Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) is an MAA program for new and recent PhDs in the mathematical sciences that addresses the full range of faculty responsibilities, including teaching, scholarly activities, and service. Since its inception in 1994, the national Project NExT program has grown tremendously, and sections of the MAA have been encouraged to organize regional NExT programs.

The SoCalNev Section NExT program is in its 9th year and has sponsored dynamic cohorts of participants at the MAA Southern California-Nevada Section meetings. SoCalNev Section NExT Fellows attend the meetings of the MAA Section and participate in special activities. These activities involve practical information about implementing effective pedagogical and professional strategies, including topics such as teaching methods, directing undergraduate research, and writing grant proposals. In addition, SoCalNev NExT provides a venue in which its participants can meet informally and discuss issues relevant to new faculty. Unlike the national Project NExT program, Section NExT includes community college faculty.

SoCalNev NExT is now recruiting applicants to participate in activities at the Spring 2011 MAA Southern California-Nevada Section Meeting on April 16 at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Section NExT will accept applications from faculty with Master's degrees or PhDs who are within the first three years of beginning full-time employment with significant teaching responsibilities at the community college or university level. Project NExT Fellows within their first three years of full-time employment are encouraged to register and become members of Section NExT.

For more information, including a link to the on-line application form, please visit http://www.csun.edu/~vcmth00s/SectionNExT.htm. To join Section NExT in time for the Spring Section Meeting at Point Loma Nazarene University, please complete an application form by Friday April 8, 2011.

2010 Erika Flapan

2009 Curtis Bennet

2008 Bruce Yoshiwara

More past recipients

Preliminary nominations for the 20th annual MAA Southern California-Nevada Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics will be accepted in Fall 2011.

The preliminary nomination consists of a one-page form (available at the Section's Teaching Awards Page) and a 1-2 page description of the candidate’s qualities and teaching successes. If you have an eligible and qualified colleague in your department, we urge you to nominate her/him so that s/he may be considered for the award.

From the preliminary nominees, two to three semi-finalists will be chosen by the selection committee. Each nominator will then be asked to complete a full nomination packet for the semi-finalist. The full packet is required only for semi-finalists and will be due by early January. (Click here for full nomination requirements.)

Upon receipt of the full nomination, semi-finalists will automatically become finalists. Each finalist will receive an official letter of commendation from the Chair of the Section, which will be copied to the candidate’s department chair and dean. The selection committee will choose the winner from the pool of finalists. Finalists who are not selected will automatically have their full applications considered the following year for the Section award.

The winner of the award will be recognized at the 2012 Spring Meeting of the MAA Southern California-Nevada Section. The awardee will also be the official Section nominee for the MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. (Click here for greater detail on eligibility requirements for the Haimo Award.)

Successful nominees are individuals who are widely recognized for their extraordinarily successful teaching effectiveness and for teaching that has had influence beyond their own institutions. To be eligible, nominees must be current MAA members who teach mathematical science courses at least half-time during the academic year and have at least seven years experience teaching at the college or university level.

Preliminary nomination deadline is Tuesday, November 1, 2011.

Questions? Contact Kathryn Leonard kathryn.leonard@csuci.edu or 805-437-3127.

Initial nominations may be sent electronically or mailed to:
Kathryn Leonard
CSU Channel Islands
1 University Dr.
Camarillo, CA 93012

Associate mathematics professor Ron Buckmire of Occidental College has been chosen as the 2011 Educator of the Year by the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals. Buckmire was chosen for his "outstanding achievements in mathematics and education on race and [gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender] issues," said John Burke, a member of the organization's board of directors. Buckmire's research areas include computational aerodynamics, numerical analysis, and applying mathematics to "real world" situations. He joined the Occidental faculty in 1996. Buckmire was honored at a reception and dinner on February 20 during the annual conference in Washington, DC, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), with which the gay and lesbian scientists and technical professionals group is affiliated.

Kathryn Leonard of California State University, Channel Islands, received a grant award of $250,000 from the Keck Foundation to develop and implement a 4-year undergraduate stepladder for interdisciplinary research that will engage students in original research projects beginning in the freshman year, steadily increasing their sophistication until graduation.

CSU Channel Islands will host an NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates in 2011: 12–15 undergraduates will work with four faculty mentors exploring the world of mathematical research in an eight-week residential summer program. An international component features a faculty mentor and students from Mexico. Cindy Wyels is director of the program and Kathryn Leonard co-director. Application deadline was Feb. 18. For more information see: http://faculty.csuci.edu/cynthia.wyels/REU/

At California State University Northridge, Kellie Evans (PI) and Silvia Fernandez (co-PI) received an award of $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation to establish the CSUN NSF Teaching Fellowship Program. Encourage your seniors and graduates to visit http://www.csun.edu/~kme52026/csunsf.html for more information.

The 2011 REU at California State University, San Bernardino, directed by Rollie Trapp, will feature projects in geometry and knot theory. Application deadline was Feb. 25; for details, see http://www.math.csusb.edu/reu/

The Claremont Colleges 2011 REU will focus on knot theory and on statistics with projects led by Sam Nelson of Claremont-McKenna College, Gabriel Chandler of Pomona College, and Talithia Williams of Harvey Mudd College. Chris Towse of Scripps College will direct the REU. See http://ccms.claremont.edu/REU for details. Application deadline was Feb. 15. In addition to this NSF-funded program, the Claremont Center for the Mathematical Sciences (CCMS), founded in 2007 by retired Harvey Mudd College mathematics professor Bob Borelli, funds summer research for eight students from the Claremont Colleges with a grant from the Fletcher Jones Foundation.

Fred Feldon of Coastline Community College led a webinar titled, “Unleash the Power of Your Tablet PC,” on Feb. 16. Slides from his presentation are available from Facebook, Twitter, SlideShare, etc. Watch for other useful webinars sponsored by AMATYC throughout the year at the AMATYC website: http://www.amatyc.org/

The El Camino College Compton Center Mathematics Department welcomes new professors Ruth Zambrano, Abigail Tatliloglu, and Patricia Stoddard, and offers its best wishes to recently retired professor Mohomad Shaikh.

Sid Kolpas of Glendale College is one of four 2010 winners of the Hayward Award, conferred by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. The award honors “outstanding community college faculty who have a track record of excellence both in teaching and in professional activities and have demonstrated commitment to their students, profession, and college.” Four winners representing four regions are selected annually from all disciplines.

The popular website, Math Fun Facts http://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/ created by Francis Su of Harvey Mudd College is now available as a free iPhone application, also created by Su.

Judith Grabiner of Pitzer College published the book, A Historian Looks Back: The Calculus as Algebra and Selected Writings, in the MAA Spectrum series in October of 2010. The book is a collection of Grabiner’s articles and essays and will be available during the MAA Book Sale at the section’s April 16 meeting at Point Loma Nazarene University.

Bruce Yoshiwara of Pierce College is one of four 2011 winners of the Hayward Award, conferred by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to “outstanding community college faculty who have a track record of excellence both in teaching and in professional activities and have demonstrated commitment to their students, profession, and college.” Four winners representing four regions are selected annually from all disciplines.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, congratulates Hongtao Yang for receiving tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2010, and Ebrahim Salehi (Graph Theory), Jichun Li (Computational Mathematics), and Arthur Baragar (Number Theory) for their promotion to full professor in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Satish Bhatnagar’s book, Scattered Matherticles: Mathematical Reflections, was published in November of 2010, with further volumes on the way. (Bhatnagar explains that “matherticle” is derived from the words “mathematical” and “particle” and that the blending is due to Paul Halmos’ influence, as he was Halmos’ student at Indiana University.) UNLV’s PhD program, initiated in 2005 to augment its longstanding MS program, has graduated four students and currently has 26 enrolled, with 60 graduate students overall. PhDs have been awarded in statistics (two under Melwane Anand), in PDE (David Costa), and in Computational Finance (Hongtao Yang). The undergraduate students have an active math club and Pi Mu Epsilon chapter under the faculty guidance of Michelle Robinette. The Putnam math competition is run annually by Gennady Bachman. The department chair during these tough economic times is Derrick DuBose.

Elizabeth Doolittle is the University of Redlands’ 2011 Mortar Board Professor of the Year.

Present Your Work

Consider presenting a poster at our Spring 2011 Meeting on April 16, 2011, at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego! Student poster presenters receive free registration and lunch at the meeting (up to two presenters per poster). More importantly, they share their work with the wider mathematical community, receiving accolades, feedback, and further ideas. And they develop their communication skills and gain a resume item. Undergraduate and Masters students are invited to submit a poster. Deadline: Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Topic ideas follow.

• Results of masters thesis, honors, senior, or independent study projects;
• Results of classroom projects or modeling contests;
• Results of REUs and academic-year research programs;
• Historical investigations in pure or applied mathematics;
• Solutions of problems from the Putnam Exam or from the American Mathematical Monthly, Math Horizons, or other journals.

Meetings and Conferences

Meetings are attended by people who share your interest in mathematics. There may be a variety of activities: talks on interesting topics, a book sale, career panels, other students presenting their research projects… Our section keeps students in mind when planning meeting events: give the Spring Meeting a try! It will be Saturday, April 16, at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego; details on the Spring Meeting web site.

Stretch Your Learning!

The MAA Undergraduate Page is a great resource.

Did you know you could spend several weeks this summer pursuing research under the guidance of a mentor near or far … while having your travel costs and room and board covered … and even receive a stipend to offset your usual summer job earnings? Check out the REU section of the MAA Undergraduate Page. (Don’t wait: most application deadlines are in February and March.) And spend some time with the other information on this page – opportunities to consider abound. Our own section’s webpage (http://sections.maa.org/socalnv/) and this newsletter list many of the regional conferences that are relatively easy to attend. In addition to our Spring Meeting, consider attending an event tailored expressly to undergraduates: the Pacific Coast Undergraduate Math Conference, March 12 at Loyola Marymount University.

Southern California–Nevada Students at the 2011 JMM in New Orleans

The Southern California–Nevada Section was well represented by students at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans, Jan. 6 – 9, 2011. Many presented their work in the Student Poster Session; others gave oral presentations in some of the dozens (hundreds?) of sessions; and yet others attended graduate school fairs, panels, networking sessions, and many talks – and most enjoyed time in the French Quarter. Four regional students were recognized as having particularly excellent posters (see the list below). All who presented are worthy of congratulations: the facts that your advisor(s) approved your entry and it was accepted to be presented are in themselves accomplishments.

2011 MAA Undergraduate Poster Session Prize Winners

• Bishop's Lemma and Boundaries of Lipschitz Function Algebras, Ann Kathryn Johnston, Harvey Mudd College and a co-author
• 2-Dimensional Shape Modeling, Carlos Fernando Hernandez, California State University Fullerton and a co-author
• Permissible Plane Embeddings of Ribbon Graph Blow-Ups, Sarah Jane Loeb, Harvey Mudd College

Special Interest Group of the MAA on Statistics Education Award

• Rational Distance Sets on Conic Sections, Megan Danielle Ly, Loyola Marymount University and a co-author