Past Listings: News and Notes

Two teams of undergraduates participated in the 2014 Mathematical Contest in Modeling. The team of Andrew Harris, Dante Iozzo, and Nigel Michki was designated as "Meritorious Winner" (top 9%) and the team of George Braun, Collin Olander, and Jonathan Tang received honorable mention (top 31%). John Ringland served as the faculty advisor to both teams.

The Mathematical Contest in Modeling is a multi-day mathematics competition. It is distinguished from other major mathematical competitions such as Putnam by its strong focus on research, originality, teamwork, communication and justification of results. This year there were 6,755 teams participating from around the world. [April 2014]

The Mathematics Department congratulates Kim Javor for winning the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching. This is the inaugural year of this SUNY-wide program recognizing the very best adjunct instructors. In initiating the program, Interim SUNY Provost Bringsjord noted "one of SUNY's most important distinctions is the wealth of accomplished educators and consummate professionals among its ranks. The Excellence Awards are a recognition of, and tribute to, the expertise, dedication and commitment of these individuals. Award recipients personify professional excellence and serve as role models for the SUNY community." [February 2014]

Professor June Zhu is co-organizing the Fourth Annual Upstate New York Number Theory Conference, to be held at UB on April 26-27, 2014.  [February 2014]

Myhill Lecture Series 2013-14
Professor Percy Deift from Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences presented the Myhill Lecture Series for 2013-14. This 3-part lecture series was held Oct 15 - Oct 17, and included a reception in honor of Professor Deift immediately following the first lecture. See the Mathematics Department Calendar for more information. [October 2013]

Shuen Yuan has passed away
Professor Emeritus Shuen Yuan has died at the age of 77 in his home in Williamsville. Professor Yuan earned his B.A. from National Taiwan University in 1958 and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in 1964. He was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton from 1964-66, an Assistant Professor at Case Institute for 1966-67, then joined our department in 1967 as an Associate Professor. He was a member of the department faculty for 47 years, becoming Professor in 1974 and retiring in January of 2011. Professor Yuan's research was in algebra, particularly commutative rings and algebras, and he supervised the dissertation of three Ph.D. graduates. [November 2013]

Professor Xiaoqing Li Receives Morningside Silver Medal at ICCM
On July 14, 2013, Xiaoqing Li, associate professor of mathematics at UB, received a Morningside Silver Medal at the opening ceremony of the Sixth International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians (ICCM) in Taipei. The ICCM is a triennial event that brings together Chinese and overseas mathematicians to discuss the latest research developments in both pure and applied mathematics.

The Morningside Medal is the most prestigious award for young Chinese mathematicians. It is awarded to exceptional mathematicians of Chinese descent under the age of forty-five for their seminal achievements in mathematics and applied mathematics. Each Morningside Medalist receives a certificate, a medal, and cash award of US$25,000 for a gold medal, or US$10,000 for a silver medal. Li delivered a 45 minute invited address at the Congress in the "Number Theory, Automorphic Forms and Arithmetic Geometry" section.

The 2013 Morningside winners are:
Morningside Gold Medal: Xuhua He (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), Ye Tian (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Xianfeng David Gu (State University of New York at Stonybrook).
Morningside Silver Medal: Chieh-Yu Chang (National Tsing Hua University), Xiaoqing Li (State University of New York at Buffalo), Hao Xu (Harvard University), Tai-Peng Tsai (University of British Columbia). [August 2013]

Jim Reineck has passed away
It is with great sadness that we report that our friend and colleague Prof. James F. Reineck passed away at his home on Saturday, April 13, 2013 after a long illness. Jim came to UB in 1987 as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1991 and to Professor in 2002. He served as our Director of Graduate Studies from 1999-2004. He had four doctoral students graduate under his supervision. Those wishing to send condolences to Jim's family, which includes his wife Hilde and daughters Sonja and Maria, may do so by way of the UB Mathematics Department (244 Math Bldg, Buffalo, NY 14260). [April 2013]

Congratulations to Graduates and Award Winners
The Mathematics Department congratulates all of our graduating seniors. We also congratulate the following award winners: Bud Rozwood and Jiechen Chen (2013 Gehman Scholarship); Sean Bearden, Victoria Klemann, Hyunwoo Na, and Maya Malaviya (2013-14 Hazel and John Wilson Undergraduate Mathematics Scholarship); and Matthew Schmidt (2013 Oustanding Senior). [May 2013]

Jim Javor wins Excellence in Teaching Award
We are delighted to report that Prof. Jim Javor is the winner of a 2012 Milton Plesur Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Undergraduate Student Association sponsors this award, given to outstanding professors and nominated by the students who have benefited from their extraordinary efforts to enlighten and educate. Prof. Javor is now a two-time Milton Plesur Award winner, having also received this recognition of his outstanding teaching in 2004. [April 2013]

Michael Rosas Wins Graduate School Teaching Award
Congratulations to our graduate student Michael Rosas who was recently announced as a winner of the University at Buffalo 2012-2013 Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Award. Michael will receive his award at the UB Celebration of Student Excellence on April 12, 2013. [April 2013]

2013 Myhill Lectures by Professor Peter Sarnak
Professor Peter Sarnak from Princeton University presented the Myhill Lecture Series for 2013. This 3-part lecture series was held Mar 20 - Mar 22, and included a reception in honor of Professor Sarnak immediately following the first lecture. See the Mathematics Department Calendar for more information. [March 2013]

URGE to Compute Program for Undergraduate Research
URGE to Compute provides apprenticeships worth $10,000 to each of 12 students annually to conduct research of a computational nature in mathematics and the mathematical sciences. URGE stands for Undergraduate Research Group Experiences, and it is the implementation in Buffalo of the National Science Foundation's CSUMS program. It is a collaboration of the UB and Buffalo State Mathematics Departments, the UB Physics Department, the UB Center for Computational Research, and the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. Students accepted to the program will conduct a year-long program of research, closely mentored by faculty, and engage in many activities that support the research and their intellectual and personal development. Please visit the URGE to Compute website for more information. [October 2013]

Congratulations to Emeritus Professor F. William Lawvere on being named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. Professor Lawvere is a member of the highly-distinguished inaugural class of Fellows. A full listing of AMS Fellows is at http://www.ams.org/profession/fellows-list-institution. [November 2012]

The Mathematics Department congratulates all of our graduating seniors. We also congratulate the following award winners: James Kotary (2012 Gehman Scholarship), David Trabucco (2012-13 Hazel and John Wilson Undergraduate Mathematics Scholarship), and John Susice (2012 Oustanding Senior and Harriet F. Montague Award).

Professor Mladen Bestvina from the University of Utah presented the Myhill Lecture Series for 2012. This 3-part lecture series was held Tue Apr 17 - Thu Apr 19, and included a reception in honor of Professor Besvina immediately following the first lecture. See the Mathematics Department Calendar for more information.

Congratulations to Alyssa Brown, graduate student in Mathematics, who will be receiving an Honorable Mention in this year's Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Awards competition. The Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association established the Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Awards Program to publicly recognize those graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional performance in the execution of their teaching responsibilities.

Please join us in congratulating Professor John Ringland who is this year's winner of the 2012 Clarence F. Stephens Distinguished Teaching Award from the Mathematical Society of America Seaway Section. In 1991, the Board of Governors of the MAA established the Section Awards for distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics to recognize teachers of Mathematics at the post-secondary level who have been widely recognized as extraordinarily successful. Their teaching effectiveness must be documented and must have had influence beyond their own institutions. As sectional winner, Professor Ringland will be automatically nominated for the national MAA Haimo Award. Congratulations!

The department welcomes its new Chair, David Hemmer. Professor Hemmer is taking over from Brian Hassard, who served two three-year terms as Chair. At the same time, Bernard Badzioch will take over the duties of Director of Undergraduate Studies, replacing David Hemmer who served in that position for three years. The department particularly thanks Brian Hassard for his 6 years of dedicated service to the department in capacity of Chair, and extends its gratitude to Professors Hemmer, Faran, Biondini and Badzioch who will be serving the department in administrative roles.

Two Math Dept faculty members have recently had books published. Prof. Jonathan Dimock's is "Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory: A Mathematical Primer", published by Cambridge University Press. Prof. Mohan Ramachandran's is "An Introduction to Riemann Surfaces", published by Birkhauser.

URGE to Compute provides apprenticeships worth $10,000 to each of 12 students annually to conduct research of a computational nature in mathematics and the mathematical sciences. URGE stands for Undergraduate Research Group Experiences, and it is the implementation in Buffalo of the National Science Foundation's CSUMS program. It is a collaboration of the UB and Buffalo State Mathematics Departments, the UB Physics Department, the UB Center for Computational Research, and the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. Students accepted to the program will conduct a year-long program of research, closely mentored by faculty, and engage in many activities that support the research and their intellectual and personal development. Please visit the URGE to Compute website for more information.

The winner of AMMCS 2011 Best Poster Competition is the poster "Numerical Analysis of Time-Dynamic Multi-phase Flow in Volcanic Conduits" by Alyssa Cederman, Anthony Grisafi, Eric Mikida, E Bruce Pitman, Jude Sabato, (UB and Buffalo State College) See Laurier Centennial Conference: AMMCS-2011, URGE to Compute at AMMCS-2011

Professor Bruce Pitman, a noted researcher and professor in the Department of Mathematics and associate dean for research and sponsored programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named dean of the college, effective July 1.  Read the full story in the UB Reporter.

Professor John Ringland was awarded the UB Faculty Award for Excellence in Mentoring at the Celebration of Student Academic Excellence on April 6, 2011. 

Congratulations to Craig Dodge, graduate student in Mathematics, who will be receiving a 2010-2011 Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award. The Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association established the Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Awards Program to publicly recognize those graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional performance in the execution of their teaching responsibilities. The principal selection criteria include outstanding teaching competence, effective mentorship of students, and the maintenance of high academic standards and expectations of student performance.

Let's all congratulate Xiaoqing on her selection as a 2011 Alfred Sloan Research Fellow. This is wonderful for her and an honor for our Department. Thank you, Xiaoqing, and best wishes for continuing success!!

URGE to Compute provides apprenticeships worth $10,000 to each of 12 students annually to conduct research of a computational nature in mathematics and the mathematical sciences. URGE stands for Undergraduate Research Group Experiences, and it is the implementation in Buffalo of the National Science Foundation's CSUMS program. It is a collaboration of the UB and Buffalo State Mathematics Departments, the UB Physics Department, the UB Center for Computational Research, and the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. Students accepted to the program will conduct a year-long program of research, closely mentored by faculty, and engage in many activities that support the research and their intellectual and personal development.

13 undergraduate math majors in the 2009 cohort of the URGE to Compute program traveled to the AMS/MAA Joint Meetings in San Francisco, CA, January 14-17 2010, to give talks on their research results. The students were accompanied by their research mentors, Profs. John Ringland and Gino Biondini of the UB Math Department and Prof. Saziye Bayram of the Buffalo State College Math Department.

URGE to Compute provides apprenticeships worth $10,000 to each of 12 students annually to conduct research of a computational nature in mathematics and the mathematical sciences. URGE stands for Undergraduate Research Group Experiences, and it is the implementation in Buffalo of the National Science Foundation's CSUMS program. It is a collaboration of the UB and Buffalo State Mathematics Departments, the UB Physics Department, the UB Center for Computational Research, and the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. Students accepted to the program will conduct a year-long program of research, closely mentored by faculty, and engage in many activities that support the research and their intellectual and personal development.

Don Schack has passed away
It is with great sadness that we report that Samuel D. Schack (Don) passed away at his home this morning, Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 after a brief illness. Those wishing to send condolences to Don’s sister and her family, may do so by way of the Mathematics Department here at UB (244 Math Bldg, Buffalo, NY 14260)

Undergraduates Present Results at Rochester Conference
UB and BSC undergraduate students in the URGE to Compute program present results at New York Conference on Applied Mathematics, RIT, October 17, 2009

 

URGE students travel to Penn State to present research results
Thirteen members of the URGE to Compute 2009 cohort traveled to Pennsylvania State University on Nov 20 to give presentations of results of their research at the Conference on Undergraduate Research in Mathematics held there every other year. They were accompanied by UB Math Department professors John Ringland and Gino Biondini, and Buffalo State Math professor Saziye Bayram.

URGE to Compute Program for Undergraduate Research
URGE to Compute provides apprenticeships worth $10,000 to each of 12 students annually to conduct research of a computational nature in mathematics and the mathematical sciences. URGE stands for Undergraduate Research Group Experiences, and it is the implementation in Buffalo of the National Science Foundation's CSUMS program. It is a collaboration of the UB and Buffalo State Mathematics Departments, the UB Physics Department, the UB Center for Computational Research, and the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. Students accepted to the program will conduct a year-long program of research, closely mentored by faculty, and engage in many activities that support the research and their intellectual and personal development.
Please visit the URGE to Compute website for more information.

 

UB Team Wins Grueling 96-Hour International Math Contest
Undergraduates Tracy Stepien and Amy Evans were one of 1,162 teams to enter the 96-hour 2008 Mathematical Contest in Modeling. They were awarded Outstanding Winner designation as well as the Ben Fusaro Award and the SIAM Prize. Supervised by Professor Ringland, Evans and Stepien were one of two teams from UB to enter the competition. See the full story in the UB press release.