MAA Iowa Section Newsletter
Fall 2007
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MAA Iowa Section NewsletterFall 2007 |
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This is the web edition of the Iowa Section Newsletter.
To receive a printed copy of the newsletter or to make suggestions/comments,
please contact the editor, Al Hibbard,
hibbarda@central.edu.
I want to thank my colleagues in the Iowa Section for selecting me to represent them on the MAA Board of Governors for the next three years. It promises to be an interesting period for the Association.
Even before my term as Governor officially began in July, I participated in an orientation workshop at MAA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Workshop sessions were held in the new Carriage House Conference Center. The conference center is a wonderful facility that should prove to be a great asset for the MAA. It is certainly a wonderful place to hold a meeting.
A generous donation by Paul and Virginia Halmos made possible the restoration and renovation of the Carriage House. The MAA is now raising funds to support the operation of the center through the “sale” of inscribed commemorative bricks to be placed in the courtyard. The first 100 bricks have been laid and were unveiled on November 1. (http://www.maa.org/news/111407bricks.html) More information on the commemorative brick program can be found at http://www.maa.org/news/052307bricks.html
MAA President Joe Gallian has challenged each section to purchase at least one brick. Six sections have already done so. I hope that the Iowa Section will too.
While most of the business conducted by the Board of Governors at MathFest in San Jose was routine, the board devoted a substantial block of time to strategic planning. Interim reports were presented by the Strategic Planning Working Groups on Governance and Students, and the board also received a strategic planning update on the Association’s progress toward meeting its Revenue goals.
The issues of Membership were the focus of strategic planning discussions that were held during the afternoon session of the board meeting. Plans are in place to continue to address strategic planning at future meetings. The focus of discussion in San Diego in January will be Sections and the problems and issues that they face. Since much of the work of the MAA is carried out by the Sections, this discussion and the goals that become part of the strategic plan will have a real impact on the future of the organization.
There has been a change in dates for the January 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC. The new dates are: January 5 through 8, 2009. The headquarters hotel asked for the change in dates because of a booking conflict.
MAA Online was redesigned this year and new content is being added regularly. If you haven’t checked out the website lately, do so soon. Note that the MAA is sponsoring a contest for undergraduates to create YouTube-like mathematics videos. The entry deadline is December 15, 2007. (http://www.maa.org/news/100307mathtube.html)
Remember that as Section Governor I am your representative. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you would like forwarded to the Board of Governors or to the national office.
Respectfully submitted,
Calvin Van Niewaal
Governor, Iowa Section, 2007-2010
We are on our way to another outstanding Section meeting this Spring. Our MAA sponsored speaker will be Carl Cowen of Purdue University and past president of the MAA. We also will be working for a vibrant and varied contributed paper program, so start thinking about your presentation now. In addition, if you have ideas for topics for a special section, a panel discussion, or some other activity, please contact Larry Naylor of Drake University, who is in charge of the program for the meeting. This years section meeting will be held April 25 and 26 at Simpson College. Martha Waggoner, Vice-chair Elect, is in charge of local arrangements for the meeting.
As many of you may know, the MAA initiated a strategic planning program a few years ago. Every year the MAA looks at a few areas of the MAA and spends the year in careful study of these areas. On of the areas under study this year is the MAA Section structure. The MAA is interested in all aspects of Sections: how can the MAA help Sections function better? how can the Sections themselves better contribute to the MAA? what are examples of successful Section activities? unsuccessful ones? If you have thoughts on these or other issues please send them on to me. I am a member of the MAA’s strategic planning committee on Sections and would welcome your input.
Finally, I have been browsing other Section’s websites and reading their newsletters in a search for new ideas for Section activities. One such activity that appeals to me is an MAA sponsored High School Lecture program. I hope to investigate the possibility of starting such a program. If interested, please send me an email.
Applications for Iowa Project NExT are due March 25, 2008. The form is available at http://www.central.edu/maa/Iowa-NExT/IowaNExTApplication.doc. The steering committee is Brian Birgen (Wartburg), Russ Goodman (Central), Theron Hitchman (UNI), and Jon White (Coe).
Each year, the section solicits applications for the Iowa Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. The section winner is then a candidate for the MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching. The deadline for applications for the 2008 award is February 1, 2008. However, a preliminary application is due by November 30, 2007. For more information and an application, visit the award web page.
(Editor's note: There are a lot of good teachers in our section. Let's try to have a couple of nominees this year!)
Again this year, the MAA will be giving an award specifically targeted to beginning college or university teachers. The Henry L. Alder Award is to honor beginning college or university faculty whose teaching has been extra ordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics is shown to have influence beyond their own classrooms. An awardee must have taught full time in a mathematical science in the United States or Canada for at least two, but not more than seven, years since receiving the Ph.D. Each year at most three college or university teachers are to be honored with this national award and are to receive $1,000 and a certificate of recognition from the MAA. Award recipients will be expected to make a presentation at one of the national meetings of the MAA. Nominations for the award may be made by any member of the MAA or by any section of the MAA. The deadline for applications for the 2008 award is December 15, 2007. For more information and an application, visit the MAA's Alder Award web page.
(Editor's note: There are a lot of good young faculty in our section. Let's try to have at least one nominee from our section!)
The 14th annual Iowa Collegiate Mathematics competition will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2008 at Drake University. In case of very bad weather the competition will also be available online, to be taken at the regularly scheduled time, but at your home institution.
The format of the competition will be similar to last year’s, starting with some “math-fun” time in which students can interact. If you have any ideas about what we could do during this time, please contact Ruth. Your help is needed!
The tentative contest format on Saturday, March 8, will be as follows:
10am teams arrive
10:15-11:00 Math-fun, followed by lunch
and then the competition for three hours. (We will definitely be done at or
before 4pm.)
There is a $5 fee per team, and your department will also be expected to pay for your students' lunch.
Ruth Berger
Luther College
bergerr@luther.edu
January 6-9, 2008 - National MAA Meetings in San Diego. Visit MAA Online at www.maa.org for more information.
March 8, 2008 - Iowa Collegiate Mathematics Contest (Drake University)
April 4-5, 2007 - Midwest Undergraduate Mathematics Symposium, Simpson College, Indianola. For more information, visit www.simpson.edu/math/beyond/mums.html.April 25-26, 2008 - Annual Meeting of the Iowa Section, Simpson College, Indianola.
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