Winter 2006 Newsletter

From the Chair Nominations Needed
The Governor's Corner Hey Students!
The Annual KYMAA Meeting KYMAA Visiting Lecturer Program
The Invited Talks - including abstracts Amendment to Bylaws
A Call for Papers KYMAA Section NExT !!!


From the Chair

At the risk of no one reading the rest of my report let me start off by directing your attention to three other important items in this newsletter that you must be sure not to miss. The call for nominations is your opportunity to nominate someone to fill a leadership position in the section. We are looking for people to serve as secretary-treasurer, newsletter editor, and student chapter coordinator. We are making some changes to the sequencing of these elections. See the newsletter from last fall for more information about the new sequencing. (Click here for Fall 2005 Newsletter). We are also proposing an amendment to the by-laws to split the office of secretary-treasurer into two offices. This amendment must be voted on by the members attending the business meeting on April 1. Be sure to look at the proposal under Amending the By-laws. Finally I urge everyone to read about and become involved in the KYMAA Section NExT Program we are starting. We have been approved for a grant from the national organization to get this going.

I write this after just returning from the Joint Math Meetings in San Antonio. It was great to see so many of my friends from the Kentucky Section at the meetings. We all know that it is difficult to take time away from families and the start of a term to travel great distances to attend these conferences (not to mention the expense). But it is important to go to maintain connections, to share ideas, and to make new acquaintances.

This was the second time I have been fortunate enough to take students with me to the meetings. It has been a required field trip for the students in my three-week winter term class called Problems, Projects, and Presentations. They never know what to expect. Their friends tease them about going to a “geek” conference. I ask them to fill out evaluation forms on many of the talks they attend. One of the goals is for them to be learning about making presentations in addition to learning mathematical content. They learn about career opportunities, summer research programs, and graduate school. It is so much better than just reading about this stuff on the web.

The last assignment I give at the meetings is for the students to write a short reflection paper about their experiences on the field trip. Here are a couple of comments taken from the papers this year. "The conference itself is a perfect opportunity for us to get a sense of the math as a profession." One student wrote that the moment he entered the convention center he felt immersed in the mathematical world and the term "mathematician" was not that far from reach. Another wrote "it was a very nice opportunity to interact with math professors from different colleges and listen to them talk about their work."

I want to encourage as many as possible to bring students to our section meeting at Centre this spring (March 31-April 1). I still remember going to a regional meeting of mathematicians when I was an undergraduate. I don’t think we realize the effect of exposing our students to this part of our profession. In all my experiences it has been a good thing.

I look forward to seeing you and your students in a few short weeks.

John Wilson at wilson@centre.edu
KYMAA Chair


The Governor's Corner

San Antonio - my second meeting as Governor of the Kentucky Section - and I am beginning to get the hang of it a bit! There were only 96 pages of agenda, plus a small pile of handouts. More information was handed out at the Section Officer meeting. I can only mention a few highlights here. Don't hesitate to let me know if you have questions about any MAA matter. I may well not know the answer, but I am learning whom to call.

The MAA is in good shape for membership and also financially. In summary we have around 24,000 members, $9 million in operating budget, $8 million in endowments, $7 million in building and $7 million in grants. A large gift form Paul and Virginia Halmos is funding the renovation of the historic Carriage House at MAA HQ. There is a link from the MAA homepage, if you would like to see pictures and descriptions of the work.

Mathfest this summer is in Knoxville, Tennessee, August 10-12. This should be a very nice meeting and at least travel for most of us will be easier than usual. A schedule of MAA meetings in future years may be found at http://www.maa.org/meetings/national_meetings.html

Our section is well along in the process of setting up a Section NExT program. Look for details below under KYMAA Section NExT. A section can also sponsor a national NExT Fellow for around $2500. At the moment this is prohibitive for KYMAA, but if it was thought worthwhile we could seek funding.

All MAA members are asked to consider joining one of the many MAA committees. Please see http://www.maa.org/committees/ for a presentation of opportunities. In particular the MAA is committed to a continuing process of strategic planning. The next issues for planning are Governance, Membership, and Student Activities. MAA Online just keeps getting better. Be sure to check out Classroom Capsules Online and MAA Reviews Online.

Our KYMAA Bylaws changes were accepted with no difficulty.

The MAA will be 100 years old in 2015. Plans are underway for a big celebration location TBA. Our section is one of the oldest, two years younger than the MAA, I believe, so we should also be thinking of a celebration in 2017. Some sections are writing section histories, ours among them. There is an idea to pull them together into a history of the MAA. This task has tentatively been delegated to HOMSIGMAA, the MAA special interest group in the History of Mathematics (of which I am now Chair.)

This is just a taste of all the activities of the MAA. There is plenty to do in our great organization.

Dan Curtin at curtin@nku.edu
KYMAA Governor


The Annual KYMAA Meeting

Our 2006 KYMAA Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 31 - April 1, 2006 at Centre College, Danville Kentucky. This should be an outstanding meeting and we strongly encourage you to join the fun. Perhaps you can give a talk, or just come and listen to what your fellow mathematicians are up to these days.

More information is provided below, including a description of the invited talks, a call for papers, a call for nominations and information for students. Information to facilitate your attendance of the meeting, including various forms for registration and talks, directions, lodging information, and meal information can be found on our 2006 Annual Meeting and 2006 Meeting Program webpages. Complete program details will appear in the next newsletter on March 13, 2006. Please note the following important dates for the KYMAA Annual Meeting:

  • February 27 : Deadline for submitting abstracts for talks at the meeting AND nominations for officers.
  • February 27 : The last day some of the hotels will hold the blocks of rooms set aside for the meeting; contact information is available at: Hotel Information.
  • March 13 : Publication date of meeting program on this website.
  • MARCH 17 : 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 secretary Daylene Zielinski at dzielinski@bellarmine.edu. Payment for meals should be in regular mail by this date.
  • March 31 - April 1 : a grand celebration of Kentucky mathematics at Centre College!

The various meeting forms can be obtained via the following links:

latex Presentation Abstract Form Registration Form
pdf Presentation Abstract Form Registration Form
postscript Presentation Abstract Form Registration Form
word Presentation Abstract Form Registration Form

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

March 31 - April 1, 2006 Centre College
March 30-31, 2007 Northern Kentucky University
2008 any volunteers?!

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!


The Invited Talks

On Friday evening, the invited talk will be given by Professor Steven Dunbar of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The title of his talk is MAA's American Mathematics Competitions: Easy Problems, Hard Problems, History, and Outcomes.

Saturday morning will feature two invited speakers:

  • Last year's recipient of the Kentucky Section's Distinguished Teaching Award, Professor Dora Ahmadi of Morehead State University, will speak on What does dancing have to do with the derivative?
  • Our second invited speaker on Saturday morning is Professor Arthur Benjamin from Harvey Mudd College. The title of his talk is PROOFS THAT REALLY COUNT: The Art of Combinatorial Proof.

Abstracts and Bios

Steven Dunbar will speak on MAA's American Mathematics Competitions: Easy Problems, Hard Problems, History, and Outcomes.
Abstract: The MAA has continuously sponsored a sequence of nationwide high-school level math contests since 1952. The sequence of contests now spans 5 different contests at increasing levels of mathematical sophistication. Students who succeed at the top level on these contests become the team representing the U.S. at the annual International Mathematical Olympiad. I'll survey the history and organization of the contests, along with the outcomes and some notable mathematicians whose early indications of talent came on these contests. Along the way, I'll showcase some of the interesting, easy, and hard mathematical problems that occur on these contests.
Biographical Information: Steve Dunbar received his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Nebraska and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He returned to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1975 and has been there since. He became the Director of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions, headquartered at UN-L, in 2001. He is interested in nonlinear differential equations, and applied dynamical systems, as well as issues of mathematical education. He has received several teaching awards including the Nebraska-Southeastern South Dakota Section of the Mathematical Association of America Award for Distinguished Teaching of Mathematics at the University or College Level in 1997.

Dora Ahmadi will speak on What does dancing have to do with the derivative?
Abstract: The presenter will share the story of her journey in teaching mathematics including highlights that played an impact on shaping her as the teacher she is today.
Biographical Information: Dr. Ahmadi is an associate professor of mathematics at Morehead State University, where she has been since 1995. She came to Morehead from the University of Oklahoma, where she received her M.A. and Ph.D. in mathematics. Her undergraduate years were spent at Mercy College of the University of New York where she earned BS degree in mathematics, and at the University of Houston where she completed a BS degree in chemical engineering.
Dr. Ahmadi taught middle school and high school students before advancing to the college level. She has been active in several professional organizations. Her membership in Project NExT, a national organization sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America and the Exxon Foundation sparked interest in new ways of teaching. She has given numerous talks on the use of technology, reading, writing, oral communication, and group work to promote active learning. Dr. Ahmadi has conducted teacher workshops integrating science and mathematics. She initiated Mathematics Awareness Week celebrations at the University of Oklahoma and has done the same at Morehead State University. She has involved teachers, students, businesses, and government officials in celebrating Mathematics Awareness Week. She is currently serving on the Editorial Board of the Committee on Undergraduate Programs in Mathematics (CUPM) Guide Online Illustrative Resources, the American Mathematical Society, Kentucky Association of College Mathematics Educators, Kentucky Academy of Science, and national and state Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Dr. Ahmadi's research interests include undergraduate mathematics curriculum and pedagogy. In mathematics, she is interested in dynamical systems, convexity, complex analysis, and hyperbolic geometry.

Arthur Benjamin will speak on PROOFS THAT REALLY COUNT: The Art of Combinatorial Proof.
Abstract: Mathematics is the science of patterns, and mathematicians attempt to understand these patterns and discover new ones using various tools. In this talk, we demonstrate that many number patterns, even very complex ones, can be understood by simple counting arguments. You will enjoy the magic of Fibonacci numbers, Lucas numbers, continued fractions, and more. You can count on it! This talk is based on research with Professor Jennifer Quinn and many undergraduates.
Biographical Information: Arthur Benjamin earned his B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon and his PhD in Mathematical Sciences from Johns Hopkins. Since 1989, he has taught at Harvey Mudd College, where he is currently Professor of Mathematics and past Chair.
His research interests include game theory and combinatorics, with a special fondness for Fibonacci numbers. He recently co-authored (with Jennifer Quinn) "Proofs That Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof", published by MAA. Professors Benjamin and Quinn are also the editors of Math Horizons magazine. Dr. Benjamin is Governor of the Southern California-Nevada Section.
He has served as Editor of the Spectrum book series for MAA, and currently serves on the editorial boards of Mathematics Magazine and the UMAP Journal. In 2000, he received the MAA's Haimo Award for Distinguished College Teaching. In addition to spending time with his wife and two daughters, he enjoys tournament backgammon, racing calculators, and performing magic.


A Call for Papers

One of the main activities of our annual meetings is the presentation of papers by faculty and students. Please consider giving a talk at this year's meeting. Use this opportunity to share mathematical ideas and insights, an interesting mathematical application, or an effective teaching innovation with your colleagues from across the state. For students, consider reporting on an honor's project or a summer research project. A panel presentation on current mathematical issues is always interesting.

For both faculty and students, if you wish to make a presentation, fill out the Presentation Abstract Form and submit it by February 27, 2006. A copy of the form can be obtained on the 2006 Annual Meeting webpage. In general, talks are scheduled for 20-minute intervals. Each talk should be about 15 minutes to leave time for a couple of questions and transition to the next talk. Special presentations can be allocated more time if necessary. It is important to note any special needs and a time preference on this form. Please submit the Presentation Abstract Form by e-mail to:

Tom Richmond
Department of Mathematics
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd #11078
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1078
e-mail: tom.richmond@wku.edu
fon: 270 - 745 - 6219
fax: 270 - 745 - 3699

Nominations Needed

This year we are seeking nominations for candidates for the offices of:
  • Secretary-Treasurer, for a three year term: the first two years as Secretary-Treasurer and the third year as just Secretary (assuming the bylaws amendment proposed below is approved)
  • Student Chapters Coordinator, for a three year term
  • Newsletter Editor, for a one year term - next year we will elect a Newsletter Editor for a three year term. It is helpful, although not mandatory, if the Newsletter Editor can also serve as Webmaster for KYMAA.
The elections for Section Officers are held during the Business Meeting at the Annual KYMAA meeting in the spring, but we are welcoming nominations, including self-nominations! If you have any questions about these positions, please feel free to contact the current people in these positions: Please forward the name and affiliation of any Section member you would like to nominate for one of these offices to any member of the Nominating Committee by February 27, 2006.


Hey Students!

April is Mathematics Awareness Month. This year's theme is Mathematics and Internet Security. For information concerning activities and to download a poster, check http://www.mathaware.org/. Encourage your math/computer science clubs to organize activities during the month of April. You can also kick off the 2006 Mathematics Awareness Month celebration by organizing a trip to attend the Annual KYMAA Section Meeting, March 31-April 1, 2006 at Centre College.

This year, students again will join faculty at the Friday night banquet. Meals for students will 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 our upcoming conference and I need your help providing highlights of your activities; please have one of your club members send a brief summary to d.ahmadi@moreheadstate.edu. Your responses are highly appreciated.

The KYMAA Section meeting is a great opportunity for students to give a talk to a friendly audience. Thirteen undergraduate students presented papers at the 2005 meeting. Start thinking about a presentation, discuss it with a professor at your institution and get ready. Here are some ideas: Did you enter the math modeling contest? Did you work on a project? Is there a math or computer science topic you’ll like to investigate? Do so, and share your knowledge. This activity makes your resume more attractive. Student presenters will have a choice of a free one-year subscription to the Mathematical Association of America, which includes a monthly publication of the student's choice, or a book.

If you have any questions about MAA math clubs or student participation at the meeting, please feel free to contact me.

Dora Ahmadi at d.ahmadi@moreheadstate.edu
KYMAA Coordinator of Student Chapters


KYMAA Visiting Lecturer Program

We would like to remind everyone of the Visiting Lecturer Program for KYMAA. We have compiled a list of those willing to give visiting lectures, the titles of those lectures, a short bio of the speaker, and contact information. This list also includes speakers willing to speak at high schools. You are invited to consider our list of speakers on the webpage for the KYMAA Visiting Lecturer Program

Lectures are undergraduate accessible, but not necessarily freshman/sophomore accessible (although, some talks are designated as accessible to high school students). Being listed does not obligate a speaker to accept invitations, but participants are willing to travel within a reasonable radius of their home institutions. Participants do not require or expect an honorarium from the host institution. However, the host institution is expected to take full responsibility for making all arrangements directly with the speaker, covering all travel expenses, publicizing the event, and acting as a host throughout the speaker's visit.

We are still looking for speakers to include on our list of visiting lecturers; those interested in being visiting lecturers should e-mail their information to either: Dr. Kathryn Lewis of Morehead State University at k.lewis@moreheadstate.edu or Dr. Daylene Zielinski of Bellarmine University at dzielinski@bellarmine.edu. Please send them the following information:

  • Name as you wish it to appear,
  • Title and Institution,
  • Contact Information including: address, phone, email, fax, url,
  • A short professional biography that gives some idea of your expertise; please limit your biography to a maximum of 150 words,
  • Titles of lectures you are interested in giving; please indicate which talks are accessible to high school students.


Amendment to Bylaws

Now that the major revision of our By-Laws has final approval from the Board of Governors we will propose an amendment. The purpose of this amendment is to split the office of Secretary-Treasurer into two separate offices — a Secretary and a Treasurer. The changes in our by-laws would primarily be to adjust the paragraph listing our officers and to rewrite the paragraph describing the duties of secretary-treasurer into separate paragraphs describing the duties of the two separate officers. I urge all of you to consider the proposal and decide if you think this is the right thing to do. We will vote on the proposed change at our business meeting which takes place during lunch on Saturday, April 1. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact John Wilson, Chair of KYMAA, at wilson@centre.edu.

ARTICLE III paragraph 1 would change

OLD:
The elected officers of the Section shall be Chair, Chair-Elect, Governor, Vice-Chair, Secretary-Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, and Student Chapter Coordinator.

NEW:
The elected officers of the Section shall be Chair, Chair-Elect, Governor, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor, and Student Chapter Coordinator.

ARTICLE III paragraph 8 section d) would change

OLD:
d) The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes of official meetings of the Section and of meetings of the Executive Committee, maintain custody of records of the Section, execute the official correspondence of the Section, and prepare materials for distribution at the Annual Meeting. Further, the Secretary-Treasurer shall collect the registration fees for the Annual Meeting, receive the allowance provided by the Mathematical Association of America, provide safekeeping of all monies of the Section, maintain proper and accurate books of account of Section monies, and pay all bills of the Section from Section monies. Annually, the Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare the Section financial report for the national office and the annual activity report for the national Committee on Sections. Checks drawn on Section monies shall bear the signature of the Secretary-Treasurer.

NEW:
d) The Secretary shall keep the minutes of official meetings of the Section and of meetings of the Executive Committee, maintain custody of non-financial records of the Section, such as correspondence and conference programs, execute the official correspondence of the Section, and assist the Treasurer with conference preparations. Annually, the Secretary shall receive all nominations for any section awards, distribute these nominations to the appropriate award committee, send the section winner’s nomination to the appropriate national office, and prepare the Section Annual Report for the national Committee on Sections.

e) The Treasurer shall maintain custody of the financial records of the section, including conference registrations and fees, prepare registration-related materials for distribution at the annual meeting, receive the allowance provided by the Mathematical Association of America, provide safekeeping of all monies of the Section, maintain proper and accurate books of account of Section monies, and pay all bills of the Section from Section monies. Checks drawn on Section monies shall bear the signature of the Treasurer. Annually, the Treasurer shall prepare the Section Financial Report for the financial office of the national MAA. The Chair of the section shall also be a signatory on all section accounts.

The remaining subsections describing other officers in paragraph 8 will need to be relettered.


KYMAA Section NExT

The KYMAA is pleased to announce the creation of the Kentucky Section NExT!

Like the national Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching), the mission of the Kentucky Section NExT is to support pending, newly-minted, or recent-but-untenured Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences (including pure and applied mathematics, statistics, operations research, and mathematics education) in their roles as mathematics faculty members. 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.

All KYNExT activities will take place the evening before and the morning and early afternoon of the commencement of the KYMAA Annual Meetings. This year’s program includes inspiring presentations by the 2005 winner of the KYMAA Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics and a 2006 winner of the Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member, and panel discussions on discovering one’s classroom style and earning tenure.

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 2007. KYNExT is intended to be a two-year program, so selection will favor applicants who are able to demonstrate a two-year commitment.

Applications should be submitted electronically to Anne Collins at collins@centre.edu by February 21st. We anticipate that review of applications will be completed no later than February 27th.

A complete application will include:

  • A brief statement (two-page maximum, one-page preferred) describing your personal approach to teaching and learning mathematics, and what you would like to get out of 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 March 31, 2006 and March 30, 2007
    • pay for registration, Friday night lodging, and Friday evening and Saturday morning meals for the KYMAA Annual Meeting in Spring 2006 at Centre College and Spring 2007 at Northern Kentucky University, estimated to be $100 to $150 per meeting. KYNExT funds will cover all costs of the KYNExT program, including the Thursday evening Ice Cream Social, Thursday night lodging, and breakfast and lunch on Friday.