Department & Math News

• Prof Tom Craven Co-PI of $3.4M NSF Grant:
  Project Macimise is designed to support (tuition, technology, travel, per diem) for 15-18 candidates for Masters and Doctoral programs. The project is open to qualified candidates from Palau, FSM, CNMI, Guam, RMI, American Samoa, and Hawaii. It is anticipated that there will be 1-3 candidates from each state with 14-15 of those being Masters candidates and the remaining number Doctoral candidates.
  
  The Macimise Project is a collaborative effort between Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) and the College of Education, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) with PREL as the lead organization.
• UHM Math Dept SUPER-M Workshop:
  The new NSF sponsored $2.7 million project begins this semester. A workshop was held on August 21-22 involving math professors, graduate student and K-12 public school teachers. Read the article in the Starbulletin and the UH New Release.
• Other SUPER-M Workshops:
  
  • November 7 - Pauoa Elementary School, Honolulu
  • November 11 - Lokelani Intermediate School, Maui
• UH President's Welcoming Message:
  The new UH System President, Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood, makes a video welcoming message available online: Watch video or read the message.
• Prof David Ross, Faculty Senate Chair, open letter on budget cuts to UH:
  Prof David Ross, speaking for the Manoa Faculty Senate SEC, makes an official statement on the budget cuts. The letter sent to the newspapers is available online at: Read letter.
• Prof Mike Hilden wins Fulbright Award:
  Prof Mike Hilden will be traveling to Medellin Colombia this Fall thanks to a Fulbright Award. He will be teaching a research course on low dimensional topology at the Universidad Nacional, Medellin. More. Congratulations Mike!
• UH President McClain's and Chancellor Hinshaw's Statements on the Budget:
  The president's and chancellor's July 1-2 messages review the budget situation to date, describes some of the suggestions under consideration and stresses the need for action in the near future.  McClain Statement Hinshaw Statement
• Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood appointed President of the University of Hawaii:
  Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood, chancellor emerita of the University of California, Santa Cruz, has been named president of the University of Hawai'i System. Greenwood’s appointment is for three years, with two annual renewal options, beginning no later than August 24, 2009  More.
• Prof Ralph Freese and Son Use Computer Programming to Design Surfboards:
  Prof Ralph Freese and his son Jimmy combined their computer programming skills with a passion for surfing to create a full-fledged business. More.
• Prof Adolf Mader Retires from Teaching:
  Emeritus Prof Adolf Mader decided to retire from teaching and hosted a party to celebrate with faculty and friends. The party was held on April 17, 2009 at the Tree Tops Restaurant in Manoa Valley. View Party Photos.
• ICS Professor Wes Peterson Passed Away:
  Long time ICS Professor and friend of the math department Wes Peterson passed away on May 6th. According to Prof JB Nation: "Wes was a gentleman and a scholar and his passing is a loss to the UH community. He wrote the first textbook on coding theory, and his decoding method for Reed-Solomon codes is one of the classics in the field. He thought like a mathematician, and impressed me repeatedly with his contributions to our collaboration on group codes".
  View UH Press Release View Fossorier, Nation, Peterson Paper.
• Public presentation for the position of UH System President:
  Two candidates are being considered for the position of President of the UH System - Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood, University of California, and Dr. Robert J. Jones, University of Minnesota - and they will be visiting our Manoa campus.  View Greenwood Video View Jones Video.
• Mathematicians Land Top Spot in New Ranking of Best and Worst Occupations in the U.S.:
  The study, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal, evaluates 200 professions to determine the best and worst according to five criteria inherent to every job: environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. More.
• Beautiful Mathematics for Girls:
  The Math Department has received a $2500 grant from the Diversity and Equity Initiative at the University of Hawaii to help address issues of under-representation of girls and students of native Hawaiian ancestry in science, engineering, and mathematics. See website and Honolulu Advertiser article.
  
  Congratulations to Professors Monique Chyba, Mirjana Jovovic, and Michelle Manes.
• Mathematicians Land Top Spot in New Ranking of Best and Worst Occupations in the U.S.:
  The study, which appeared in the Wall Street Journal, evaluates 200 professions to determine the best and worst according to five criteria inherent to every job: environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress. More.
• Three Math Projects Among Siemens Competition Finalists for 2008:
  Mathematics-based research projects, either individual or tandem, comprised one quarter of this year's dozen Siemens Competition finalists. More.
• Beautiful Mathematics for Girls:
  The Math Department has received a $2500 grant from the Diversity and Equity Initiative at the University of Hawaii to help address issues of under-representation of girls and students of native Hawaiian ancestry in science, engineering, and mathematics. See website and Honolulu Advertiser article. Congratulations to Professors Monique Chyba, Mirjana Jovovic, and Michelle Manes.
• Math Skills Suffer in U.S., Study Finds:
  The New York Times reports that the United States is failing to develop the math skills of both girls and boys, especially among those who could excel at the highest levels. More.
  
  
• Professor Gotay accepts a position at the University of British Columbia:
  Prof Mark Gotay has accepted the position of Associate Director of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Learn more about PIMS. Congratulations Mark and good luck in your new position!
• MAA Information for Undergraduates:
  Students who participate in the Undergraduate Poster Session at the Joint Mathematics Meetings are eligible to apply for travel grants. Learn more.
  
  
• Risk Models Failed Wall Street:
  Wall Street and regulators relied on complex mathematical models that told financial institutions how much risk they were taking at any given time. More
  
  
• UCLA mathematicians discover largest known Mersenne prime:
  Mathematicians at UCLA have discovered a 13-million-digit prime number, a long-sought milestone that makes them eligible for a $100,000 prize. More
  
  
• Interesting Connection to President Barack Obama:
  An article in the Washington Post on then presidential candidate Barack Obama's life says that his mother Ann Dunham graduated from UH Manoa in 1967 with a major in mathematics. More
  
  
• Dr. Wayne Lewis Publishes Network Companion Guide:
  UHM Math Dept graduate Wayne Lewis (Ph.D, '92) is now the Lead Instructor on networking at Honolulu Community College. He has recently published his textbook LAN Switching and Wireless, CCNA Exploration Companion Guide. This is the official supplemental textbook for the LAN Switching and Wireless course in the Cisco Networking Academy. More
  
  
• New ARCS Award in Mathematics:
  UHM Math Dept graduate student Austin Anderson has received the 2008 Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) in Mathematics. The $5,000 scholarship was given to 24 UH graduate students recognizing their work in various fields and which in Austin's case recognized his work on properties of spaces in the complex plane. More
  
  Congratulations Austin!
• New Regent's Award:
  UHM Math Dept Prof. Monique Chyba has been named as a 2008 recipient of a Board of Regents' Excellence in Teaching Award. This very well-deserved award is in recognition of her dedication and many contributions to outstanding teaching and student learning. An award ceremony is scheduled for September 9, 2008 at Kennedy Theater. More
  
  Congratulations Monique!
• Ke Kumu 'Ike Spring 2008 UHM A&S Newsletter
  Department at a Glance: Ma+hema+ics
  The Department of Mathematics is the only mathematics department in the State of Hawai'i that offers both an extensive undergraduate and graduate program in mathematics. More
• Alan Teramura appointed Interim Dean of NS:
  Teramura is internationally known for his research work in global climate change, particularly on the effects of increases in UV light resulting from ozone depletion on terrestrial plant productivity. He has authored more than 100 articles in scientific journals, books and reports and serves on a United Nations Programme on the Environment panel.
• Herbert "Jake" S. Bear Jr.:
  The math department is sad to announce that emeritus professor and past Chair "Jake" Bear died on Dec. 22, 2007 at the age of 78. Jake joined the department as Chair in 1969 and was responsible for hiring most of the department faculty. He received his Ph.D. in 1957 at the University of California Berkeley under John Kelley. He is survived by his wife and retired Associate Chair of the math department Ruth Wong; his son, John; daughter, Katharine; and brother, John.