March 1999 in This Issue

March 1999 in This Issue

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA Marcia P. Sward, March 1999 Executive Director, to Volume 19, Number 3 Leave MAA at Year's End Marcia Sward, who has served in the position of MAA Executive Director In This Issue since September 1989, informed the MAA's Board of Governors that she will 2 Cathleen step down at the end of 1999. "It is time Morawetz Re- for me to move on to new challenges," Marcia Sward, MAA Executive Director ceives National she said. "I have had wonderful oppor­ ward to laying the foundation for some Medal of Science tunities at the MAA, as well as a variety of programs to deal with. In the remain­ new and exciting directions for the ing year of my directorship, I look for- MAA of the future." 2 MAAAwards Sward continued on page 6 From San Anto- Focus on the Future: A nio New President Looks Ahead 3 Secretary's Tom Banchoff Report On the last day of the San Antonio meetings I symbolically crossed out the 4 Contributed suffix "-elect" on my name tag as I took Papers for on the role of MAA president for the Providence next two years. There is nothing like a national meeting to focus attention on the breadth of our organization, and 6 1999 Wolf to indicate challenges and opportuni­ Tom Banchoff, MAA President Prize Award ties for the future. I am very happy to be able to attend sessions and commit­ Winners share some of my excitement about the tee meetings that highlighted some of years ahead. the things I think are most important 10 New Stats Work- One of the comments I heard most of­ for our Association and for our profes­ ten at the national meeting was that sion. Anyone attending a different set shop Slated for of events would probably come up with Hope College there were just too many good things to go to. That's the kind of complaint his or her own list of favorite topics, but we like to hear. In those last few days I would like to share a few of mine. before I assumed office, I was lucky to So many things have changed over the past ten years that it is imperative that The Mathematical Association of America Postage paid at we bring this information up to date. 1529 Eighteenth St., NW Washington, DC and Fortunately, a number of excellent new additional mailing Washington, DC 20036 offices model programs have appeared, at the same time that there has been in­ creased use of adjunct faculty, often in situations with little support, low pay, and minimal benefits. A joint MAA­ AMS committee is hard at work to ad­ dress current issues and concerns, and I applaud their efforts. (Please contact President continued on page 9 FOCUS March 1999 Cathleen S. Morawetz Becomes First Woman to Re­ FOCUS ceive National Medal of Science for Mathematics FOCUS is published by the Mathematical Cathleen Synge Morawetz, former Association of America in January, February, March, April, May/June,August! President of the American Mathemati­ September, October, November, and cal Society and professor emerita at December. NYU's Courant Institute, has been awarded the National Medal of Science. Editor: Harry Waldman, MAA; She is the first woman to receive the [email protected] medal for work in mathematics, specifi­ Managing Editor: Carol Baxter, MAA cally for her pioneering research in [email protected] partial differential equations and wave Please address advertising inquiries to: propogation applications for aerody­ Carol Baxter, MAA; [email protected] namics, acoustics, and optics. She is one of nine scientists to receive the 1998 President: Thomas Banchoff, Brown award, the nation's highest scientific Cathleen Synge Morawetz University honor. First Vice-President: Anita Solow, dium. It provides the framework for Randolph-Macon Woman's College Her work in mathematics has allowed analyzing the many techniques for re­ engineers to focus on what matters in mote sensing, including ultrasound and Second Vice-President: Ed Dubinsky, the design of airplane wings: the mini­ radar. Georgia State University mizing of shock waves. In the late 1950s, Morawetz, 75, who was born in Canada Secretary: Martha Siegel, Towson she demonstrated that shock waves are and became a u.S. citizen in 1950, called University inevitable-and thus cannot be elimi­ nated-if a plane moves close to the her award "an occasion of great mo­ Treasurer: Gerald J. Porter, University of speed of sound, no matter how wings ment for me. I am filled with gratitude Pennsylvania are designed. to all those-and there were a great Executive Director: Marcia P. Sward many-who helped me over many Her mathematical work has also con­ years." Her biggest wish is that her Associate Executive Director and Direc­ tributed to the theory of scattering, award will motivate more women to tor of Publications and Electronic Ser­ which deals with how waves interact study mathematics.• vices: Donald J. Albers with obstacles or changes in the me- Letters to the editor should be addressed to Harry Waldman, MAA, 1529 Eighteenth MAA Awards from San Antonio: Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Subscription and membership questions The List of Winners should be directed to the MAA Customer Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo David Kullman, Ohio Section Service Center, 800-331-1622; e-mail: Awards for Distinguished College or Marcellus Waddill, Southeastern [email protected]; (301) 617 -7800 (outside University Teaching of Mathematics: Section U.S. and Canada); fax: (301) 206-9789. FOCUS is a benefit of MAA membership. Joel V. Brawley, Clemson University The subscription price to individual Yueh-Gin Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu Robert W. Case, Northeastern members is $6.00, which is included in the Award for Distinguished Service to University annual dues. Mathematics: Joan Hutchinson, Macalester College Copyright © 1999 by the Mathematical Leonard Gillman Association of America (Incorporated). Chauvenet Priu: Educational institutions may reproduce AMS-MAA-SIAM Frank and Brennie Michael I. Rosen, Brown University, articles for their own use, but not for sale, Morgan Priu for Outstanding R£search in for "Niels Hendrik Abel and Equa­ provided that the following citation is used: Mathematics by an Undergraduate tions of the Fifth Degree" in the "Reprinted with permission of FOCUS , the Student newsletter of the Mathematical Association American Mathematical Monthly 1995, of America (Incorporated)." pp. 495-505. Daniel Biss (winner) Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC Certificates of Meritorious Service: Aaron Archer (honorable mention) and additional mailing offices. Billy E. Rhoades, Indiana Section JPBM Communications Award: Postmaster: Send address changes to the Charles Alexander, Louisiana­ Ian Stewart MAA, P.O. Box 90973, Washington, DC Mississippi Section 20090-0973. JPBM Special Communications Award: Randall Heckman, Nebraska-South­ ISSN: 0731-2040; Printed in the United east South Dakota Section John Lynch and Simon Singh States of America. .. ....4O For further details go to MAA OnLine <www.maa.org> f"J March 1999 FOCUS Secretary's Report: Much Ado at the MAA This Past Year Martha J. Siegel of the Executive and Finance Commit­ the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN tees. The revision of the Bylaws to re­ to be Governor-at-Large, High School flect the merger will be presented to the Teachers-each for a term of three Board in July. This was recommended years. by an ad hoc committee chaired by Ri­ We welcome Underwood Dudley to the chard Anderson. Board. He is Editor of The College Math­ We welcome Titu Andreescu as Direc­ ematics Journal. And we thank Bart tor of the American Mathematical Com­ Braden for his work as editor, Board petitions (AMC) and thank Walter member, and Executive Committee This has been an exciting year for the Mientka for his accomplishments in the member. He turned out a beautiful MAA. There has been a lot of activity many years he served as director. Walter journal and worked hard for the Asso­ in the projects, task forces, and com­ has been given the title Director Emeri­ ciation for the last five years. mittees that carry much of the tus of the AMC. He is now serving as Association's work. Reading the Sec­ Committee Work the Executive Director of IMO USA tions' newsletters, I know that a similar 2001. Many committees are working to im­ level of activity is taking place on the prove the relationship of the MAA to local level. And the staff at headquar­ At its January meeting, the Board voted graduate students and part-time and ters helps to bring our many ideas to to add another test to the competitions adjunct faculty. A small ad hoc commit­ fruition. specifically for 9th and 10th graders. tee had a session for department chairs, After a trial period of three years, the Marcia Sward has announced her inten­ particularly for departments in liberal competition for 9th and 10th graders tion to step down as Executive Direc­ arts colleges, comprehensive universi­ will be reviewed. tor at the end of 1999. Her leadership ties, and two-year colleges. as Executive Director over the past ten The Committee on Industrial and Gov­ More than fifty people attended and years, and as Associate Executive Direc­ ernment Mathematicians, chaired by clamored for more sessions at both tor before that will have meant 15 years Michael Monticino of the University of summer and winter meetings. We are at the MAA. It is hard to imagine the North Texas, sponsored a very success­ cooperating with the AMS in studying MAA without Marcia at the helm. ful reception at the San Antonio meet­ the role of teaching assistants and part­ ings. The committee's survey of nonaca­ The Search Committee for a new Ex­ time faculty (chaired by Suzanne demic members of the MAA is excel­ ecutive Director, chaired by former Lenhart) and, again with the AMS, we lent and will be helpful as we consider President Kenneth A.

View Full Text

Details

  • File Type
    pdf
  • Upload Time
    -
  • Content Languages
    English
  • Upload User
    Anonymous/Not logged-in
  • File Pages
    12 Page
  • File Size
    -

Download

Channel Download Status
Express Download Enable

Copyright

We respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of all users. All uploaded documents are either original works of the uploader or authorized works of the rightful owners.

  • Not to be reproduced or distributed without explicit permission.
  • Not used for commercial purposes outside of approved use cases.
  • Not used to infringe on the rights of the original creators.
  • If you believe any content infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately.

Support

For help with questions, suggestions, or problems, please contact us