Barry Brunson
With somewhere between 900 and 1000 preregistered, the summer meeting in Vermont was better attended than the one last year in Minneapolis . I was invited to participate as a "veteran governor" in the orientation for new governors. This dubious honor signals the fact that I will be completing my three-year term on June 30 and the section will be electing my successor this spring. The Nominating Committee is looking for nominations and volunteers.
There has been some reorganization in the Washington Headquarters of the MAA. The primary effect is that they will have certain operations handled by outside providers. This will permit a reduction in the staff and will allow the remaining personnel to concentrate on improved service to members, marketing and development. In a related matter, the Board of Governors approved a change in the by-laws whereby new members of the MAA would renew their membership on the anniversary of the date they joined. This will be presented to the membership for a vote at the business meeting in Orlando next January. While this would not have any effect on current members, over time it would smooth out some of the workload in Washington.
For the past year, the MAA has had a Task Force that was studying the program of Departmental Representatives. These members are a valuable resource for the Association, but have generally been underutilized. The Task Force presented its report at the Board meeting and it contained many good ideas. Department chairs will be hearing more about this soon. In the meantime, if you would like to be in on the ground floor of this new and improved system, please let your department chair know.
This year the MAA began providing certificates for 25-year members of the Association. The recipients this year were Danny Huffman of Owensboro, Elizabeth Jayne of Ashland and Robert Nelson of EKU. I asked for a list of those who have been members for even a longer period of time. You will find those names listed elsewhere in this Newsletter. The section is certainly grateful for the long term commitment each of them has made.
Finally, if you have access to the World Wide Web, take a look at http://www.maa.org.
Respectfully submitted,
Christine Shannon
(This is an editorial. The Executive Committee decided in 1993 to solicit editorials and other submissions from our members. I am happy to initiate what I hope will be a continuing process.)
We in the KYMAA are a diverse lot. Bob Dylan and his music seemed brash and irreverent to some; to others his messages, while sometimes obscure, often were prods to reflection or to action. To younger members, he may be a relic of the "old days." However, one lyric fragment that is almost universally recognized concerns how "the times, they are a-changin'." I just received two strong reminders of the inevitability of change.
The first reminder was at the Mathematica developers' conference a few days ago. Features of the forthcoming version of that software are breathtaking, and have far- reaching implications for its use in the classroom. The other reminder was on National Public Radio's All Things Considered on the drive home. Automobiles already exist that use global positioning satellites in tandem with highly detailed digitized maps, not only to navigate from city to city, but street by street within a city. During the radio program segment, the car gave precise instructions ("Make a U- turn," or "Turn right and then slightly left," spoken via a voice synthesizer) for reaching a specified destination that took into account both dead-ends and one-way streets. The reporter asked the (human) interviewee, "Do you foresee a day when most adults will be unable to read one of those fold-out maps?" The interviewee responded, "I doubt if half of the adults can read one of those maps now."
What's the point? Change will occur whether we like it or not. We will choose (by action or by our inaction) whether to participate in shaping that change, or to be swept helplessly along with it. For instance, the new ability of Mathematica to handle indefinite integrals will force us again to re-reexamine the time we spend doing such things by hand. (Yes, "reexamine again;" techniques of integration already are de- emphasized in "reformed" calculus courses. I am beginning to question the future value even of hand skill at using tables of integrals.)
Few advocate change for the sake of change, but that's not the issue. I rather suspect the claim about map-reading ability is on target. Similarly, I suspect that our vision of how much skill (not to mention understanding) most students take with them from calculus classes, is more comfortable fantasy than hard reality. There may be less to lose in moving to a better way of doing things than we fear (of course that's a scary thought itself!).
Isaac Asimov, among others, has opined that human progress can be measured by the extent to which we have been able to forget formerly necessary things. With what shall we replace the formerly valuable skill of automobile map-reading? Perhaps with a better ability to decide where we want to go. With what shall we replace the formerly valuable skill of hand integration?
(The foregoing represents a personal viewpoint, and not an official position of the KYMAA.)
Anyone is entitled to make a nomination, but nominations from chairs or MAA representatives in departments of mathematical sciences are especially solicited. For this reason, this call for nominations is sent to both department chairs and MAA representatives so that the responsibility for nominations can be shared between them.
We urge you to submit a nomination if you have someone eligible and qualified in your department. Even if not selected this year, it is an honor for someone to have been nominated. Your department will receive recognition for its commitment to excellence in teaching, and the work done in preparing a nomination folder for your candidate is not wasted, since your candidate can be nominated again in a future year. Self-nomination is not permitted.
In addition to discussing this memo with your colleagues, preferably at a department meeting, please post it in a prominent place in your department.
-- At least five years of teaching experience in a mathematical science.
-- Membership in the Mathematical Association of America.
-- be widely recognized as extraordinarily successful in their teaching*;
-- have teaching effectiveness that can be documented;
-- have had influence in their teaching beyond their own institutions**;
-- foster curiosity and generate excitement about mathematics in their students.
* "teaching" is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, not necessarily limited to classroom teaching (it may include activities such as preparing students for mathematical competitions at the college level--for example, the Putnam Prize Competition or the Mathematical Contest in Modeling--or attracting students to become majors in a mathematical science or to become Ph.D. candidates).
** "influence beyond their own institutions" can take many forms, including: demonstrated lasting impact on alumni; influence on the profession through curricular revisions in college mathematics teaching with national impact; influential, innovative books on the teaching of college mathematics; etc.
Nominations must be submitted on the Nomination Form attached. Please follow the instructions on that form precisely to assure uniformity in the selection process both at the Section and National level. If the Nomination Form is received by the Section Secretary by November 7, 1995, the Secretary will ask the nominee's Department Chair (whose name must also be submitted) to work with the nominator in supplying the additional required materials. Ultimately, a complete nomination must also include Evidence of Success in Teaching as described on the back of the nomination form. Final deadline for receipt of all materials is December 7, 1995. If the file on the Section's awardee significantly exceeds the limits prescribed, it will not be considered for a national award and will be returned to the Section. Please send one copy of all materials to the Section Secretary:
Professor Karin Chess Department of Mathematics Owensboro Community College 4800 New Hartford Road Owensboro, KY 42303The Section Selection Committee will select the Section awardee during December and January and communicate its selection to the National Selection Committee no later than February 1, so that the National Committee can then make its selections.
We look forward to your participation in this exciting MAA venture of taking substantive action to honor extraordinarily successful teaching. We want to see such teaching recognized at all post-secondary school levels. We depend on you to help us identify those who merit such recognition.
John Oppelt
During this year the Institute participants are communicating via an e-mail group, sharing ideas about teaching and history. On June 3 of next year, we will return to D.C., but more importantly, 40 new participantss will begin the process. I suspect there are some KYMAA members who would like to join us. For more information, contact Fred Rickey , Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0221 (e-mail: rickey@maa.org). Information and application forms should be available from the MAA gopher soon. Also, feel free to call me (606-572-6348) or e-mail me( curtin@nku.edu).
Dan Curtin
Northern Kentucky University
Computer Science has split off from the former Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics. We are now simply the Department of Mathematics and Physics. [Reported by John A. Oppelt--johnaopp@iglou.com]
Centre College -- Bill Johnston has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. He will be on sabbatical this spring; his plans are to continue writing an introductory statistics textbook. Todd Ashby will serve as Bill's replacement in the winter and spring terms. Senior math major Wes Royce has been elected student member of the Math Program Committee for the 1995-96 academic year.
The student MAA chapter has elected officers for the year. They include President-- Lisa Willis; Vice-President--Amos Hall; Secretary--Leslie Inman; and Treasurer--Mike Bradshaw. Activities planned for the year include: pizza and problems in October; a guided tour of mathematics on the Internet in November; practice for local high school students taking the AHSME exam in February; a t-shirt design contest and sale for Mathematics Awareness Week; a guest speaker in the spring; and the annual spring math picnic for new majors. [Reported by John Wilson--wilson@centre.edu]
Georgetown College -- The annual student chapter picnic was held on September 14. Future meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month. A variety of activities are planned for this year. Rebecca Gander is chapter President.
Austin French received the Cawthorne Teaching Award during the 1994-95 academic year. This is the highest award for faculty on campus. Recipients are nominated and elected by the faculty. [Reported by Chris Leverenz--cleveren@gtc.georgetown.ky.us]
Kentucky State University -- Dr. Robert Mania has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. Dr. Fariba Bigdeli-Jahed has returned after a one- year leave of absence. [Reported by John Moseley]
Midway College -- Martha Lutz has been promoted to the rank of Senior Faculty. [Reported by Martha Lutz--mlutz@midway.dans.com]
Morehead State University -- Joining the faculty are Dora Ahmadi--Assistant Professor- -Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, and Douglas Lapp--Assistant Professor--Ph.D., Ohio State University. Ben Flora is on sabbatical during the fall semester. Johnnie G. Fryman and James D. Mann have both retired after 30 years of service to the department.
Morehead hosted MPATE Day (Math/Physics, Advanced Technology Day) on October 4. This involved juniors and seniors from 28 counties in various activities competing for awards and prizes.
The new president of the student chapter is Chris L. Smith. The chapter assisted in MPATE Day, and three members will attend a meeting at Miami University. [Reported by Gordon Nolen--G.NOLEN@morehead-st.edu]
Murray State University -- Murray has two new faculty members this year. Darla Kremer--Assistant Professor--Ph.D., University of Iowa, is in combinatorics. Mike Prophet--Assistant Professor--Ph.D., University of California-Riverside, is in functional analysis. Mike recently finished a two-year postdoc at Idaho State University.
Crawford Rhaly has been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor. David Gibson has been promoted from Lecturer to Assistant Professor. Wahi Mahfoud has retired after 27 years of service to the department. [Reported by Bob Pervine-- a23611f@msumusik.mursuky.edu]
Northern Kentucky University -- There are two new members of the faculty this year. Melinda Miller--Assistant Professor--Ph.D., Baylor University, is in statistics. Her areas of interest include non-parametric and Bayesian statistics. Kristin Pfabe--Assistant Professor--Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is in numerical analysis and partial differential equations. Her areas of interest include the Sinc method.
Chris Christensen is on sabbatical leave this fall. This spring, three faculty will be on sabbatical. Steven Wilkinson will be exploring the connections between parametrically defined and implicitly defined geometrical objects. Philip McCartney will create a "Primer of Techniques for Creating Inequalities" and will also explore the Krein-Milman problem in Banach spaces. Charles Frank plans to develop a second course in software development. He is eager to collaborate with faculty interested in software engineering education.
On September 13, the department hosted a joint meeting of the Northern Kentucky Council of Teachers of Mathematics and an in-service meeting that was attended by 13 teachers and students from area elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The emphasis was on technology and new curriculum issues. [Reported by Peter Moore-- moorep@nku.edu]
Owensboro Community College -- Joining the faculty this year is Luke Foster-- Instructor. His degree is from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and his field is applied mathematics. Karin V. Chess has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor with tenure. [Reported by Kathy Mowers--mowersk@aol.com]
Paducah Community College -- Jacqueline Blagg and Kathy Kepner have both been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor. Mike Stewart has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. [Reported by Kathy Kepner-- kmkepn00@ukcc.uky.edu]
Pikeville College -- John Cade has been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor. Homer White recently spent a year visiting the Statistics Department at the University of Kentucky on a Pew Long-Term Fellowship. [Reported by Homer White--homerw@harold.eastky.com]
Somerset Community College -- Joining the faculty is Kathy Lewis--Instructor--M.S., Eastern Kentucky University. Neleta Jeffries has returned from a sabbatical taken during the 1994-95 year. Wendell Cornett retired in May, after more than 20 years of service. [Reported by Arthur Dawson--awdaws00@ukcc.uky.edu]
Sue Bennett College -- David Herrick is on sabbatical this year. [Reported by Chris Bendixen]
Transylvania University -- Mike LeVan--Visiting Professor--Ph.D., Auburn has joined the faculty. [Reported by David Shannon--dshannon@music.transy.edu]
University of Louisville -- Michael Jacobson is the new chair of the department. Lee Larson has been promoted to Professor. Ray Cheng, Robert Powers and Wei-bin Zeng have all been promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Robert McFadden will be on sabbatical this year. [Reported by Wiley Williams-- wwwill01@homer.louisville.edu]
Western Kentucky University -- Our new faculty member this year is Robin L. Ayers- -Assistant Professor--ABD, Ohio State University. Wanda Weidemann has been promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. She also received the Faculty Excellence Award in Service from WKU's Ogden College of Science Technology and Health. Daniel Biles and David Neal were granted tenure.
Sixty-six secondary and middle school mathemataics teachers attended two development institutes sponsored by the Mathematics Department. These institutes, held in July, were funded by the Kentucky Council of Higher Education through the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Program. Algebra was the topic of one institute; participants explored algebraic problem solving using graphics calculators and computer software. Middle School Mathematics was the focus of the other institute. These participants examined probability, data analysis and statistics to see how these topics relate to everyday life as seen through the eyes of middle school students.
The WKU Mathematics Department received over $51,000 from the Exxon Education Foundation for a statewide project, "New Horizons--Expanding Successful Practices in Mathematics for Elementary Teachers." The goal of the project is to help college mathematics faculty members to incorporate problem solving, technology, manipulatives, cooperative group work, writing and alternative assessment techniques into courses for preservice teachers. A workshop was held in Corbin in September, and others are planned for Georgetown and Henderson in October. Wanda Weidemann and Mary Barr Humphrey direct the grant.
The Annual WKU Mathematics Symposium was held October 13-14, 1995. The theme was "A Taste of Modern Statistics," and featured speakers were J. Laurie Snell of Dartmouth University, Mary Fleming of Eastern Kentucky University and Western faculty Barry Brunson (Mathematics) and Jim Worthington (Agriculture). [Reported by Tom Richmond--richmond@wkunix.wku.edu]
Darrell H. Abney, Maysville Community College 27
Gary J. Anglin, Lexington 26
James B. Barksdale, Western Kentucky University 28
Stephen F. Boyce, Berea College 32
Mary H. Brown, Hazard 44
John G. Campbell, Albany 33
Roger Chalkley, Ft. Mitchell 33
Franklin D. Cheatham, Campbellsville College 26
A. Kirby Chelgren, Kentucky Wesleyan College 30
Chris Christensen, Northern Kentucky University 28
Donald B. Coleman, University of Kentucky 29
Esther A. Compton, Williamsburg 47
Raymond H. Cox, University of Kentucky 29
Harvey L. Elder, Murray State University 31
Walter Feibes, Bellarmine College 33
Clarence Ford, Anchorage 54
J. Brauch Fugate, University of Kentucky 31
Roger H. Geeslin, Louisville 29
E. Ann Heard, Georgetown College 27
Emeric Hornick, Louisville 36
Henry C. Howard, University of Kentucky 40
Stephen A. Jacobs, Western Kentucky University 31
Marie M. Jenkins, Louisville 35
Thomas M. Jenkins, Louisville 35
Glenn E. Johnston, Morehead 33
Wilburn C. Jones, Western Kentucky University 33
Thomas J. Kearns, Northern Kentucky University 35
Lael F. Kinch, University of Louisville 35
Amy C. King, Eastern Kentucky University 34
Jackson B. Lackey, Richmond 40
Bennie R. Lane, Richmond 34
George D. Livingston, Ashland Community College 26
Harland R. Lutz, Asbury College 33
John E. Mack, University of Kentucky 31
James D. Mann, Morehead State University 30
Robert McFadden, University of Louisville 36
Alvin G. McGlasson, Richmond 45
Fred R. McMorris, University of Louisville 26
Peter E. Moore, Northern Kentucky University 27
Jacqueline C. Moss, Paducah 29
Gordon Nolen, Morehead State University 26
Allan R. Podbelsek, Louisville 31
James F. Porter, Western Kentucky University 32
G. Gilbert Roberts, Berea 53
Dorothy L. Rowe, Ashland 35
Wimberly C. Royster, Lexington 46
Paul S. Schnare, Eastern Kentucky University 33
Joe K. Smith, Northern Kentucky University 33
William H. Spragens, Louisville 49
Joseph F. Stokes, Western Kentucky University 34
Kyle D. Wallace, Western Kentucky University 29
Martha F. Watson, Georgetown College 37
Ronald G. Welling, Asbury College 34
T. M. Wright, Berea 44
William Harris, Georgetown College Box 234, 400 E. College St., Georgetown, KY 40324. E-mail: wharris@gtc.georgetown.ky.us
Christine Shannon 600 West Walnut St. Centre College Danville, KY 40422 (606) 238-5406 shannon@centre.eduChair
Barry Brunson Department of Mathematics Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY 42101 (502) 745-6221 bbrunson@wku.eduChair Elect
John A. Oppelt Department of Mathematics Bellarmine College Newburg Road Louisville, KY 40205-0671 (502) 452-8237 johnaopp@iglou.comVice-Chair
David K. Neal Department of Mathematics Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY 42101 (502) 745-6213 nealdk@wkuvx1.wku.eduSecretary/Treasurer
Karin Chess Department of Mathematics Owensboro Community College 4800 New Hartford Road Owensboro, KY 42303 (502) 686-4473 kchess@occ.uky.eduNewsletter Editor
William Harris Dept. of Math, Physics & Comp. Sci. Georgetown College Box 234 400 E. College St. Georgetown, KY 40324 (502) 863-7921 wharris@gtc.georgetown.ky.usAHSME Coordinator
David Shannon Department of Mathematics Transylvania University Lexington, KY 40508-1797 (606) 233-8185 dshannon@music.transy.eduStudent Chapters Coordinator
John Wilson 600 West Walnut St. Centre College Danville, KY 40422 (606) 238-5409 wilson@centre.edu1996 Meeting Coordinator
Donald Bennett Murray State University Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics Murray, KY 42071 (502) 762-2311 a30411f@msumusik.mursuky.eduReturn to Table of Contents
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