Leaders in Mathematics has earned a citation for excellence from a task force of the American Mathematical Society in a report to be released next year. In addition to singling out seve ral areas of the department for excellence and innovation, the AMS group cited the support of alumni and friends through the departmental Leaders program.
"I'm not surprised with the commendations because I think the leadership of this depar tment is excellent," Leaders President Richard Miller says. "All the instructors I've met have their hearts in the right place. They're trying to build a department second to none. We Leaders are giving them examples of what's going on in the re al world to better prepare students for jobs. And they're listening to us."
Mathematics Leaders are part of the College of Arts & Science Leaders Network, a group of distinguished alumni and friends who promote and support the University and the department.
Leaders convened on campus the past October to conduct a career seminar for students as part of the annual Leaders Conference. The alumni toured Mathematica labs to observe the new program. They met with the directors of grad uate and undergraduate studies and with several members of the faculty to discuss the curriculum as it relates to careers.
The group will gather for the 1997 Leaders Conference on homecoming weekend, Oct. 17, when the theme will be business in co rporate America. Keynote speaker on Friday will be James Amos, AB '68 political science, president and chief operating officer of Mail Boxes Etc.
Richard Miller, president and chief executive o fficer of Miller's Professional Imaging, will be Saturday's keynote speaker. Miller, AB '70, has led his family's business since 1976. Specializing in professional photographic processing and digital im aging, Miller's is the largest portrait and wedding lab of its type in the United States. The firm, which uses sophisticated technology, has grown 170 times under Miller's leadership and has 340 employees and 2,800 professional clients in 48 states. In 19 94, Miller's was named Photographic Processing Magazine's Photofinisher of the Year.
In addition to Miller, other Leaders attending the 1996 conference were Louis Steyaert, James Hoffmeister and Thomas Hagemann.
Hagemann, AB '65, is district sales manager of Informix Software Inc. in St. Louis. Formerly he was vice president of marketing and sales for Unibased Systems Architecture USA, where he developed strategic relationships with Fortune 100 organizations that market and sell USA products. Hagemann has held consulting, technical, sales, marketing and executive positions with IBM, and he has consulted with Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 clients in a variety of industries, including aerospace, manufacturing and health care.
Hoffmeister, AB '67 math, MBA '73 St. Louis U., is vice president for administration and special services, an $8 billion operation covering a wide spe ctrum of operations, at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. Hoffmeister's operation includes wholesaler relations; budget; information system planning; strategic planning; technical support, including development of new pa ckaging concepts, new product development and plant efficiency; and consumer entertainment, which includes tours and gift shops, Grant's Farm operations and the Clydesdale operations.
Steyaert, AB '65 math, PhD '73 atmosp heric science, has been a research physical scientist for more than 20 years, working as a member of large multidisciplinary teams. His project topics have ranged from global climate change and Earth system science studies for the U.S. Geological Survey a nd NASA, to global food security and drought-disaster early-warning programs developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He credits his expertise in satellite remote sensing technolog y and computer modeling, plus an understanding of various types of atmospheric, hydrologic and ecological simulation models as important keys to his success.