Michigan Iota
Grand Valley State University
2003-2004 Chapter Report

Advisor and Officers

Advisor: Professor Paul Fishback

President: Ben Vugteveen

Number of New Members Inducted:

38

Number of Continuing Members:

10

Do any of your chapter members plan to attend or present a paper at the PME national meeting at MathFest in Providence, Rhode Island?

At least one PME member will be presenting at MathFest in Providence in August, 2004. She is a participant in the 2004 GVSU Mathematics REU program. It is very likely that at least one or two more GVSU PME members will give MathFest talks as well.

Describe the two most interesting or unusual chapter activities this year:

The GVSU PME chapter is closely aligned with the GVSU Math and Stats Club / Student MAA Chapter. The club has had numerous activities during the past year, including various social events and panel discussions on graduate school and on succeeding in the mathematics major.

In the fall of 2003, the PME members met to fill out a questionnaire prepared by Drs. Will Dickinson and Paul Fishback. The purpose of this questionnaire was to gather feedback on what students perceive as crucial factors for gauging one's interest in mathematics and as well as the likelihood of one's successfully completing the mathematics major. An online version of this questionnaire will be made available in the summer of 2004. Results of this questionnaire will be used to assist in faculty advising and in recruiting students to the major. In particular, a longterm goal during the next year is to incorporate the questionnaire results into "advising packets" that will be given to new mathematics majors.

Do you have any news about current students or recent graduates? For example, scholarships or other awards, acceptances to graduate school, paper presentations at conferences. :

John Skukalek, a 2003 PME inductee, participated in the Penn State Mathematics Advanced Study Semester (MASS)Program in the fall of 2003. John graduated second in his class from the MASS program and will be entering the Penn State mathematics doctoral program in the fall of 2004. In addition, John received GVSU's Niemeyer Award, the top award given to any student at GVSU. This year marks the second year a mathematics major has received this award.Ben Vugteveen, PME Chapter President, will be participating in the MASS program in the fall of 2004.Kristina Lund, a 2004 PME inductee, was recognized for a talk on the generalized area principle that she delivered at MathFest in Boulder in 2003. In addition, Kristina has just been awarded a Goldwater Scholarship.