Off on a Tangent
A Fortnightly Electronic Newsletter from the Hope College Department of Mathematics
   April 24, 2009 Vol. 7, No. 14  
http://www.math.hope.edu/newsletter.html


Congratulations Graduates!

This year there are 27 mathematics majors graduating from Hope.  As they head out to jobs, graduate schools, and places yet unknown, we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.  The graduates are shown below. 
(* denotes December 2009 graduate.)

Kelsey Browne
Carleen Dykstra
Forrest Gordon


Ashley Gruenberg

Chris Hall

Katie Johnson
Ryan Johnson

Chris Jordan

Joshua Kinder
Daniel Lithio
Brian McLellan

Bryan McMahon
Mark Panaggio
Laura Shears
Dirk VanBruggen

Ben Herrman
Jill Immink
Ricky Kelley *
Luc Leavenworth

Laura Smallegan
Joy Taylor
Anna Brandes
Heather Esfandiari

Elizabeth Heisel
Andrew Quick
Ashten Wallace
Dayna Waters

 

Mathematics Awards given out last night


During last night's honors convocation a number of awards were given to our mathematics majors.  This year's winner of the Albert E. Lampen Award in Mathematics is Dan Lithio (pictured to the left). 

This award is given each year to the graduating senior in recognition of his or her outstanding achievement in the study of mathematics at Hope.

This year's winner of the senior mathematics education award and the Egbert Winter Education Award is Ben Herrman. Mathematics majors receiving the Junior Science and Math Education Book Awards were Kelsey Ensz, Tara Hamming, and Kayla Lankheet.


Ben Herrman

Kelsey Ensz

Tara Hamming

Kayla Lankheet

The John H. Kleinheksel Awards in Mathematics were given to Kelsey Bos, Elena Caruthers, Eric Lunderberg, Colin Rathbun, and Kylie Topliff.  These awards are given each year to students taking sophomore level courses for their outstanding achievement in mathematics and promise for future success.  Congratulations go out to all these students for a job well done!


Kelsey Bos

Elena Caruthers

Eric Lunderberg

Colin Rathbun

Kylie Topliff


Mathematics majors inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi

Sigma Xi
During last night's honor's convocation, Sigma Xi awards were given to science and mathematics students that maintained a high GPA and did scientific research.  Those receiving this honor for mathematics were Forrest Gordon, Jill Immink, Kathryn Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Joshua Kinder, Daniel Lithio, Brian McLellan, and Bryan McMahon.

Phi Beta Kappa
On Saturday, April 23, six mathematics majors were initiated into the Zeta of Michigan chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest scholastic honorary society.  Congratulations to Kathryn Johnson, Joshua Kinder, Daniel Lithio, Brian McLellan, Mark Panaggio, and Laura Shears for receiving this honor.


Student Research Award winner announced

There will be a number of mathematics students conducting research this summer at Hope College.  One of them will be Jessalyn Bolkema.  It was recently announced that Jessalyn is the the winner of the Dean of Natural Sciences Student Research Award in Mathematics for 2009.  Congratulations!






Department receives grant to support student research

Dr. Stephanie Edwards has received a grant to support summer student research through a national program designed to increase the number of women who pursue careers in mathematics.  The award is through the "Women and Mathematics Grants" program sponsored by the Tensor Foundation of Oak, Park, Ill., through the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).  The $6,000 award will support two undergraduate students in conducting original research with Prof. Edwards for eight weeks this summer.  The one-year grant is renewable for up to two more years.



Problem Solvers of the Fortnight

The last problem of the fortnight for the year was:
exponentDetermine the last two digits of

220,000,009 + 620,000,009 + 720,000,009




Congratulations to Benjamin Strong, Brad Hekman, Drew Reyelts, Eric O'Brien, Miranda DeKuiper, Nolan Wiersma, Brad Lininger, Matt Smith, Chris Ansel, Greg Hubers, John Bruggers, Adam Alexander, Jeff Minkus, Jose Martinez, Jonathan Wielenga, Zach Mitchell, Valerie Winton, Tim Carter, and Lucas Osterbur -- all of whom correctly determined that the last two digits.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do... Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

~ Mark Twain


Off on a Tangent