On March 31 and April 1, our math department will be hosting the 2023 Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Missouri Section Meeting. The event will have speakers in addition to participation opportunities for students and faculty. Keynote speakers Two speakers will be delivering keynotes during the meeting. Dr. Lisa Marano, chair, MAA Sections Committee. … [Read more...] about
The 2022 spring semester was a success for the mathematics department. Students gained plentiful knowledge and experience under Dr. Ngoc Do’s wing in her new course: Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematical Sciences (PIC Math). A course of action MTH596/696 was part of a nationwide program called PIC Math. It contained a mix of both undergraduate and graduate … [Read more...] about A successful first run
Fractions can quite literally serve as a puzzling component of mathematics. One of the reasons fractions are perceived to be difficult is what members of the math community call gap reasoning. Gap reasoning can limit students’ understanding of the problem. The method leads students to assess distances as equal by appearance over measurements. In their paper “Escaping … [Read more...] about Minding the gap to take the frustration out of fractions
Dr. William Bray, department head of mathematics, had a couple of productive years. In addition to his department duties, teaching classes and advising students, Bray has also published three papers. Old friends, new papers Bray collaborated with Dr. Boris Rubin, from Louisiana State University, for two of the papers. Bray has known Rubin for more than 20 years, having … [Read more...] about A scholarly year for our math department head
Over the summer, four faculty went to China for about two weeks to teach as part of the Southwest University Global Immersion Program. This required a proposal about what each professor would teach and why it was important to students in China. About 100 professors from 25 different countries were chosen to teach this summer. About the MSU faculty who went The … [Read more...] about Four professors use summer to teach in China