will cover all costs of attending the KYNExT program itself, including registration for the KYMAA meeting at EKU, lunch and dinner on Friday, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday. We will also cover lodging for participants who live sufficiently far from Richmond and your institution is unable to cover the expense .

Mathfest 2011