The nominee for 2003 -
2005 Section Chair is Rob Tubbs, University of Colorado at Boulder.
The nominee for 2002 -
2005 Secretary/Treasurer/Newsletter Editor is Janet Heine Barnett, University
of Southern Colorado.
The election will take
place at the 2002 Spring Section Meeting in Laramie on Saturday 13 April at 8:00
a.m.
Additional nominations for
both positions will be accepted from the floor at the Business meeting.
The individual elected to the
position of 2003 - 2005 Section Chair will serve a one-year term as Chair Elect
beginning April 2002, as well as a
one-year term as Past Chair ending April 2006.
Thanks to the nominating committee for their work during the
past year. The 2001-2002 Nominating Committee
was chaired by LuAnn Linton, Arapahoe Community College. Other
committee members were Jane Arledge,
Mesa State College, and Bill Briggs, University of Colorado
at Denver.
Rob
Tubbs, University of Colorado at Boulder, Candidate for Chair Elect
Rob Tubbs
received his B.A. from the University of South Florida in 1975, his M.A. from
Columbia University in 1978, and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University
in 1981. His first job was at Pitzer College, part of a five-college consortium
with Pomona, Scripts, Claremont McKenna, and Harvey Mudd Colleges in Claremont,
California. As exciting as the atmosphere and innovative curriculum were at
Pitzer, Rob decided to become more involved with mathematical research. He
spent one year as an instructor at The University of Texas at Austin, then one
year at The Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton before accepting a
position at the University of Colorado in 1986.
Since
coming to Boulder, Rob’s research has been funded by the National Science
Foundation, he has had research students at all levels (Ph.D., M.A., and
Undergraduate Honors,) and he has taught courses at all levels. His administrative experience includes
serving as Graduate Chair (1990--1991) and Departmental Chair (1993--1996). Rob was central to several important
curricular changes at the University of Colorado. As Graduate Chair, he convinced the University and Department to
convert most large sections of Calculus to small sections taught by supervised
Graduate students. Rob then became
involved with teacher training within the Department, first revitalizing its
course for prospective Elementary School Teachers, then offering the first
course designed for students planning to teach at the Secondary level. Rob is presently finishing a book for
non-mathematicians on the role of aesthetic considerations in the development
of mathematical ideals.
Statement
I believe
the MAA should continue, and expand, its role in bringing together
mathematicians and mathematics educators from the Rocky Mountain region. Of particular importance are the
opportunities the annual meetings provide for students to give talks and
interact with faculty. (I was fortunate
enough to give my first talk as an undergraduate at a regional MAA meeting in
Tallahassee, Florida.) In recent years
the MAA has done a great job in offering sessions at the annual meetings on
historical, pedagogical, research topics.
This needs to be continued; the faculty from all institutions should be
encouraged to organize innovative sessions on topics that most interest
them. Beyond that, the MAA needs to
continue its role of coordinating activities between the Department’s of
Mathematics, and Mathematics Education, at the various institutions throughout
the region. This is especially
important in response to legislative interference in our programs and
curriculum.
Janet Heine Barnett,
University of Southern Colorado, Candidate for Secretary/Treasurer/Newsletter
Editor
Janet Heine
Barnett received her B.S. in Mathematics and Humanities from Colorado State
University in 1981 before teaching mathematics for two years as a Peace Corps
volunteer in the Central African Republic. She holds an M.A. (1988) and PhD
(1990) in set theory from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Since
joining the faculty at the University of Southern Colorado in 1990, Janet has
taught a wide variety of undergraduate courses, directed several senior
research projects, and helped to establish USC’s successful Group Learning
Program in College Algebra. In recent years, her research has increasingly
focused on the history of mathematics and its relation to pedagogy. She was a 1995-96 fellow at the NSF-funded Institute on the Use of History in the Teaching of
Mathematics, has
organized special sessions on the History of Mathematics at section meetings,
and is a regular presenter on historical/mathematical topics at regional and
national conferences.
An MAA
member since 1988, Janet has served the MAA in various capacities, including
Program Chair (1995), Chair Elect/Chair/Past Chair (1993 – 1996), Governor
(1996 – 1999), Secretary/Treasurer/Newsletter Editor (1999 – present), and
membership on two national committees. She has also been active in local and
state efforts to improve mathematics education, serving as Higher Education
Representative on the Colorado Council of Teachers of Mathematics Governing
Board (1997 – 1999), organizing special sessions on K-16 issues at CCTM and MAA
Section meetings, and serving as Project Director of the Eisenhower-funded Pueblo Regional Initiative in Mathematics Education (2000 – 2002).
The opportunities I have
had to work with the membership and executive committee of the Rocky Mountain
Section over the years has been tremendously rewarding, both personally and
professionally. I have especially
enjoyed the challenges of learning the combined duties of
secretary/treasurer/newsletter editor these past three years. I would welcome the opportunity to use this
experience to further enhance our ability as a professional organization to
provide regional leadership in both the promotion of excellence in mathematics
education, and in the enhancement of public understanding about the needs and
importance of mathematical research and education. I am especially excited about the opportunities before us on
these two fronts when a national meeting finally returns to Colorado
with Mathfest 2003 on the University of Colorado Boulder campus.