Tue 10 Nov 2009
In keeping with our commitment to excellence, the Department of Mathematics recognizes five Graduate Teaching Assistants for their outstanding efforts.
Left to right: Dustin Belt, Stacy Wohead, Douglas Babcock, Richard Eden, Eduardo Garcia
Mon 19 Oct 2009
Professor Sun-Yung Alice Chang of Princeton University was the featured guest speaker for the department’s annual Women in Mathematics Day on November 19, 2009. Organized by Professor Donatella Danielli, the day’s activities included:
Professor Chang is Chair of the Mathematics Department at Princeton University. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards for her mathematical achievements and service to the community. She was the recipient of an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. She served as Vice President of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) from 1989 to 1991, and in 1995, she received the AMS Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize for outstanding contributions to mathematics research by a woman. In 2002, she was an invited plenary speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), the most prestigious invitation a mathematician can aspire to have in his or her career. Prof. Chang has also been active in many efforts to increase the representation of women in mathematics.
Jean E. Rubin was Professor of Mathematics at Purdue University from 1967 until her death in 2002. She received a B.S. from Queen’s College in New York City in 1948, an M.A. from Columbia in 1949, and a Ph.D. from Stanford in 1955. She taught at Oregon and Michigan State before coming to Purdue. Professor Rubin was the author of more than 40 papers and five books in set theory and questions related to the axiom of choice.
Thu 15 Oct 2009
Leonard David Berkovitz died suddenly but peacefully on October 13, 2009. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 24, 1924.
In 1941, Len began his college studies as a chemistry major at the University of Chicago. When World War II started, he joined the military, completing meteorology training programs at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a weather officer.
After completing military service, Len resumed his studies at the University of Chicago. He was elected to Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa honoraries and received a B.S. in meteorology in 1946. He considered graduate work in physics, but chose mathematics and entered graduate school at the University of Chicago, receiving a master’s degree in 1948 and a doctorate in 1951. His thesis, written under the direction of Antoni Zygmund, was in the area of double trigonometric series.
From 1951 to 1952, Len was an Atomic Energy Commission Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University. From 1952 to 1954, he was a Research Fellow at the California Institute of Technology, where he conducted research in asymptotic expansions. While at Caltech, he met Anna Whitehouse, who was working in a tissue culture laboratory at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital. They were married on June 18, 1953.
In 1954, Len joined the Mathematics Division at the Rand Corporation, where he worked on the mathematical theory of games and on a variety of tactical problems for the Air Force. He participated as a technical observer in Air Force tactical exercises and helped introduce the novel idea (now common practice) of using simulation methods for determining the outcome of tactical engagements.
In 1962, Len joined the Purdue faculty as Professor of Mathematics. He was Head of the Mathematics Department from 1975 to 1980 and Acting Head from 1989-1990. He served on numerous curriculum and administrative committees, and he remained active in research and teaching until his retirement in 2003. Eleven students obtained Ph.D. degrees under his supervision.
Len’s research focused on differential games, optimal control theory, and nonclassical variational problems. He was the author of several textbooks and numerous scientific papers. Len served as associate editor, editor, and managing editor for SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization from 1967 to 1991. He was associate editor for the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications and for the Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications. He was a member of the editorial Committee of Mathematical Reviews from 1985 to 1991.
Len is survived by his wife, Anna; sons Dan M. (Michele) of Bethesda, Md., and Kenneth E. (Nancy) of Akron, Ohio; and grandchildren Elizabeth, Jonathan, Matthew, Zoe and Eli.
Donations in memory of Len can be made to the American Heart Association or to Purdue Foundation for the Leonard D. and Anna W. Berkovitz Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for undergraduate mathematics majors.
Fri 18 Sep 2009
Each fall, the College of Science and its programs recognize outstanding Purdue alumni.
Kent H. Somers is the 2009 Outstanding Actuarial Science alumnus. He is Vice President, Appointed Actuary, and Head of the Financial Actuarial Department of the Lincoln Financial Group. He also serves on the Executive Steering Committee for the Actuarial Development Program at Lincoln.
After receiving his B.S. in mathematics in 1986, Mr. Somers joined Lincoln as part of the actuarial science program. Prior to serving in his current role, he headed the Life & Annuity Valuation Department. Other positions held at Lincoln include Valuation Actuary, Director of Asset/Liability Management, and Assistant Appointed Actuary.
Mr. Somers is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA). He earned his Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst (CERA) credential, and he is a CFA Charterholder.
Mr. Somers was honored along with other outstanding alumni of the Mathematics and Statistics Departments at a dinner on Thursday, September 24. The College of Science hosted a reception for all CoS outstanding alumni on September 25.
Thu 17 Sep 2009
Each fall, the Department of Mathematics and the College of Science recognize outstanding Purdue alumni.
Alex Himonas, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Notre Dame, is the 2009 Outstanding Mathematics Alumnus.
Prof. Himonas received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1985 under the direction of Salah Baouendi. Prof. Himonas is interested in the regularity of solutions to linear partial differential equations (PDE), and in the Cauchy problem for nonlinear evolution equations. His earlier work concentrated on the microlocal analytic regularity of the solutions to principal type PDE with analytic coefficients. More recently, he is working on the regularity theory (analytic, smooth) for degenerate elliptic PDE, in particular PDE that are sums of squares of vector fields. In non-linear PDE, he is working on the well-posedness of the initial value problem for evolution equations.
Prof. Himonas gave a talk on Thursday, September 24 at 4:30 p.m. in BRNG 1230. Following the talk, there was a dinner in honor of Prof. Himonas and outstanding alumni of the Department of Statistics and the Actuarial Science program. The College of Science hosted a reception for all CoS outstanding alumni on September 25.
Wed 9 Sep 2009
Jeffrey A. Beckley (FSA, MAAA), Professional Actuary in Residence and Co-Director of the Purdue Actuarial Science Program, has been elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Society of Actuaries (SOA).
The SOA is an education, research, and professional organization dedicated to serving the public and its 20,000 members. The SOA’s vision is for actuaries to be the leading professionals in the measurement and management of risk. The SOA’s mission is to advance actuarial knowledge and to enhance the ability of actuaries to provide expert advice and relevant solutions for financial, business, and societal problems involving uncertain future events.
As a member of the actuarial science program faculty, Beckley has taught at Purdue since 2004. Each year, science undergraduate students select the faculty member whose teaching has had the greatest impact on science majors. In 2005-06 and 2006-07, he was voted the College of Science Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher, and his name regularly appears in their list of top ten teachers.
After graduating from Ball State University with a degree in actuarial science, Beckley held executive positions with Lafayette Life Insurance and Standard Life Insurance before starting his own firm, Beckley & Associates, in 1986. His actuarial consulting firm was purchased in 1999 by Deloitte & Touche, for whom Beckley worked until 2004.
From 1981-95, Beckley served on several of the Society of Actuaries committees that write the actuarial exams. He began by writing exam questions and eventually became the Chairperson of the Examination committee, and finally, Vice General Chairperson of the Education and Examination Committee.
Beckley is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). He won the 2001 President’s Award for outstanding service to the SOA. He previously served on the Ball State actuarial advisory board and has been on Purdue’s actuarial science advisory board since 1998.
Mon 31 Aug 2009
Purdue Professor of Computer Science, Greg Frederickson, received a Pólya Award at the Mathematical Association of America’s annual Mathfest meeting, held on August 6-8, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1976, the George Pólya Award is given for articles of “expository excellence” published in The College Mathematics Journal.
See the Department of Computer Science’s release for more details.
Thu 2 Jul 2009
Shun Zhang is one of 3 winners of the 2009 SIAM (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics) Student Paper Prize. Recipients of the award will be recognized at the SIAM Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado on July 6-10. The award includes a cash prize of $1000.
Zhang, who received his Ph.D. in May, wrote a thesis on finite element methods under the direction of Professor Zhiqiang Cai. He will continue to work with Professor Cai during the coming academic year as a postdoctoral research associate.
Tue 30 Jun 2009
On May 1, 2009, the Department of Mathematics recognized the following award and scholarship recipients within Mathematics and Actuarial Science.
College of Science Outstanding Seniors: Arman Sabbaghi, Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics; Rachel Smith, Actuarial Science and Statistics, minor in Management; Zachary Sylvan, Physics and Mathematics
College of Science Outstanding Juniors: Philip Hebda, Mathematics; Alex Morton, Actuarial Science
College of Science Outstanding Sophomores: Eric Krafcheck, Actuarial Science, Daniel Stratman, Mathematics
College of Science Outstanding Freshmen: Parker Crosby, Actuarial Science, Sung Jun Ma, Mathematics
Mathematics Advisor Award: Peter Cook
Michael Golomb Math Award: Haiyun Zhao
Eugene V. Schenkman Memorial Award: Kun-Chieh Wang
Jerison Memorial Award in Analysis: David Franco
Glen E. Baxter Memorial Award: Philip Hebda, Joshua Rendall
Merrill E. Shanks Memorial Award: Ryan Hoffman, Jessica Markstrom
Senior Achievement Award: Amber Meyerratken, Arman Sabbaghi, Zachary Sylvan, Haiyun Zhao
MAA Math Competition team (4th place): Justin Chen, Eric Haengel, Daniel Stratman
Putnam Exam: Kun-Chieh Wang (61.5 score). Other student participants: Brian Pace, Daniel Stratman
Spira Award for Summer Research: Alex Krzywda
Thomas Arai Scholarship: Justin Chen
Leonard D. & Anna W. Berkovitz Scholarship: Jeremy Cunningham
Mark Hoppy Memorial Scholar: Jeremy Cunningham
Andris A. Zoltners Scholar: Remy Spoentgen
Virginia Mashin Scholars: Catherine Cohoat, Christopher Cunningham, Brian Pace, Joshua Rendall, Rebecca Seahorn, Remy Spoentgen, Roger Tabchouri, Robert Winding
Helen Clark Wight Scholars: James Gilmore, Megan Giordano, Linley Johnson, Mark Knight, Kristina Rubiano, Catherine Warner
Actuarial Science Outstanding Senior: Rachel Smith
Actuarial Science Outstanding Junior: Alex Morton
Actuarial Science Outstanding Sophomore: Eric Krafcheck
Actuarial Science Outstanding Freshman: Parker Crosby
The Exam Awards were presented on April 6th to the following students: Abdul Rahim Ab Ghani, Robert Fulton, Jacob Libauskas, Divvya Aggarwal, Nicholas Georgopoulos, Kevin Libby, Molly Amstutz, Grant Goedde, Rebecca Lumley, Jennifer Aschenbrenner, Angela Hancock, Lisa McGuire, Robert Astleford, Sarah Haynes, Alex Morton, Steven Balog, Erin Hennessey, Elizabeth Moss, John Carroll, Matthew Hewitt, Brett Newman, Vaidehi Chhaptrapati, Michael Hoyer, Daniel O’ Toole, Greg Chomanczuk, Siliang Hu, Katie Poon, Frank Cinfio, Lingbo Huang, Katherine Quinn, Chris Cunningham, Eric Hyland, Xuelu Ren, Jeremy Cunningham, Dhaval Jadhav, Sarah Ryan, Melanee Dallas, Ian Jones, Trent Sahlin, Sally Diesslin, Jacqueline Keller, Brian Schwartz, Darren Doehrmann, Eric Krafcheck, Rachel Smith, Kristen Dyson, Petrina Kusliawan, J. Daniel Stout
AEGON Scholarship: Eric Krafcheck
Alumni Scholarship: William McCartney
Daniel Rubin Scholarships: Thomas Edson, Trent Sahlin
Swiss Re Scholarships: Angela Hancock, Rebecca Lumley, Elizabeth Moss
First Prize award : David Elden
Certificates of Merit – Undergraduate: Michael Burkhart
Certificates of Merit – Graduate Students: Richard Eden, Sambit Palit, Huanyu Shao, Phuong Thanh Tran
First Prize Award: Xingyi Qin
Certificates of Merit – Undergraduates: Andrew Bohn, Michael Burkhart, Wenyu Zhang
Certificates of Merit – Graduate Students: Huanyu Shao, Phuong Thanh Tran, James Vaught, Tairan Yuwen
Gerald R. MacLane Award: Yu Tsumura
2008-09 Outstanding Teaching Assistants: Sarah Bryant, Robert Bridges, Kuan-Hua Chen, Jia Li, Prahlad Vaidyanathan, Nicholas Wegman
Teaching Academy, Associate Member: Jaebang Kim
Committee for the Education of Teaching Assistants: Robert Bridges
(CETA) – Celebration of Graduate Student Teaching: Sarah Bryant. Honorees: Prahlad Vaidyanathan, Nicholas Wegman
Advanced Graduate Teacher Certificate Recipient: Jaebang Kim
Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Award: James Price
Keedy Scholarships (incoming students): Deaghan Hallihan, Andrew Homan, James Packett, Anthony Rizzie
Zoltners Graduate Scholarship (incoming students): Alan Legg, Mariana Smit Vega Garcia, Lloyd West
Carl Cowen Exceptional Promise Award: Erin Malloy (incoming)
T. T. Moh Fellowship: Qing Han (incoming)
Fri 5 Jun 2009
Prof. Dongbin Xiu is the recipient of a 2009-2010 “Teaching for Tomorrow Award.” He will be matched with two highly experienced Purdue faculty who will over the next year address important topics and experiences related to teaching and student learning, and he will receive $1000 in faculty development funds.
Funding for the awards is made possible by the Purdue classes of 1944 and 1945