Governor’s report

Three years as the MAA Ohio Governor passed by quickly. My term lasts until June, but I attended my final Board of Governors meeting in Washington in January. I always find Washington to be an exciting city, and it was buzzing with activity in the weeks before the Inauguration.

The usual reports and presentations were given at the Board meeting. Some of the reports can be accessed through the MAA website, but I will highlight a few interesting points. The financial condition of the MAA is solid at present and should weather current financial crises. The MAA has experienced a deficit in operating expenses in recent years, and now no investment income will offset those deficits. So we will see some changes in the MAA services. A change that members will surely notice is a decrease in the number of issues of FOCUS from nine to six, but each issue will be an attractive colorful publication. Electronic memberships and overall online access to materials and publications were discussed at length. We will certainly see a trend toward digital publications. The number of views per month of the digital editions of the MAA journals has been growing steadily, with a recent, significant boost in traffic for the Monthly.

Across the Sections, students compose about fifty percent of participants at meetings. MAA, through its meetings and publications, is the primary outlet for presenting undergraduate student research. At all of national and local meetings, many activities are offered for the benefit of students. Ohio students have the opportunity to participate in the Team Competition and to present their mathematical projects at this spring meeting. We welcome increased student participation in our meetings.

Each Section is entitled to nominate one person for the national service award every five years, and this year was our opportunity to honor one of our Section members. John Michel of Marietta College was selected by our executive committee to receive the award for his service to our Section. His commendation is given in another section of this newsletter. I congratulate John for this well-deserved award.

Our own Aparna Higgins has been invited to serve as Director of Project NExT for a term of five years. I congratulate Aparna on her appointment, and know that she will add excellent guidance and enthusiasm to the program.

MAA National Elections will be held in April and May 2009. All members for whom the MAA has an email address will receive an email ballot only. This is your opportunity to influence the future of the MAA.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent the Ohio Section. Our Section is a leader in many activities that encourage mathematics education in Ohio. I urge you to continue seeking ways to participate in Section activities. The officers welcome your input and your help on various committees. Plan ahead to attend the meetings, and invite your colleagues and students to join you. I look forward to seeing you in Bowling Green.