Missouri Section NExT Meeting Spring 2024
William Jewel College, Liberty, MO
Thursday, April 11, 2024
MO NExT Reception
7:00pm-8:00pm CT
Doniphan Room, Brown Hall
MO NExT Members and invited guests, join us for an hour of mathematical camaraderie!
Friday, April 12, 2024
8:30am-9:30am CT
Gano Assembly Room
BIG Careers for Mathematicians
Dr. Allen Butler
MAA Treasurer
Member of MAA Board of Directors
Daniel H. Wagner Associates
Abstract
Most professors have spent their entire careers wandering academic halls. It’s no wonder they sometimes struggle with the task of advising students on non-academic careers. In this talk, we’ll look at ways to help such students. What advice can you give students about finding the right jobs? How can students best prepare themselves to be successful, both in the interview process and in their new career? Are internships really valuable and how do I get one? What can students expect when they transition from the classroom to the “real world”?
10:00am-11:00am CT
Gano Assembly Room
Determinants, Eigenvalues, and Inverses: What Linear Algebra is Teaching Me About DEI in Mathematics Education
Dr. Talea Mayo
Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Emory University
Abstract
I am an assistant professor in the mathematics department at Emory University. My early teaching experiences included prison teaching and private tutoring for K-16. At the undergraduate level, I currently teach linear algebra and numerical analysis. This semester, my department offered seven sections of linear algebra. The week of add/drop/swap, at least as many students were on my waitlist, despite available seats in other sections. Additionally, students from groups historically excluded from mathematics are overrepresented in my sections (and research group). As I have made a concerted effort to make my courses accessible and inclusive, I don’t find either of these facts coincidental. My efforts toward DEI have consistently attracted students from various social and academic backgrounds. Students want to be in my class, not because of what I teach, but how I teach them, with concern and respect for them as early mathematicians. In this talk, I will discuss some of what I’ve learned through my personal journey as a mathematics student, scholar, and educator. As I am still learning, I also hope to facilitate idea exchange about increasing accessibility and inclusivity, ultimately improving teaching and learning in undergraduate mathematics nationwide.