Chairperson's Report

If you look at the Committees and Appointments section of any of our recent Michigan Section Newsletters (back issues of which are available at our Web page, http://michmaa.org, in case you ever lose one), you will find a list of the many volunteers who serve our section in one way or another. The strength of our Section depends on these volunteer efforts since we have no paid staff, and I would like to thank all those who serve the section.

There is not space to thank all of our volunteers individually here, but I would like to take this opportunity to recognize some of them and to call attention to positions where there has recently been or will soon be turnover.

Ruth Favro (LTU) has served the section in many capacities, most recently as Governor of our Section. Previously Ruth has served as Section Chair and as Secretary/Treasurer. She has also been involved as a coach for the Michigan All-Star Teams that compete annually in the American Regents Math League (ARML) Competition. As Ruth finishes up her 3-year term as Governor I want to thank her for dedication and hard work on behalf of the Section for many years. The Governor Nominating Committee consisting of Ruth, Jerrold Grossman (OU), and Matt Boelkins (GVSU) reports that Bette Warren (EMU) and Sidney Graham (CMU) have accepted nominations to be our next governor. Ballots will be sent to all section members early next year.

Project NExT has played an important role in the MAA nationally for more than a decade now, and since 2000 our section has sponsored a Michigan NExT Symposium in conjunction with the spring meeting. Last year’s successful symposium was the first organized by new coordinators Mark Pearson (Hope C) and Paul Yu (GVSU).

Another relatively recent addition to the Michigan Section activities is the Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference. This conference gives our undergraduate students an opportunity to present the results of their research projects or to give expository mathematical talks. It has also featured a strong list of nationally known keynote speakers, discussion of career opportunities in academia and industry, and some interesting mathematical games. Thanks go to Darin Stephenson and his colleagues at Hope College for hosting the Ninth Annual MUMC this October. Plans are already being made for future MUMCs. We have a tentative host site for 2007 and are looking for hosts for 2008 and beyond. If your institution is interested in hosting, please contact me for more information.

As Section Chair, I am keenly aware of the good work done by the Executive Committee, especially since they all have more experience with the issues of the Executive Committee than I have. Nancy Colwell (SVSU) continues to serve diligently in the often under-appreciated role of Secretary/Treasurer. On behalf of the section I would like to thank recent Chairs Gerard Venema (Calvin C) and John Fink (Kalamazoo C) for the work they did while chairing the section, and personally I thank them for the assistance they have offered me as current Chair.

New members on the Section Executive Committee this year are Two-Year College Vice Chair David Redman (Delta C) and Four-Year College Vice Chair Tom Zerger (SVSU), and they serve as well preparing the program for our up-coming Annual Meeting next spring in Dearborn. Margret Höft (UM-Dearborn) is chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for this meeting. Plan now to join us at the 2007 Annual Meeting next Spring.

There are, of course, many others whom I have not singled out for thanks at this time. Some of them are mentioned elsewhere in this Newsletter. All of them are an important and appreciated part of the life of our section.

Thanks to all of you.

Randy Pruim, Chair

Back to the Fall 2006 Newsletter

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