Maverick Science mag 2013-14

COLLEGE NEWS | MATHEMATICS
Math department named best in nation by AMS
New emporium director out
to help students ‘do the math’
Shanna Moody, above, taught her first math class at age 12
when her seventh-grade teacher was out sick. The substitute
teacher was unfamiliar with the material, so school administrators
allowed Moody – the top math student in her class – to
teach for the day. She has gone on to make a career out of math
education.
Moody’s mission, she says, is to disprove the notion that
math is just too hard for some people to grasp. In June, she became
the new director of the department’s Math Learning Resource
Center, or Math Emporium. She has made it her job to
dispel the myth that math is something to be feared or simply
endured on the way to obtaining a college degree.
“Everybody can do math. They may not think so, but they
can do it,” Moody said. “They just need the right instruction.
Right now, our public K-12 education system often leaves gaps
in students’ mathematical education, and a lot of them come to
college with a fear of math. That’s part of the mindset I want to
change.”
The emporium, which opened in August 2012, is a tutorial
lab with computer software which supplements and reinforces
classroom instruction and allows students to receive help from
instructors and graduate teaching assistants in areas where they
are having difficulty. It is based on a model provided by the National
Center for Academic Transformation (NCAT), which has
produced often dramatic results at other institutions that have
implemented it.
College algebra was selected as the initial course because it
is one taken by a large number of college students from numerous
divisions and one which has high failure rates nationwide.
The American Mathematical Society has
named The University of Texas at Arlington the
winner of its 2013 AMS Award for an Exemplary
Program or Achievement in a Mathematics Department.
The award honors the mathematics
department at UT Arlington as a model of excellence
among the group’s 570 member institutions.
The society recognized the UT Arlington
mathematics department for doubling the size of
its doctoral program over five years and bolstering
those ranks with historically underrepresented
student groups, including women and
minorities.
From 2005-10, the number of doctoral students
in the department grew from 23 to 52.
Large gains were also made in the number of U.S.
citizens or permanent residents pursuing doctoral
degrees.
“This is an extraordinary honor and recognition
of the achievements of the UT Arlington Department
of Mathematics,” said Ronald
Elsenbaumer, provost and vice president for academic
affairs. “Our nation needs more leaders
who have achieved the highest degrees in math,
science and engineering. We are pleased to see
the tremendous work of our math faculty recognized
on the national stage.”
The UT Arlington mathematics department
now joins ranks of elite math programs that are
former winners of the award, such as University
of California at Los Angeles and University of
Iowa.
In their citation, the selection committee said
that UT Arlington’s math department stood out
because of its focus on students. Over several
years, faculty and staff created an environment
where undergraduate and graduate students of
all backgrounds could flourish, the judges said.
Mentoring programs, professional development,
active recruiting and study groups that build connections
among students were essential components,
they said.
The department also significantly increased
its number of undergraduate majors during the
same period of time.
The Department of Mathematics hosted a day
of Mavericks in Math for over 100 fifth and sixth
grade girls from Arlington schools on October 19
at Pickard Hall.
The event had three goals: encouraging the
study of mathematics among young women, especially
minorities and those from low-income
families; providing an enriching and encouraging
environment for promoting positive attitudes toward
mathematics; and continuing to develop a
strong connection between UT Arlington and Arlington
ISD students and math teachers.
“The girls had a great day of engaging mathematics
activities and encouragement to continue
studying mathematics, led by UT Arlington math
students,” said event organizer Theresa Jorgensen,
an associate professor of math. “Motivating
girls at this young age can bear long-lasting
fruit as they select their academic paths through
middle school and high school.”
The day included workshops, games, and a
visit to the Planetarium for a special panel discussion
where the girls asked questions of four
“Departmental faculty are truly dedicated to
training a culturally and ethnically diverse group
of students with the potential to thrive in our profession,
and they have had great success,” said
Phil Kutzko, a University of Iowa math professor
who served as chairman of the award selection
committee. “This commitment on the part of a
significant percentage of the faculty is what sets
departments like the one at UT Arlington apart
from other departments with similar goals.”
Pamela Jansma, College of Science dean, said
math faculty members have actively pursued
grants to improve their department and to provide
students the support they need to finish their
doctoral degrees. She credited the leadership of
former UT Arlington department chair Jianping
Zhu and current chair Jianzhong Su.
“Many of these students would not have been
able to attend graduate school without the financial
help of these grants,” Jansma said. “By seeking
out these funds, our faculty has ensured that
the University doesn’t miss out on the contributions
these talented individuals can make.”
Department
chair Jianzhong
Su: “The exceptional
contributions
of our
faculty members
and staff are the
reason behind
the UT Arlington
Mathematics
Department
receiving this
prestigious
award.”
Outreach program allows Arlington
schoolgirls to get excited about math
women with varied backgrounds who use mathematics
in their careers, including Minerva
Cordero, College of Science associate dean and
professor of mathematics; Melinda Au, system engineer
for Lockheed Martin and a Ph.D. student
in mathematics; Wendy Okolo, a Ph.D. student in
aerospace engineering; and Iris Alvarado, a Ph.D.
student in mathematics who has a master’s degree
in mechanical engineering.
Over 70 mathematics undergraduate and
graduate student volunteers from UT Arlington
helped with the event. The girls who attended
were a highly diverse group: approximately 50
percent were Hispanic and 30 percent were
African-American. The free event was held with
funding support from the Mathematical Association
of America Tensor Program for Women and
Mathematics, the National Science Foundation,
the Association for Women in Mathematics, and
the UT Arlington College of Science.
The event is one of a number of outreach programs
the College of Science hosts each year to involve
K-12 students in science and math.
Over 100
girls from
fifth and
sixth
grade
Arlington
schools
attended
the Mavericks
in
Math day
in October.
16 Maverick Science 2013-14