Spring Section Meeting at Penn State Behrend
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Spring 2018 Allegheny Mountain Section of the Mathematical AlleghenyAssociation of America Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America Allegheny Mountain Section Newsletter Allegheny Mountain Section Newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE Letter from our Representative 2 to the MAA Congress Chair’s Report 3 Seeking nominations for Distin- 4 guished Teaching, Service and Mentor Awards Section NExT Report 5 Candidate Biographies 6,7 Meeting Schedule 8 Invited Speaker’s Talk Abstracts 9-10 Section Student News 10,11 Found Math and Spring Puzzle 12 SPRING SECTION MEETING AT PENN STATE BEHREND Don’t miss the spring 2018 Allegheny Mountain Section meeting April 6-7 at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pa! Several changes have been made to our schedule this year. The former pizza party will be a FREE PIZZA DINNER for students which will take place concurrently with the banquet Friday even- ing. The pizza dinner will then transition into the student problem-solving competition. Since we ex- pect more students to be dining on campus, we will be starting the student talks earlier in the even- ing. Additionally, in place of the pizza party, we will have a dessert reception for all students and fac- ulty. This means we will still have the informal gathering following the student talks that so many of us have always enjoyed. We have several exciting talks lined up as well. Ken Ono from Emory University – Pólya Lecturer, will be speaking Friday afternoon. On Saturday morning we will hear from Annalisa Crannell from Franklin & Marshall College and our closing talk will be given by Michael Dorff from Brigham Young University. Their talk titles and abstracts can be found on pages 9 and 10. Also, don’t miss the Section NExT workshop conducted by Annalisa Crannell Friday afternoon and the Section Business Meeting Saturday morning - everyone is welcome to attend. You can see the full meeting schedule on page 8. We hope to see you in Erie! Allegheny Mountain Section Newsletter SECTION REPRESENTATIVE TO THE MAA CONGRESS: Pam Wovchko Report from the MAA Congress As I listened to reports from differ- meeting at JMM 2018. ent councils, I realized how much work is done in the committees and At the January Congress meeting, councils. Please consider volun- we received leadership reports, teering for a committee or council. discussed the MAA Core Values, You need to be a member of the talked about the role of section MAA, but you don’t necessarily representatives, and considered have to attend the national meet- minor bylaw changes. ings, as some committees do most of their work via electronic commu- While much of the reports involved nication. Please go to the link normal business, there were some https://www.maa.org/about-maa/ outstanding accomplishments/ governance/council-and- improvements that I will share with committees-list to see a description Pam Wovchko of West Virginia you. With much excitement, the of the committees and to complete Wesleyan College, Guide to Evidence-Based Instruc- a form to volunteer. Your help is Representative to the MAA tional Practices in Undergraduate needed. Congress Mathematics was released and can be downloaded from the MAA Once again, do not forget about website. Please encourage your the revised departmental member- “As I listened to reports colleagues to take a look at the ship. Benefits include: one MAA from different councils, guide. In other news, the MAA faculty membership, an UNLIM- I realized how much successfully bid to host the Inter- ITED number of full-time student work is done in the national Mathematical Olympiad in memberships (students are not re- committees and the U.S.A. in 2021. To learn more quired to be mathematics majors), councils. Please about what the MAA is doing, $100 off every hosted WeBWorK consider volunteering browse through the MAA website; course, and more. Departmental for a committee or there is a plethora of resources membership prices are as low at council.” available to you. Check out the $500. For more information go to: Math Careers Section, nominate a https://www.maa.org/membership/ colleague for an MAA award, or membership-categories/ go to the Programs and Communi- departmental-membership-benefits ties section for curriculum re- sources, grant opportunities, and Have a great spring semester. I more! hope to see you in Erie. Page 2 Spring 2018 FROM THE CHAIR: Tim Flowers I interviewed for my job at IUP in meeting on April 6 and 7 at Penn the spring of 2010. On that inter- State Behrend. We have a fan- view, my soon-to-be colleague tastic lineup of plenary speakers Kimberly Burch talked to me about this year. Annalisa Crannell re- the Allegheny Mountain Section. turns to our section to speak She told me about the annual again and she will give the Sec- spring meetings and the Section tion NExT workshop. MAA Presi- NExT activities. So, when I arrived dent-Elect, Michael Dorff will also in western PA that fall, I was al- be with us. In addition, this is our ready excited about joining the year to host one of the MAA's MAA and getting involved in our Pólya Lecturers, Ken Ono. We section. I had the advantage of have a Pólya Lecture in our already being familiar with the section only once every five MAA (see my letter from last fall's years, so you will not want to newsletter), but that personal con- miss this meeting! Tim Flowers of Indiana nection from a colleague pushed University of Pennsylvania, me to get involved. We are also excited to make Section Chair some changes to our program- This is an example of another way ming for students this year, which that we can all help expand the we think, will be an improvement “This is an example of mission of our section and the As- and help get more of them con- another way that we sociation – invite our newer col- nected (see front page). can all help expand the leagues to get involved. And the mission of our section Spring Meeting is the perfect place I am going to try one other new and the Association – to start. When you invite them, thing this year, taking a sugges- also give some advice about how tion from one of the other MAA invite our newer your local campus culture would sections. On Saturday morning, I colleagues to get have them proceed on missing will host a short session during involved. And the classes for a day. Early career the faculty talks for members and Spring Meeting is the faculty and our adjunct/temporary attendees to provide feedback perfect place to start.” faculty colleagues can benefit tre- and ideas about our section. All mendously from our section meet- ideas – small tweaks to grand ing, but are often very hesitant to dreams and everything in be- miss any Friday classes. (If that is tween – will be welcome. Check you, please ask around your de- your registration folder for more partment for suggestions). information. We are excited to head back to the Have a wonderful semester. I Erie area for our Spring Meeting look forward to seeing you in and we look forward to a great Erie. Page 3 Allegheny Mountain Section Newsletter SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR AWARD RECIPIENTS 2018 Allegheny Mountain Section Distinguished Teaching Award The criterion for the Annual Allegheny Mountain Section Distinguished Teaching Award is a record of ex- traordinary success in teaching, a record of teaching effectiveness that can be documented, and an ability to foster curiosity and generate excitement about mathematics. It is preferable to have an award recipient whose teaching influence extends beyond their own institution. The nominee should be a member of the MAA, must teach at an institution within the section, and should have at least five years of teaching experi- ence in a mathematical science. Teaching is to be interpreted in its broadest sense, not necessarily limited to classroom teaching (it may in- clude 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). Please send your nomination, with a description of how the nominee meets the criterion, by March 5, 2018 to: Dan Shifflet [email protected] Clarion University Department of Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics 840 Wood Street Clarion, PA 16214 2018 Allegheny Mountain Section 2018 Allegheny Mountain Section Service Award Mentor Award The criterion for the Annual Allegheny Mountain The Mentor Award has been a part of the Allegheny Section Service Award is a consistent record of Mountain Section since the year 2000. A nominee excellence in service to the section over a period should have made significant contributions to the de- of time. In this context "service" is interpreted in a velopment of undergraduate students in mathematics broad sense to include holding office, coordinating as scholars. This includes, but is not limited to, en- contests, organizing sessions, acting as a panelist, couraging student participation in MAA activities and speaking at sessions, acting as the coordinating advising students who make presentations at the Sec- host for a meeting, or participating in any other tion meetings. Please send your nomination with a activity that contributes to the well-being of the description of how the nominee meets the criteria, by Section. Please send your nomination, with a de- March 5, 2018 to : scription of how the nominee meets the criterion, by March 5, 2018 to: David Prier [email protected] Kim Roth Gannon University [email protected] Department of Mathematics Juniata College 162 W.