Welcome to the Math Department

NEW COURSE: Math 265, Mathematical Models in Biology.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Mon 11/3/08*. A collection of SMART and Engaging Classroom Activities, led by Drs. Hasenbank and Kosiak. 4:00 - Room 41 Cowley Hall
Mon 12/1/08*. A discussion on Teaching Math for Social Justice, led by a UW-L student Ben Cooney.
Mon 2/2/08*. Topic to be announced.

Recent Events:

On October 25-26^th four teams of UW-L students (a total of 11 students) traveled to the University of Iowa to compete in the first ever Midwest Mathematical Modeling Competition. 　The students worked for an intense 24 hours to solve a real-world question using math.　　 The students had their choice of working on a problem related to stocking and maintaining a fish population in a Midwestern lake or a problem related to evaluating and planning the implementation of a hypothetical law requiring all gravel roads in Iowa to be paved. 　The competition ended with teams presenting their solutions to their peers. 　The presentations of two of the La Crosse teams were ranked among the top three presentations in the competition.　 Participating students were (left to right in picture) Yanan Chen, Noor-E Zannat, Hoang Vo, Raymond Leach, Valentine Sackman, Vince Zander, Matt Cocchiola, Joe Lanska, (not pictured) Chintan Modi, Kyle Bisek, and Pat Copp.

　Math department faculty members Ted Wendt, James Peirce and Barb Bennie traveled with the students as faculty advisors.

Andrew Belter, a Secondary Education Mathematics Student at Mathfest in Madison, WI. Andrew presented the results of a Teaching for Understanding Project with 8-12th Grade Teachers done with Dr. Jennifer Kosiak, and Dr. Jon Hasenbank.

Andrew Belter, Jennifer Kosiak, John Hasenbank at Mathfest in Madison, WI, August 2008

The UW-L Math Department

The Mathematics Department consists of twenty-three teacher-scholars who are dedicated to excellence in undergraduate education. In addition to our teaching program, department members are engaged in a variety of scholarship, research, and professional service activities, including traditional research-scholarship, support for undergraduate mathematics research programs, participation in national mathematics organizations, and outreach in middle/high school mathematics. Research interests within the department include algebra, fluid dynamics, graph theory, harmonic analysis, logic, mathematics education, numerical analysis, and statistics.

As one of the traditional academic disciplines, mathematics is an integral part of the liberal arts education and is the foundation for many areas of study. In filling many roles at UW-La Crosse the Mathematics Department serves a diverse group of students; we nurture all liberal arts students, give students a solid foundation from which to study both the natural and social sciences, provide the tools needed by students in professional programs, and cultivate mathematics majors. We strive to prepare our majors and minors for careers in teaching, business, industry, government, and graduate study.

Department members regard mathematics as an interesting and lively subject, and an accessible major or minor for any student. Mathematics has both an aesthetic and a practical appeal; the enjoyment of problem solving, abstract thinking, and structural beauty draws many to mathematics, while the challenge and satisfaction of using mathematics to solve real-world problems provides an equally strong appeal. If you enjoy mathematics and want to learn more, we invite you to come study with us.