Critical Points Newsletter

<h1>Positioned for Excellence!</h1><h2>Enhancement has brought a $2 million commitment to the department.</h2><p class="byline">by <a href="http://www.phlab.missouri.edu/~elias/enhance.html">Elias Saab</a>, Department Chairman</p> <a href="esaab.html"><img src="images/saab.jpg" alt="Elias Saab, chair" width="167" height="220" border="0" align="right" ></a> <p>This is perhaps the most exciting time in the history of the <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/"> Department of Mathematics</a> at <a href="http://www.missouri.edu/index.html">MU</a>. The department's <a href="e.html">new enhancement program</a> is profoundly affecting all of our missions in the <a href="http://www.system.missouri.edu">University</a>.</p> <p>We have received 11 new faculty positions and eight graduate fellowships. With two new postdoctoral fellowships in the enhanced areas, we are positioned to train fresh <a href="http://math.missouri.edu/~mathcurr/grad/">PhDs</a> from the best institutions in the nation. Enhancement has also brought salary adjustments for existing faculty, a 150 percent increase in our E&E budget and a renovation of the basement of the Mathematical Sciences Building. Altogether; this represents about a $2 million commitment to the department.</p> <p>Our goal is to be one of the best departments in the nation in our enhancement areas, and we have made great strides in this direction. We have <a href="hires.html">hired</a> many outstanding young faculty who were recruited by some of the best departments in the country; for example, last year we hired <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/tchristiansen.html">Tanya Christiansen</a> and <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/dedidin.html">Dan Edidin</a>, both NSF Postdoctoral Fellows from MIT; <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/sdostoglou.html">Stamatis Dostoglou</a> of Warwick, England, who has been published in the Annals of Mathematics; and <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/iverbitsky.html">Igor Verbitsky</a> of Kazan, USSR.</p> <p>Even before enhancement, the department had acquired exceptional faculty. <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/nkalton.html">Nigel Kalton</a>, appointed a <a href="kalton.html">Curators' Professor</a> this year, is recognized by many as the world's best scholar in his specialty, the Banach Space Theory. Two faculty members, <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/dcutkosky.html">Dale Cutkosky</a> and <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/mashbaugh.html">Mark Ashbaugh</a>, solved significant old problems that eluded mathematicians for decades. Their solutions earned them international reputations and publication in the Annals of Mathematics. <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/shofman.html">Steve Hofmann</a> wrote a 100 page paper, which will appear in the Annals of Mathematics.<a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/people/fgesztesy.html"> Fritz Gesztesy</a>, who will hold the Luther M. Defoe Distinguished Professorship next year, recently had an unprecedented two papers accepted in Acta Mathematica. Look for more details about our faculty strength in the <a href="faculty.html">Faculty Traces</a>; section of our newsletter.</p> <p>Another measure of the exceptional quality of our faculty is that half its members have research grants--a remarkable figure. We also have a large number of faculty members who have grants from the <a href="http://www.system.missouri.edu/research/welcome.htm">Research Board</a> and the <a href="http://www.research.missouri.edu/research/res_coun/summer_fel.html">Summer Research Fellowship Program</a>. Building on these strengths, the department has held a series of international conferences, bringing in more than 500 mathematicians from more than 45 countries, and the bi-annual <a href="events.html">Show-Me Seminar</a> already attracts more than 60 participants.</p> <p>The department has made significant improvements in <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/curr/undergrad/index.html">undergraduate</a> instruction. We have completely restructured college algebra, Math 10, making changes that have led to higher student success rates. Check out these changes in the <a href="algebra.html">Math 10</a> story.</p> <p>A major source of pride for the department is its role as a pioneer in the introduction of technology into the classroom. This department is first in the nation to teach all basic calculus <a href="http://www.phlab.missouri.edu/~math201h/">classes on computers</a>, using an adapted version of <a href="http://www-cm.math.uiuc.edu/">Calculus and Mathematica</a> by Davis, Porta and Uhl. Soon we will have four labs dedicated to teaching calculus with 170 Silicon Graphics machines, the most up-to-date computers available today. Because the University expended nearly $1.5 million to build and equip these labs, our students will graduate with a major competitive edge in the job market. In the past five years, the department has acquired 40 Silicon Graphics machines for the faculty and graduate students. The department also has many Power Macintoshes, pentium machines and Sun and Next workstations backed up by several Laser printers. we are a leader in the use of technology, and we intend to stay there.</p> <p>To bring in outside support for our significant enhancement effort, the <a href="http://www.missouri.edu/~caswww/">College of Arts and Science</a> helped us begin the Leaders in Mathematics program this year. Leaders is a network of almuni who are integrally involved in the department and its drive towards excellence. Read the <a href="leaders.html">Leaders</a> story and the Profile on Alumnus <a href="enhance.html">Richard Miller</a>, the remarkable president of Leaders in Mathematics.</p> <p>As you can see, the department is going through dramatic changes to become a world leader in mathematical research as well as in undergraduate and graduate instruction. For more information about the department, visit us on the World Wide Web at <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu">http://www.math.missouri.edu</a>.</p> <p>We applaud the administration for its commitment and support of our common goal---making MU a leader for the 21st century. To achieve these goals, our faculty members have dedicated a tremendous effort in time and energy, far beyond what can reasonably be expected. They deserve our deepest respect and gratitude for a willingness to go the extra mile to make Mizzou a center of excellence.</p> <hr noshade> <h3><a href="contents.html">Click here</a> for more stories.</h3> <hr noshade> <h3>Back to <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu">Math Department</a> home page. </h3> <hr noshade> <H3> Send comments to: <a href="http://math.missouri.edu/~brenda">Brenda S. Frazier</a> at <a href="mailto:brenda@math.missouri.edu">brenda@math.missouri.edu</a></H3> <h3>Back to <a href="http://www.math.missouri.edu/~news/"><img src="../images/smcplogo.jpg" width="289" height="80" border="0" alt="Critical Points"></a></h3> <hr noshade>