Current Majors & Past Graduates
There were no mathematics graduates this year. However, Cassandra Suryan, Elizabeth Bruch, and Dylan Wood are in the final stages of completing their BS in mathematics at UAS.
Elizabeth and Dylan received the Ron Seater Award this year. Dylan and Remi Wiley represented UAS in the Annual Putnam Exam - they tied for the historical UAS high score to create a new UAS school all time high score. Well done Dylan and Remi.
Three past graduates spent the year pursuing graduate studies. Ben Malander (2016), decided to go back to school after several years at the UAS Learning Center. He is at the University of Wyoming working toward his MS in mathematics. After completing her MS in mathematics at Montana State University, Bozeman, Amy Jenson (2020) moved to Fairbanks to begin working toward a Ph.D. in the UAF Geophysical Institute. Amy cleared her Ph.D. candidacy exams and will be spending this summer conducting fieldwork associated with her research on one of Greenland's many glaciers. On a side note, Dr. Jason Amundson of UAS is on her PhD committee and will be accompanying the team on this trip. Finally, Alice Mehalek (2023) completed her first year as a mathematics graduate student at Colorado State University, Fort Collins. Alice also cleared her Ph.D. candidacy exams. The fact that this was accomplished in her first year at Fort Collins speaks to Alice's self-discipline, abilities, and potential. Well done to all three of you!
From the distant past, after a sabbatical Lai Hinckle (2010) will start teaching again at Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School in the Fall. Anthony Gaussoin (2010) just completed his third year teaching mathematics at Mat-Su College of UAA, and Gabriel Wechter (2012) wrapped up his fourth year as the Mathematics and Testing Specialist/IT Liason alongside Auguste Stiehr at the Juneau Campus UAS Learning and Testing Center. Together they have held things down at the TLC nicely through the rocky times of the past few years. Over the years both Auguste and Gabe have also adjuncted for the Mathematics Program, and this year Gabe received the UA President's Adjunct Award.
Math Club & Alaska Chapter of PME
New inductees to the Alaska Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon (PME) included Elizabeth, Cassandra and Dylan, with Dylan taking over as President of the Chapter.
The UAS Math Club was busy, again, this year. In addition to the bi-weekly meetings at which attendees engaged in "fun" problem solving sessions, there was an outreach activity that involved club members. Elizabeth, Remi, and Andrzej ran an activity at the Juneau STEM Coalition's K-5 family event, Curiosity Unleashed. Next, during her visit to Juneau for the 2024 Folk Festival, Amy Jenson gave a Math Club talk titled Modeling the evolution of glacier outburst floods: A case study of Mendenhhall Glacier. Both events were quite well-attended.
Finally, the UAS Math Club held it's annual BBQ right before finals. The persistent snowy weather moved aside for the big day, giving us a sunny evening and an amazing sunset with which to enjoy lots of good food, conversation, and a great view from the King Salmon Shelter at Lena Beach. As always, this get-together was not restricted to math majors, all are welcome, and others did join in the fun and good food.
Faculty News
The mathematics faculty continue to be busy in a variety of ways.
Jill Dumesnil is continuing her 3-year term as President of United Academics AAUP/AFT Local 4996 and continues to refine and strengthen her online/distance delivered courses.
Andrzej Piotrowski kept busy doing many things mathematics. He coordinated events for the Juneau High School Math Club (Enigma) with funding from the MAA Dolciani Enrichment Grant that he secured last year. He published a paper with an undergraduate student Joshua Shterenberg (of Boston University). Their paper, titled Parity of polynomial multiplier sequences for the Chebyshev basis, was published in the journal Involve. He has also been invited to Carleton College this summer to collaborate on a research project.
With support from the Department of Natural Sciences funding, Megan Buzby coordinated the purchase of MATH S105-253 textbooks that Juneau-based face-to-face students can checkout from Egan Library, the aim being to save students money on purchasing textbooks. The collection has been growing! Megan is also in her fourth year as Director of the Pacific Northwest Section NExT (New Experiences in Teaching). She will be organizing the annual meeting to be held on the UAA campus in Anchorage on June 20, and will attend the PNW MAA Section Meeting that follows over the next two days. Having been invited to speak as a panelist on the session Building a Great Section NExT Program at the 2024 MathFest, she will also attend the 2024 MAA Mathfest meeting in Indianapolis August 8-10.
Brian Blitz completed his term as the Pacific Northwest representative to the MAA congress, and plans to wrap things up at the Section Meeting this summer. He was elected to be the UAS Faculty Senate President-Elect in AY 2024, and will become the Faculty Senate President in the upcoming academic year.
Chris Hay-Jahans participated in the Summer 2023 IBA CURE Workshop, held in Normal, IL. He and Olcay Akman of Illinois State University mentored two projects arising from this workshop, both of which gave rise to expository articles that were accepted for publication in the journal Spora.
