Mathematical Association of America
Michigan Section
Pre-College Programs
American Mathematics Competition (AMC)
High School Visiting Lecture Program (HSVLP)
Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition (MMPC)
Undergraduate Resources
Colloquia; Contests;
Events; REU Sites
Graduate/Career Resources
Project NExT (MiNExT)
Section Matters
Awards; Bylaws; Committees;
History; Liaisons; Officers;
Voluntary Donations (Dues);
Section Officer Files (password required)
Links
Contiguous Sections; Institutions in Section
Math Organizations and Other Math Sites
Michigan Section's Activities and Services |
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Michigan Calculus Network |
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An important issue in the Michigan Section since early in the 1980's has been the challenge to the mathematics curriculum resulting from the increased use and power of calculators and microcomputers in the classroom. For the past several years special sessions at the annual meetings of the Section have been devoted to the use of graphing calculators and microcomputers in the classroom. The Michigan Calculus Network was established in 1987 to address the changes in the calculus curriculum due to this increased use of technology. Its Steering Committee, initially chaired by John Masterson of MSU, was established with eight members from campuses across Michigan. During 1987-88 more than 80 people from over 20 colleges and universities in Michigan participated in its two meetings. A Network Newsletter was established and instructional materials for using computers and graphing calculators for teaching calculus were prepared. In 1988 the Michigan Calculus Network was made an official Section activity. A total of five annual statewide conferences and several specialized conferences were sponsored by the Michigan Calculus Network. Due to the increased emphasis on calculus reform and on the introduction of technology across the mathematics curriculum at state and national meetings, the need for the Michigan Calculus Network began to diminish by 1994, and it was discontinued in 1995. The five conferences sponsored by the Michigan Calculus Network during its short existence are as follows. |
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The Michigan Mathematics Early Placement Test |
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The Michigan Mathematics Early Placement Test (MMEPT) was started in 1986 as a pilot program under the leadership of John O. Kiltinen of Northern Michigan University and became established statewide the following year. This was an early placement testing program to be given high school juniors, which was modeled after a similar program in Ohio. Funding for the MMEPT was provided in higher education appropriation bills. The official sponsor of this program was the Presidents' Council of the State Colleges and Universities, and it was administered by the Glenn T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics at Northern Michigan University. The Michigan Section gave its strong endorsement and support for this program. Unfortunately the program was discontinued in 1991 when its funding bill was vetoed by the governor. During its five years of operation, MMEPT served over 200,000 Michigan high school students, giving them an early indication of their math preparation for college. |
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Mathematics Awareness Week |
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The first Mathematics Awareness Week was established for the week of April 14-20, 1986 by a bill that Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) introduced in Congress. The Michigan Section enthusiastically supported this first Mathematics Awareness Week and has continued to support it in subsequent years. The first Mathematics Awareness Committee for the Michigan Section consisted of Wilfred Kaplan (UM) as chair, Yousef Alavi (WMU), Doug Nance (CMU), Carole Lacampagne (UM-Flint), and Don R. Lick (EMU). Activities for Mathematics Awareness Week have included special programs, exhibits, and fairs about mathematics, civic proclamations in the support of mathematics, visits to high schools to give talks about mathematics and about careers in mathematics, and special press releases to publicize broadly the importance of mathematics. |
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Women and Mathematics |
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The Michigan Region of Women and Mathematics (WAM) was organized with 14 Michigan mathematicians attending its first meeting in September, 1986 in Flint. The objective of the WAM program is to encourage students, especially young women, to continue their study of mathematics. The first WAM Coordinator was Jean Simutis of Alma College. The Michigan Section has supported WAM by having special WAM speakers as a part of its annual meetings and by including announcements and articles about WAM regularly in the Section's Newsletter. In 1989 the Michigan Section established the Women's Study Committee, with Jean Simutis serving as its first chair. Subsequently, the chairs of the Women's Study Committee have been Toni Carroll (Siena Heights C) 1990-91, Gladys Rockind (Oakland CC) 1991-92, Bette Warren (EMU) 1992-97, Jeanne Wald (MSU) 1997-2000, and Toni Carroll (Siena Heights C) 2001-2005. |
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MAA Student Chapters |
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In 1988 the Mathematical Association of America initiated a program of student chapters at colleges and universities. Elliot Tanis from Hope College was appointed as the Michigan Section Student Chapters Coordinator in 1988. The following year, Matthew Wyneken from the University of Michigan-Flint took over the responsibility for coordinating student chapters. As of April 1990 a total of eight student chapters had been organized within the state. Several more were organized during the initial start-up phase, which continued until June 30, 1990. A special newsletter to be distributed to student chapters in Michigan was originally planned. In its place, a section on MAA student chapters, Pi Mu Epsilon chapters, Kappa Mu Epsilon chapters, and other mathematics clubs was introduced in the Section's Newsletter in 1996. An annual Undergraduate Conference has been held since 1998-99, hosted by Grand Valley State University (2 years), Alma College (2 years), Calvin College, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Central Michigan University. |
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Dialogue with the MCTM |
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In 1988 steps were taken by the Executive Committee of the Michigan Section to initiate dialogue with the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) for the purpose of identifying areas for joint ventures. The first such venture was the agreement to publish jointly with the MCTM a monograph on the preparation of high school students for the calculus. In 1989 Professor Kyung K. Kwun, chair of the Michigan Section, appointed a Cooperation Study Committee consisting of Professors Wilfred Kaplan (UM) as chair, Mary Catherine Brechting (Aquinas C), Don R. Lick (EMU), and John W. Petro (WMU) to further explore ways to promote cooperation between the Michigan Section and the MCTM. In the report made by this committee it was strongly recommended that the Michigan Section should work closely with the MCTM to do a much better job communicating with middle school and high school students the importance of mathematics for their future careers and the immense number of possibilities for careers within the mathematical sciences. From 1993 to 2003, Renate McLaughlin (UM-Flint) served as representative from the Michigan Section to the MCTM. Beginning in 2004, it was decided that this should be a duty of the Governor of the Section. |
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The Michigan Section and Cyberspace |
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With the rapid expansion of MichNet to provide Internet access to campuses throughout Michigan and the increasing use of e-mail to communicate with colleagues near and far, it was inevitable that cyberspace would find its place in the Michigan Section. E-mail addresses of Section officers and committee members first appeared in the December 1993 issue of the Michigan Section Newsletter. In the fall of 1995, the Section's World Wide Web site was established. The webmaster until 2005 was Earl Fife from Calvin College, and the current webmaster is Scott Barnett from Henry Ford CC. The current URL is http://www.michmaa.org . |
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The Michigan Room |
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In the early 1980's the national MAA decided to keep its headquarters in downtown Washington, where it could better represent the interests of mathematics, rather than move to the suburbs. The MAA took out a mortgage of $600,000 to fund extensive renovations to its Dolciani Mathematical Center headquarters on Eighteenth Street, NW. A capital fund drive was mounted which raised $400,000. The national headquarters challenged the sections in 1991 to mount fund drives to raise the money to retire the remaining $200,000 of indebtedness. Rooms at the headquarters could be dedicated for as little as $5,000 and as much as $30,000. Hugh Montgomery (UM), chair of the Michigan Section, challenged the Section to raise $30,000 in order to designate a prominent room in the Dolciani Mathematical Center to be the Michigan Room. This challenge was met. In barely three years many generous members of the Michigan Section contributed a total of $30,000 to this endeavor. Thomas Miles (CMU), the secretary/treasurer of the Michigan Section, forwarded to the MAA the final payment on this pledge in May, 1994. |
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Other Activities of the Michigan Section |
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There have been many other activities within the Michigan Section. The Upper Peninsula Zone of the Michigan Section established annual meetings beginning in 1984. In 1986 a Summer Short Course Committee consisting of Yousef Alavi (WMU) as chair, John Van Iwaarden (Hope C), Michael J. Gilpin (MTU), and Don R. Lick (EMU) was appointed. A very successful Summer Short Course featuring speakers Peter Hilton (SUNY at Binghamton) and Jean Pedersen (Santa Clara U) was held at Hope College during the summer of 1987. Several Summer Short Courses have also been offered at Northern Michigan University. The Section has enjoyed the enthusiastic support of mathematics departments and chairs from throughout the state. They have called the attention of the Program Committee to potential faculty and student papers; assisted generously with faculty, staff, and resources; organized transportation for attendance at the meetings; hosted annual meetings; assisted with the administration of the MMPC and the Awards Day programs; and given much support to the Section officers and the MAA representatives (liaisons) from their institutions. Throughout the past decades many interesting and stimulating presentations, original and expository, have been made at the Section meetings, but matters pertaining to instruction and curriculum have not been neglected. These, together with the MMPC, HSVLP, the Summer Seminars, the student papers, the timely and topical panel discussions, and the legislative hearings activities on school programs, curricula, and certification, are ample evidence of continuing success for the Section in various directions in the future. |
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These pages are maintained by Scott Barnett. Please send any additions or corrections to sebarnett@hfcc.edu.