Message from the Chair

During the fall semester we have been able to resume some aspects of normal academic life, with students returning to campus and faculty teaching in person for most of our courses.

In September, as part of ensuring a healthy and safe campus, the university implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine requirement for all students. We have been pleased by the positive response from students in getting vaccinated and continuing to observe campus protocols, which include wearing face masks, particularly indoors. Currently, more than 85% of students are either partially or completely vaccinated, with similar rates for faculty and staff. We also have seen the number of Covid cases reported on campus remain low throughout the fall semester. We continue to encourage faculty, students, and staff to follow health and safety guidelines to ensure that we finish the semester healthy and safe.

Our faculty continue to be recognized with awards and invitations, including receiving a National Science Foundation award. The funding will support research to integrate grain growth experiments, data analysis, simulation, and theory. On another note, two of our professors have been invited to present at the prestigious International Congress of Mathematicians next summer in St. Petersburg, Russia. The invitations are an indication of the importance of the work these professors are engaged in and of the caliber of the department.

We are sad to note the passing of Professor Emeritus Les Glaser in October. He spent 34 years as a professor of mathematics and 15 years as the undergraduate advisor in the department. He will be remembered as a terrific mathematician, an excellent colleague, and a devoted undergraduate advisor for our students. We will miss him.

Many undergraduates major in mathematics or science in the hope of doing research one day. Now, the College of Science is offering an innovative program called the Science Research Initiative (SRI) that puts students in a lab as soon as they arrive on campus. As part of our year-end fundraising campaign, we’re encouraging alumni and friends to donate to the SRI program. For more information, please see the article on page 10.

We appreciate your ongoing generosity. So much of our work depends on the support of donors to advance our mission of excellence, teaching, mentoring, and research.

With best regards, Davar Khoshnevisan

Davar Khoshnevisan Professor and Chair Department of Mathematics