Michael Dorff

BIG jobs in math

Abstract:
CareerCast.com, a job search website, ranks the top jobs each year. One occupation is almost always in the top 5 and some years is the #1 job -- that occupation is mathematician! Unfortunately, many students and people don't know this. They think that the main (or only) career option for someone who studies mathematics is teaching. While teaching is a great career, there are hundreds of companies in business, industry, and government (BIG) hiring math majors. To get hired by one of these companies, students need to do more than just major in math. In this talk, we will talk about some of the exciting things mathematicians in BIG are doing in their careers, and we will reveal the four things that recruiters say every math student should do to get a job.

Bio:
Michael Dorff is the past President of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and a professor of mathematics at Brigham Young University. He earned his Ph.D from the University of Kentucky. He is interested in promoting mathematics to the general public, in math careers in industry, and in undergraduate research. He co-directs the MAA PIC Math program (Preparation for Industrial Careers in the Mathematical Sciences) and was the founder of CURM (Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics). He is a Fellow of the AMS, a CUR Fellow (Council on Undergraduate Research), and a Fulbright Scholar in Poland. He is married with 5 daughters. In any free time he has, he enjoys reading, writing, running, and traveling (he has traveled to 49 U.S. states and 48 countries).

Tom Edgar

A Mathematician's Groundhog Day: Prove, reflect, and repeat

Abstract:
What might a mathematician do if they were forced to relive the same day over and over, much like Bill Murray in the classic movie Groundhog Day? Wouldn't boredom set in after proving the same theorem over and over? Not if they use different techniques each time! In this talk, we will discuss why mathematicians might be interested in proving one result in many ways. We'll explore multiple proofs for a variety of theorems that are typically encountered by undergraduate mathematics students. In particular, we will encounter several visually-inspired proofs that encourage alternate ways of thinking about pure mathematical ideas.

Bio:
Tom Edgar is the editor of Math Horizons, the undergraduate magazine of the MAA, and an associate professor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. He completed his PhD at the University of Notre Dame. He enjoys searching for visual proofs (or other nonstandard proofs) of any fact he learns and likes working with undergraduates on projects related to combinatorial number theory. He spends most of his non-work time with his wife and five-year old son, especially playing ALL the sports, and has used his pandemic isolation to attempt to learn to play the mandolin.

Angie Hodge-Zickerman

Living Proof: Finding success, against all odds

Abstract:
In this talk, I will share my mathematical journal and how I overcame many obstacles along the way. I will share stories that are both personal and professional with the audience in hopes that everyone in attendance will leave with strategies for being successful in mathematics (and helping others be successful in mathematics).

Bio:
Dr. Angie Hodge-Zickerman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Northern Arizona University. She earned her PhD in mathematics education in 2007 from Purdue University. Her research interests include active learning in the mathematics classroom, technology and its role in active learning, and equity issues in the STEM disciplines. She loves to run long distances – the 50 miler is her favorite distance to race. During the pandemic she has pushed her two year old son in the stroller through many meetings and even up mountains. She also enjoys traveling and exploring with her husband and two stepsons.