2018 DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
DEPARTMENT CHAIR’S WELCOME
I am excited to revive the department of mathematics newsletter, sharing updates and success stories with our current students, faculty, staff and administrators, as well as the broader mathematics community including our family of alumni, former and retired faculty and staff, collaborators, supporters and friends of the EWU mathematics department. I was honored to be given the opportunity last fall to return to the department as department chair after serving six years as associate dean for the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM). This year marks my 26th year of serving EWU as a faculty member and combined 10th year as the department chair; I am truly grateful the opportunity to be part of this great institution for over a quarter of a century. My first year back as department chair was indeed a very busy, but also productive, year and together with my colleagues we celebrate many accomplishments which we wish to share with you in this issue. This includes several curriculum changes, proposed new programs and the streamlining of our math pathways aimed at improving student success across all disciplines. Our faculty are active in the mathematics community and I applaud my colleagues who made significant scholarly contributions during the past year and helped secure competitive grants to support mathematics scholarship and education. I am wishing everyone in our broad internal and external family of constituents a wonderful holiday season and an exciting remaining 2018/19 academic year. Christian K. Hansen, PhD Department Chair | chansen@ewu.edu
ewu.edu/math
FACULTY RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT Educational Research on Middle and Elementary Students’ Spatial and Numerical Reasoning with Geometric Measurement Assistant professor of mathematics education, Michael Winer, PhD, recently had the opportunity to present a research report at the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education or PME-NA in Indianapolis, Indiana. PME-NA is an organization whose goal is to gain a deeper and better understanding of the psychological aspects of teaching and learning of mathematics. Winer comes to Eastern from Ohio State University with research interests in student cognition with geometric reasoning and proof as well as developing learning progressions/trajectories for K-12 mathematics teachers. Winer along with two colleagues from Ohio State, Michael Battista, PhD, and Leah Frazee, PhD, presented a research paper in Oct. 2017 at PMENA Conference entitled “How Spatial Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning are Related in Geometric Measurement.” In this research report, they investigated the connection between spatial ability and mathematical ability in student mathematical reasoning. In particular, they examine upper elementary and middle school students’ work in spatial situations that require numerical operations in order to gain insight into the well-documented, yet not well-understood, connection between spatial ability and mathematical ability. See Research, continued on page 2
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Research, continued from page 1
NEW PROGRAMS BEING DEVELOPED
Drawing on student work with angle, length, volume and area, they examine the ways in which students associate numerical operations with their spatial reasoning of objects. They found that for students to correctly coordinate their spatial structurings and numerical operations, their solution methods must satisfy basic properties of measurement functions. This claim was illustrated by providing examples in which students successfully and unsuccessfully employ what is called “spatial-numerical linked structurings” or SNLS to solve different geometric measurement tasks. They argue that the results from this study help mathematics educators and researchers untangle the complicated nature of students’ coordination of spatial and numerical reasoning. In addition, this research helps decompose the basic mental processes that students use in geometric measurement. It therefore helps mathematics educators understand, for one content area, more precisely how spatial reasoning is related to numerical reasoning in geometry, which in turn helps mathematics education start penetrating why spatial reasoning has been found to be related to mathematical reasoning in so many correlational studies Visualizing Mathematics: The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Mathematical Thought, published in Oct. 2018, includes a chapter that provides a more extensive discussion of the findings from this study. For more information about this research study please contact Michael Winer via email at mwiner@ewu.edu.
The department of mathematics is committed to meeting the demands of a skilled workforce. In an effort to meet these demands, the department spent most of the 2017/18 academic year developing two new program proposals that have now been submitted to the EWU Course and Program Approvals Committee (CPAC) and the senior EWU administration for approval. The complete program proposals are available by request from the department chair, and we invite input on the proposals from all of our internal and external constituents. MS in Applied Mathematics The Master of Science in applied mathematics will replace the MS in mathematics that was discontinued in 2012. The absence of a graduate program in mathematics at EWU has contributed to a shortage of people in the workforce with advanced degrees to support a growing industry in the state that requires skills in advanced mathematical modeling and data science, as well an increased demand for candidates for mathematics teaching positions at community and technical colleges in the state and beyond. The proposed program includes 60 credits of coursework as well as options for a thesis or an industry project/internship. New courses have been developed specifically with industry applications in mind, but the program also allows for great flexibility and customization to meet individual career goals. Upon approval, the department will begin recruiting students for admission starting fall 2019. The department anticipates offering one or more graduate service appointments with tuition waivers awarded on a competitive basis. BS in Data Science The Bachelor of Science in data science program is being developed in a fruitful collaboration between the department of mathematics and the department of computer science. The program is built on the foundation of courses in mathematics, statistics and computer science with emphasis on skills in analysis and mining of data exhibiting the characteristics of high volume, velocity and variety, as well as model building and computational skills applicable for reducing and managing large data sets typically residing in the cloud. While this is a new program that seeks to fill an unmet demand for data scientists in the state of Washington and beyond, the program is comprised of already established courses. The BS in data science complements and expands EWU’s current degree options in data analytics and business analytics offered by the College of Business and Public Administration. While the terms “data science” and “data analytics” are often used interchangeably, the two disciplines are distinguished by the data science degree requiring more substantial coursework in mathematics and computer science than the data analytics program. Both “data science” and “data analytics” programs offer unique sets of skills meeting different demands in the current workforce, but offer alternative choices for students with varying aptitude for and interest in mathematics.
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NEW FACULTY
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The following faculty joined the department of mathematics in the past two years: Xiuqin Bai, PhD Xiuqin Bai joined the department as an assistant professor of statistics in fall 2016. She previously completed her MS and PhD in statistics from Kansas State University (KSU) in 2010 and 2014, where she taught courses in statistics and served as a statistical consultant in the KSU Department of Statistics’ Consulting Center. She is teaching variety of statistics courses including MATH 121, 380, 385, 387, 485 and 486. Sindhu Jujhavarapu Sindhu Jujhavarapu joined the department in fall 2017 as a lecturer of mathematics. She previously taught in the mathematics department at Washington State University. She is teaching a variety of mathematics courses including MATH 107, 114 and 141.
Viktoria Taroudaki, PhD Viktoria Taroudaki joined the department as an assistant professor of computational mathematics in fall 2017. She earned her MS in applied mathematics and scientific computation and PhD in applied mathematics, scientific computation and statistics from University of Maryland in 2011 and 2015, and her current research focus is on image and acoustic signal processing. She is teaching a variety of mathematics and statistics courses including MATH 121, 161-162, 231, and 444. Michael Winer, PhD Michael Winer joined the department as an assistant professor of mathematics education in fall 2017. He earned his MA and PhD in mathematics education from Ohio State University in 2010 and 2017. Some of his current research interests include student cognition with geometric reasoning and proof, and developing curriculum and instruction for K-12 geometry and geometric proofs. He is teaching a variety of mathematics and mathematics education courses including MATH 208, 209, 210, MTED 390 and related methods courses.
NEW CLUB STARTED BY MATHEMATICS EDUCATION MAJORS
Several mathematics education majors worked throughout the spring of 2017 to start the Mathematics Education Club (MEC’). Students who organized the club became board members and included: Suzi Killian, president; Sasha Tiffany, vice president; Jake Fankhauser, treasurer/ secretary; and Becca Mackay, public relations. The EWU student club became official in early fall 2017, and more than 30 students have joined through EagleSync. MEC’ held regular meetings throughout the fall quarter in Kingston 117 which was designated as a lounge and study room for club members and anyone who wants to do math. MEC’ hosted two events in the fall: a reception which included a rousing speech of support by David Bowman, PhD, dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM), and the first talk in their MathSpeaks series. The talk focused on undergraduate research experiences and featured Arie Gurin, a middle level mathematics major, who described his experiences in a summer research program at Arizona State University. Several other club members have since planned projects in mathematics education and submitted abstracts to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to be held in April 2018. The MEC’ presented MathSpeaks and other events throughout the 2017/18 academic year. Sixteen members of the Mathematics Education Club attended the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Regional Conference in November in Seattle. Find the MEC site on Facebook by searching for EWU Math Education Club.
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SHORT STORIES MATH Alumni Dinner
A math alumni dinner was attended by nearly 100 math alumni, current and former faculty and staff held in the historic Hargreaves Reading Room in May 2018. FIRST Robotics Competition
Math faculty volunteering at FIRST Robotics Competition from left to right: Linda Bolte (Professor Emeritus), Ron Gentle, Dale Garraway, Christian Hansen, Ryan Yancey. Each year several mathematics faculty volunteer at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition hosted at West Valley High School annually, and at the championship hosted at EWU every other year. For more information about volunteer opportunities at FIRST events, please contact Dale Garraway, PhD, dgarraway@ewu.edu.
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Math Students and Staff Recognized at CSTEM Honors and Awards Reception
Commencement 2018
From left to right: Benjamin Emehiser, Zach Merriam, Ellen Korson, Sasha Tiffany and Callie Mettie; Michele Grant and Christian Hansen (assisting/ presenting awards).
Math faculty attending 2018 commencement from left to right Christian Hansen, Viktoria Taroudaki, Keith Adolphson, Melissa Graham, Michael Graham, Gayle Millsaps, Jackie Coomes, Carlos Castillo-Garsow. Not pictured: Frank Lynch.
EWU’s graduation each year in June is always an exciting time for math students, faculty and staff. Each year a group of select graduates are chosen for “Outstanding Graduate Awards” and the CSTEM Department Chairs select faculty and staff for “Chairs’ Excellence Awards.” This year’s award recipients included: Benjamin Emehiser, Outstanding Graduate with a BS in mathematics Callie Mettie, Outstanding Graduate with a BAE in mathematics/secondary Sasha Tiffany, Outstanding Graduate with a BAE in mathematics/ middle level Ellen Korson, Outstanding Graduate with a BAE in mathematics/ elementary Zach Merriam, Outstanding Student Employee Jane Noonan, Chairs’ Excellence Award for Staff
Math Fall Bike Ride
Math faculty and staff were joined by their families on a fall bike ride on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes near Harrison, Idaho.
Jane Noonan, mathematics operations manager, is presented the Chairs’ Excellence Award for Staff by Department Chair Christian Hansen and Dean David Bowman.
2018 Math Graduates
Math Faculty Recognized This year, 12 math faculty members were presented with pins recognizing from five to 35 years of continuous service to EWU. Back row left to right: Dan Canada (15 years), Hyung Sook Lee (10 years), Barbara Alvin (35 years), Gayle Millsaps (five years), Frank Lynch (five years) and Andrew Oster (five years). Front row left to right: Christian Hansen (25 years), Dale Garraway (15 years), Carlos Castillo-Garsow (five years), Wade Nielson (five years) and Ray Dempsey (five years). Not pictured, Anthony Frenk (five years).
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UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Math Education Student Arie Gurin Presents his Research at SACNAS During the summer of 2017, middle level major and McNair Scholar Arie Gurin attended the national award winning Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute at Arizona State University. Under the mentorship of Carlos CastilloGarsow, PhD, (EWU), and Christopher Kribs, PhD, (UT Arlington), Arie worked together with three other students to explore the applications of dynamical systems modeling to mathematics education. In Oct. 2017, Arie traveled to the national conference of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) to present a poster of his research. Through a scholarship award, Arie’s travel was fully funded by SACNAS. His group project, “The Dynamics of Math Anxiety as it is Transferred through Peer and Teacher Interactions” investigates how the cultural transmission from teachers to students might best be controlled. It is an extremely innovative approach to a problem that has had very little mathematical study. The group’s early
results point to the importance of recruitment of pre-service teachers in college, through programs such as the Noyce Scholarship. The full text of Arie’s technical report can be found in MTBI’s online archive at: https://mtbi.asu.edu/ content/dynamics-math-anxiety-ittransferred-through-peer-and-teacherinteractions Abstract: This research develops a simple dynamical system framework to study the role of social mechanisms on the prevalence of math anxiety in United States education systems. Math anxiety is the self-reported discomfort when attempting mathematical problems. This feeling prevents students from pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in these fields. Female students are disproportionately affected by math anxiety, leading to poor representation. Previous studies have examined how teachers, with and without math anxiety, can “transmit” math anxiety to students. However, to our knowledge no mathematical models have been developed to thoroughly study longterm intervention strategies for reducing transmission. In this paper, the effects
of female teachers’ math anxiety are modeled as a contagion on female students who may become the next generation of teachers. The purpose of this research is to determine intervention strategies to effectively reduce students’ math anxiety. From our sensitivity analysis we conclude that, instead of focusing on professional development, math anxiety can be drastically reduced if teachers portray more positive attitudes toward math, and colleges focus on recruiting non-anxious math teachers. Gurin, A. Jeanneret, G., Pearson, M. Pulley, M. Salinas, A. Castillo-Garsow C. (2017) The Dynamics of Math Anxiety as it is Transferred through Peer and Teacher Interactions. Technical Report. Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute. Arizona State University. MTBI-15-05M Math Education Majors Present at National Conference on Undergraduate Research One elementary mathematics major, Gabriela Rios, and one middle level mathematics major, Jacob Fankhauser, traveled to the University of Central Oklahoma in April 2018 to present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Rios presented a poster describing her research on mathematics curricula for grades K-2 specifically targeting the operations and algebraic thinking standards, and how the curricula could support novice teachers’ understanding of the CCSS and how students learn the standards. Fankhauser presented research he conducted with Sasha Tiffany in accelerated seventh-grade classrooms in two different school districts. The two worked together to design a sequence of Number Talks to study how participating in these Number Talks affected students’ fraction number sense related to algebra.
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ACTIVE GRANTS EWU Robert Noyce Project
Noyce Scholars in September 2018 with CSTEM Dean David Bowman and Associate Dean Leslie Cornick Under the leadership of Jackie Coomes, PhD, professor of mathematics education, and Heather McKean, biology education faculty, EWU was awarded a $1.459 million five-year NSF grant titled: Developing and Supporting Excellence in STEM Teaching: A Regional Collaboration to Increase Teacher Diversity, Preparation and Continuity. As the title suggests, the goal is to increase the number of STEM teachers, increase the diversity of STEM teachers, and improve the teacher preparation of STEM teachers at EWU. Under the Noyce Grant, students who earn a BA or BS in a STEM field and who also seek certification as STEM teachers in K-12 are awarded scholarships to help them reach these goals. Funding supports the last two years of a student’s program culminating in certification: $10,000 is available for the first year and $16,000 for the second. Through a competitive grant application process, approximately seven to eight new Noyce Scholars will be chosen each year. Throughout Noyce Scholars’ preparation programs, the grant faculty work closely with them and their mentor teachers. This collaboration was made
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possible through a partnership with Spokane Public Schools, which allows students to gain classroom experiences in high-need schools. Another partnership with the Community Colleges of Spokane enables the project to recruit future STEM teachers from SFCC and SCC. The scholarship provides funding for college and requires recipients to teach for two years in a high-need school for every year of funding they receive. Beyond these expectations, Noyce Scholars are expected to engage in activities with the Noyce faculty each quarter to better prepare them to teach high-need students, understand and apply current research on teaching and learning in STEM classrooms, and engage in undergraduate research related to improving teaching and learning in high-need STEM classrooms. Noyce Scholars also engage in two years of induction activities after they graduate from EWU.
College Spark Grant: Co-Requisites In fall 2018, the EWU department of mathematics was awarded a three-year grant of $149,573 by College Spark Washington to develop, pilot and scale two co-requisite courses. Corequisites allow students who place into developmental mathematics courses to take a college-level course partnered with a required support course. This enables them to take a first college-level course earlier in their college careers and be successful in that course and subsequent courses. Four faculty are involved in designing, studying and piloting the courses that will be partnered with MATH 107, mathematical reasoning and MATH 114, algebra concepts.
MATH SCHOLARSHIPS ESTABLISHED
Two new scholarships supporting students in the department of mathematics were recently established in addition to our existing scholarships. When the minimum principal balance is met, these new endowments will allow for annual awards to be disbursed into perpetuity for students focusing on mathematics. These scholarships are on target to be endowed within the next few years thanks to generous pledges made by faculty donors. Additional contributions made to these funds will help reduce the time it takes for the funds to reach the minimum principal balance, allowing EWU to distribute the scholarships sooner. Charitable contributions can be made online at ewu.edu/supportmath or donations can be mailed to: EWU Foundation, 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, WA 99004. When paying by check, please be sure to indicate which scholarship the donation is intended for. For questions, contact the EWU Foundation at 509.359.6252 or foundation@ewu.edu. Benjamin T. Sims Scholarship Endowed scholarship for a mathematics major, junior or senior, with an emphasis on academic merit. Pierce Alvin Yim Excellence Fund Endowed scholarship fund for students working toward a Bachelor of Science in mathematics or Bachelor of Arts in education with a focus on secondary education. Christian and Kelly Hansen Scholarship Scholarship fund for students working toward the future Bachelor of Science in data science (not yet endowed). Inspired Mathematics Teacher Fund For a declared mathematics major with interest in math education (not yet endowed).
Department of Mathematics 316 Kingston Hall Cheney, WA 99004
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