From: GROVE::RASTOUDT "Rebecca_Stoudt" 9-OCT-1995 11:37:21.74 To: MATH_FACULTY,MATH_STUDENTS,MATH_GRAD_STUDENTS CC: Subj: MATHINK MATHINK THE VOICE OF IUP'S MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT That's right folks, you can believe your eyes because MATHINK is back and here to stay. What is MATHINK, anyways? MATHINK is a forum for any and all students and faculty in the math department here at IUP. We try to include some interesting tidbits of trivia here and there as well as pertinent information for everyone involved in the math department. Do you have any complaints about the math department? Well, don't sit at home crying in your Kool-Aid. Problems always persist if no one does anything about them. Air them out in a public forum like MATHINK; attract some attention that means something. On the other hand, do you have any good things to point out about the IUP mathematics department? A student or faculty member you would like to recognize and commend... let us know. For example, IUP has a concerned, and dedicated math faculty; certainly a strong point for any department. Let's try and help things to grow and improve. Any editoral, comments, news or insights would be welcomed with open arms. Just send any written MATHINK contributions to PMYHEBB aka (Lisa Ceraso), or deposit them in the folder in the department office. NOW FOR THE NEWS: A tenative schedule for the fall 1995 faculty colloquia has been announced. Date: October 20, 1995 Title: A Systematic Approach to Developing Algorithms in Operations Research Speaker: Dr. Dan Solow Institution: Case Western Reserve University Where: STR 327 When: 2:00 Date: October 20, 1995 Title: What Should Students Learn From Advanced Mathematics? (And How Should We Teach It to Them?) Speaker: Dr. Dan Solow Institution: Case Western Reserve University Where: STR 327/329 When: 4:30 Date: October 31, 1995 Title: Maximizing the Variance of a Function in a Certain Class. Speaker: Dr. John Henry Steelman Institution: IUP Where: STR 231 When: 3:30 Date: November 16, 1995 Title: Molecular Dynamics Speaker: Dr. Edward Donley Institution: IUP Where: STR 240 When: 3:30 - 4:30 ATTENTION ALL MATH EDUCATION MAJORS!!! I have some news that you will not want to miss... Any student who still needs to take the Special Education Competency Test should register for either: Test Date: EX 481 (sec 001) February 24, 1996 9 - 11 a.m. OR EX 481 (sec 002) May 1996 (see blocked exam schedule for EX 300 schedule for date, time location) Note: Before the Spring semester students need to purchase the booklet of materials from Pro-Packet which was duplicated exclusively for the Spring Semester. Also, during the spring semester, students will need to purchase two textbooks, Teaching Special Students in the Mainstream, 4th Edition by Lewis, R.B. & Doorlag, D.H. and Right to Special Education in Pennsylvania, Educational Law Center, Philadelphia, PA, 1990 from the bookstore. Study sessions before each test will be held according to a schedule in the Pro-Packet booklet and as posted on 2nd floor Davis Hall and at the College of Education Office. TUTORING________________________________________________ Is Calc getting you down? Or maybe some other math class.... Well get some help before its too late, and your ship is completely sunk. The Tutorial Center Hours are Monday - Thursday (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.) To make an appointment call x2159 or x4850. (Service is FREE to all IUP students. Did you hear me? I said FREE!!!) WWW (World Wide Web) Update WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW If you have never logged onto the WWW, you are missing a whole new world. It's like never tasting a hot fudge sundae... Not only is the web fat free, but it's so user friendly that even a computer knuckle head can figure it out. From any computer with "windows" just click on to Netscape and presto you are on the web. From any other computer lab across campus, at the $ prompt simply type in: lynx http://www.ma.iup.edu Once you're onto the web be sure to check out the Math Dept. Home Page which includes: 1. Faculty profiles including their office hours, pictures, and even favorite recipes 2. Departmental computer lab hours 3. Course information - including a tenative Spring 96 schedule of courses 4. General info about IUP AND SO MUCH MORE........................................ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Do you have an idea for research and/or a creative project but are penniless and in debt? Well, MATHINK may have a solution for you. Graduate and Undergraduate research grants are now available for research and creative projects which will contribute new insights in the student's chosen academic field. Funds requested must be distinctive and special needs as related to the student's research paper, creative project, thesis, or dissertation. The student must be enrolled as a student at IUP during the period of the award. For more information and a proposal fromat, stop by Dr. Rebecca Stoudt's office (STR 308). Deadlines are November 27, 1995 for graduate students and the first Monday in April for undergraduates. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ GRADUATE STUDENTS, HAVE YOU CAUGHT THE COMPUTER BUG AND WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE??? Well then, the opportunity of a lifetime is at your doorstep because a free internet training workshop is now being offered on the following dates: Friday, October 20 9 a.m. - noon Sat., October 21 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Friday, October 27 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat., October 28 10 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Friday, November 3 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The workshop includes guided exploration of: Netscape and the World-Wide-Web How to connect to electronic resources worldwide How to retrieve files, documents, an information from thousands of sources Internet utilities such as Gopher, Veronica, and LYNX Troubleshooting Internet problems Note: All workshops are being held in STR 220 (classroom of the future). Also space is limited so you must reserve your spot soon by calling X2222. And now, for a spotlight on one of IUP's newest math professors.... JOHN ZHANG PERSONAL_________________________________________________ Full Name: John Zhang Marriage Status/wife's name: Joan Xue Zhang Place of Birth: Guangzhow China Hobbies/Interests: Tennis, Racquet ball, investing (but does not have money) Something you like or don't like about living in Indiana: Not much to do, traffic jam, and people here are super nice. Anything else you would like to say about yourself: 1) I take teaching very seriously. I like students to be active in class. 2) I am an active researcher. 3) I am lossing my hair rapidly. EDUCATION_______________________________________________ Undergraduate Degree/Institution: BA in computational Mathematics/ Zhongshai University Graduate Degrees/Institutions: MA in Mathematics/SUNY at Brockport MS in Computer Science/Syracuse University MS in Statistics/Syracuse University Ph.D in Statistics/Syracuse University (will defend shortly) Academic Areas of Interest: Ranking and Selection, Linear Models, Multivariate Analysis, Numerical Methods in Statistical computation. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE_______________________________ Presently teaching: MA217, MA214 Advice to students: Have a clear career objective and work toward your goal. Study statistics. FAVORITE SAYING OR WORDS OF WISDOM_____________________ Think, think, and think Well that's all for this issue of MATHINK. Thanks to John Zhang for his contribution. I'll leave you with a few thoughts to chew on... 1. There is one infallible teaching method: you will infallibly succeed in boring your audience with your subject if you are bored with it yourself. Hence the first commandment for teachers: Be interested in your subject. 2. No amount of courses in teaching methods will enable you to explain understandably a point that you do not understand yourself. Hence a second commandment for teachers: Know your subject. 3. Our knowledge about any subject consists of "information" and of "know-how". In mathematics, "know-how" is the ability to solve problems and it is much more important than mere possession of information. You have to show your students how to solve problems-- can you show it if you don't know it? Here is a special commandment for teachers: Aquire, and keep up, some aptitude for problem solving. - George Polya ---Thought was contributed by Dr. Gary Stoudt, thanks! ___________ | | _~~_ | SEE YOU | / ) | | ___( o ) | LATER! | \ ) | | > < /\_____. ----------- / \ / / ( \ / / ( < \ / ( \ > / \ \ |' \_ ____/ \ | V V \ | | | ` | | ` | | `