Department of Mathematics

News

Mathematics Education Faculty awarded $59,000 Grant from MHEC

Dr. Kaplan	Dr. Krach	Dr. Moyer

Towson University (November 20, 2008) — Dr. Gail Kaplan, Dr. R. Michael Krach, and Dr. Todd Moyer were awarded a $58,949 College Preparation and Intervention Program grant through the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The purpose of the program is to make the students aware of college opportunities and requirements. Their grant is to continue their work with mathematics teachers of the Dundalk area schools through on-going professional development and professional observations performed by the three professors. Additionally, tenth grade students at Dundalk High School will be invited to the Towson University campus five times throughout the spring term. During that time the students will receive mathematical enrichment in Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry, and they will be exposed to the university atmosphere.

Dr. Angel Kumchev Receives Excellence in Scholarship Award at Fisher College of Science and mathematics Fall Forum

Towson University (October 31, 2008) — Dr. Angel Kumchev was given an Excellence in Scholarship at the Fisher College of Science and mathematics Fall Forum. Since arriving at Towson, Dr. Kumchev has published seven papers and has two more accepted in prestigious refereed journals. In addition to these nine papers, Dr. Kumchev has given four conference talks at national and international conferences, and has presented five seminars at places like the Naval Academy, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College, University of Memphis, and Shandong University in China. One nominator described one of Dr. Kumchev’s papers as: “… in non-technical terms, Angel’s estimates leave in the dust the then state‑of‑the‑art estimates obtained as recently as 2001 and 2002 by leading specialists.  In a short time after its publication, his results were quoted by eight other papers, with seven other researchers benefiting from the new tools developed by our recipient.”

Department of Mathematics to Host the First International Workshop on Algebraic Geometry and Approximation Theory

Participants at the First Workshop

Towson University (April 11, 2008) — Dr. Tatyana Sorokina of Towson University and Dr. Luis Garcia of Sam Houston State University organized the First International Workshop on Algebraic Geometry and Approximation Theory. This workshop was being sponsored by the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Mathematics at Towson University.

• Click here for more information.

Joint Mathematics and Geography Proposal Funded by MHEC

Towson University (March 4, 2008) — The Maryland Higher Education Commission has awarded Dr. Linda Cooper and Dr. Ming Tomayko, from the Department of Mathematics, and Dr. Martin Roberge, Dr. Jay Morgan, and Dr. Paporn Thebpanya, from the Department of Geography and Environmental Planning, $63,026 for their College Preparation Intervention Program (CPIP) proposal The Geomatics Academy at Fairmont Heights High School.

CPIP funds support college partnership activities for eligible Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) sites. The Maryland GEAR UP program, supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, is an early intervention program that calls for partnerships to be developed with local education agencies, institutions of higher education, and other community organizations and businesses to encourage more at-risk students from disadvantaged communities to aim higher, study harder, and take the courses required for college admission and success. This CPIP grant is a partnership grant between Towson University and Fairmont Heights High School of Prince Georges County.

The Geomatics Academy is designed to help strengthen students’ understanding of Algebra I / Data Analysis concepts, promote college awareness, and introduce students to a variety of careers within the environmental sciences through a series of Thursday / Saturday Activity Days. The integration of mathematics, geography, and environmental science is a novel, engaging approach to generate enthusiasm for learning through hands-on, real-life activities that utilize a variety of technologies (graphing calculator, Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and spreadsheet software). Students will connect to their local environment as they collect and analyze data from Beaverdam Creek, a creek within walking distance of their school, and utilize geometric properties of the layout of Washington, D.C. to develop and strengthen understanding of algebra concepts.

Mathematics Students Do Well on Actuarial Exams

Towson University (February 28, 2008) — We are pleased to announce that five of our students in the Actuarial Science and Risk Management concentration successfully passed Exam 1 which is
co-administered by the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society last week February 21. Passing this nationally competitive exam is a first step to achieving Associateship and Fellowship in the Societies. We congratulate the following students for their hard work: Wenjing Gao, Natasha Gikunju, Dongchen Li, Virginia Newton and Maneesha Ramsamooj. In addition to these five students, we have six January graduates who have passed Exam 1: Lauren Amrhine, Shiden Chen, Patrice Gibbs, Leslie Kleinfelter, Kinjal Patel and Amanda Yao. We also congratulate Rebekah Shahan who has passed Exam 2; and Amanda Yao who also has passed both Exam 2 and Exam 3.

Although the number of students passing the exams is important, it is not the only indicator for assessing our program; however it certainly demonstrates the strength of our program nationally.

Department of Mathematics
7800 York Road, Room 316 (campus map)
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Phone: 410-704-3091
Fax: 410-704-4149
E-mail: math@towson.edu