This is a summary for all Pi Epsilon Chapters of the meeting of the National Council of Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc., August 3, 2007 in San Jose, CA.

• There were 75 Pi Mu Epsilon student speakers at the national Pi Mu Epsilon conference held in conjunction with MathFest 2007.  This number of speakers far exceeds the previous high. 
• Students who requested transportation reimbursement also received $125 to help defray the costs of lodging, food, registration, etc.  Pi Mu Epsilon was able to give these students this subsistence because of a grant from the National Security Agency. 
•  Twelve student speakers received $150 cash awards for the excellence of their presentations.  Seven of these cash prizes were subsidized by a grant from the American Mathematical Society, one was furnished by the Council on Undergraduate Research, two were given by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, one was given by the MAA’s Special Interest Group on issues of Environmental Mathematics, and one was given by the MAA’s Special Interest Group on Mathematical Biology.  These awards were presented immediately following the Pi Mu Epsilon Banquet with 192 students and faculty in attendance.
• The Student Reception welcoming Pi Mu Epsilon and MAA student speakers the evening before MathFest began was well-received.  During MathFest, two of the four teams that participated in the Mathematical Jeopardy Contest represented two of our Pi Mu Epsilon Chapters: Ohio Omicron at Mount Union College and Ohio Xi at Youngstown State University. 
• The second annual breakfast for Chapter Advisors held at MathFest 2007 was again great success, and Pi Mu Epsilon will continue to host these breakfasts at MathFests.  Pi Mu Epsilon has discontinued sponsoring the joint advisor breakfasts at the winter meetings since at those meetings the Pi Mu Epsilon table in the Exhibit Hall is the primary place to meet and talk to faculty and students associated with our Pi Mu Epsilon Chapters.
• In business conducted by email during the spring semester, Council voted unanimously to establish the following new Chapters (listed in the order in which they were approved):
• The California Omicron Chapter at California State University - Chico, our 322^nd Chapter.  The Chapter was installed on April 15, 2007 by President Joan Weiss.
• The Virginia Mu Chapter at Christian Newport University in Newport News, our 323^rd Chapter.  The Chapter was installed on April 12, 2007 by President-Elect David Sutherland.
• The Oregon Epsilon Chapter at Linfield College in McMinnville, our 324^th Chapter.  The Chapter was installed on May 15, 2007 by Councillor Paul Fishback.
• The Massachusetts Zeta Chapter at Fitchburg State College, our 325^th Chapter.  The Chapter will be installed at a date to be determined by Journal Editor Brigitte Servatius.
• The California Pi Chapter at Concordia University – Irvine, our 326^th Chapter.  The Chapter was installed on April 29, 2007 by Secretary-Treasurer Leo Schneider.
• The Ohio Sigma Chapter at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, our 327^th Chapter.  The Chapter will be installed, probably on September 7, 2007, by Secretary-Treasurer Leo Schneider.
• The financial report for the July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007 fiscal year showed that Pi Mu Epsilon is in good shape and was accepted unanimously by the Council.  The budget for the July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 fiscal year was approved.  Due to the large number of speakers at the August 2007 meeting, the budget for this fiscal year will be very tight.
• Pi Mu Epsilon has continued computerizing its Membership records.  It looks as though the end is in sight!  We now see that the Chapter that has inducted the maximum number of members is the Missouri Gamma Chapter at St. Louis University.  Congratulations MO Gamma!
• The best student-written articles in the 2006 issues of the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal that received the Richard V. Andree Award were:
• Working with Block Products by Sara Zasada, which appeared in the fall 2006 issue.
• Linked Triangle Pairs in a Straight Edge Embedding of K₆ by Colleen Hughes, which appeared in the spring 2006 issue.
• The Editor of the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal reported an increase in papers submitted for publication.  There is still a desire to increase the number of student-written articles.  In the 2006 issues of the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal there was an insufficient number of papers with student authors to distribute all the prize money available for the Richard V. Andree Award.  Articles coauthored by students and faculty are not eligible for this award.
• The Problems Section of the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal continues to be popular.  The problems that appear in the spring and fall issues of the Journal are posted on the Pi Mu Epsilon web page, http://www.pme-math.org/ on March 1 and October 1, usually ahead of the time the Journal is mailed to our members.  October 1, 2007 is the deadline for solutions submitted to the problems that were posted on March 1, 2007, and the solutions to those problems will be printed in the fall 2007 issue of the Journal.  Similarly, March 1, 2008 will the deadline for solutions submitted to the problems that will be posted on October 1,2007, and the solutions to those problems will be printed in the spring 2008 issue of the Journal.
• A searchable index for the titles and authors of all articles that have appeared in the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal is on our web site.  Articles that have won the Richard V. Andree Award are given special recognition in the index. 
• Visits were made to five Chapters in the Pi Mu Epsilon National Lectureship and Enhancement Program for 2006-2007:
• Journal Editor Brigitte Servatius visited our New York Alpha Nu Chapter at Fordham University on March 23, 2007.
• Past President Robert Smith visited our South Carolina Alpha Chapter at the University of South Carolina on March 27, 2007.
• Councillor Eve Torrence visited our North Carolina Lambda Chapter at Wake Forest University on April 9, 2007.
• President Joan Weiss visited our New Jersey Epsilon Chapter at St. Peter’s College on April 19, 2007.
• President-Elect David Sutherland visited our Texas Iota Chapter at the University of Texas at Arlington on April 25 and 26, 2007.
• Also during the spring term, one Chapter was formally reactivated:
• President Joan Weiss reactivated the New Jersey Zeta Chapter at Fairleigh Dickinson University on April 26, 2007.
• The Council approved funding in our 2007-2008 National Lectureship and Enhancement Program for our Oklahoma Beta Chapter at Oklahoma State University.
• The Council will accept applications for additional Lectureship visits for the spring 2008 term.  The deadline for the applications will be December 1, 2007.
• President-Elect David Sutherland represented Pi Mu Epsilon at the gala celebration in Washington, DC honoring the 12 winners of the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad.
• Pi Mu Epsilon was gifted with an endowment to establish a triennial award for a faculty member who has demonstrated dedication and exceptional service to his or her Chapter.  National officers are ineligible for this award.  The value of the award will be $500. The first such award will be made at the Pi Mu Epsilon conference held in conjunction with MathFest in August 2008.
• Chapters are asked to verify that their listing is up to date and correct in our listing of Chapters at http://www.pme-math.org/chapters/statelists.html
• Chapters should file their annual Chapter Report at http://www.pme-math.org/chapters/chaptersubmit.html
• Ballots for Pi Mu Epsilon officers for the term July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2011 will be emailed to Chapters by January 31, 2008.
• The Pi Mu Epsilon Constitution specifies that any Chapter can nominate an officer whose name shall appear on the ballot.  Of course, Chapters can also simply suggest names to the nominating committee.  The nominating committee for this election is: President Joan Weiss, chair, together with Past President Robert Smith, President-Elect David Sutherland, and Secretary-Treasurer Leo Schneider.  The deadline for submitting nominations to the Secretary-Treasurer is November 30, 2007.

The complete and official minutes of this meeting will be available from the Pi Mu Epsilon Secretary-Treasurer after they are approved at the January 2008 meeting of the Pi Mu Epsilon Council in San Diego, CA.

Leo J. Schneider
Secretary-Treasurer, Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc.

 

Appendix

 

Pi Mu Epsilon Student Speakers at MathFest 2007

 

Prizes for outstanding Pi Mu Epsilon student talks, presented to the students at the Pi Mu Epsilon banquet Saturday evening, were:

 

• American Mathematics Society awards for excellence in student exposition and research (in alphabetical order):
• Jeff Cornfield, Ohio Xi Chapter at Youngstown State University, Napoleon Triangles-- A Brief Presentation.
• Tyler Drombosky, Ohio Xi Chapter at Youngstown State University, Effective Condition Number.
• Rachel Grotheer, Ohio Iota Chapter at Denison University, The tangled and knotted tale of two graphs.
• David Horn, Illinois Iota Chapter at Elmhurst College, Cutting a Segment into Equal Areas without Cutting through the Curve OR Cutting Pie Fairly.
• Sara Jensen, Wisconsin Epsilon Chapter at Carthage College, Population Genetics and the ABO Blood Type.
• William Ryan Livingston, Ohio Xi Chapter at Youngstown State University, Statistical Observations on America's Colleges and Universities.
• Matt Ward, Ohio Xi Chapter at Youngstown State University, Are the Gaussian Integers Friends?
• Council on Undergraduate Research award for outstanding student research and exposition:
• William Stanton, Ohio Pi Chapter at Kenyon College, Stable Multiplier Sequences.
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics award for outstanding student exposition and research in applied mathematics:
• Amanda Moore, Ohio Iota Chapter at Denison University, Interlocked Linkages: Finding a Key.
• Jordan Yoder, Maryland Theta Chapter at Goucher College, What do monosaccharides, lipids, and amino acids have to do with mathematics?
• MAA Special Interest Group -- Environmental Mathematics awards for outstanding exposition and research  in  environmental mathematics:
• Tyler Bryson, Oregon Epsilon Chapter at Linfield College, Competition Modelling in Biological Systems.
• MAA Special Interest Group – Mathematical Biology: The Janet L. Anderson Award for outstanding exposition and research  in Mathematical or Computational Biology:
•  Andrew Matteson, Texas Eta Chapter at Texas A&M University, An Enzyme Kinetic Model of Tumor Dormancy.

This is the complete list of Pi Mu Epsilon Student Speakers:

 

First Name	Last Name	State	Chapter	Title
Vanessa	Abrisqueta	NJ	Epsilon	Ramsey Theory of Finite Groups
Jennifer	Anderson	TX	Iota	Quandle Basics
Frank	Ballone	OH	Xi	Steganography and Steganalysis
Melissa	Barrick	MD	Delta	A Textbook Fit for a Princess
Tyler	Bryson	OR	Epsilon	Competition Modelling in Biological Systems
Lisa	Cangelose	TX	Eta	Modeling of master and slave oscillators of birds during migratory season  [Joint paper with Cara Montgomery]
Shawn	Case	MA	Eta	Cryptology
Brittany Lynn	Chase	WI	Epsilon	The Mathematics of the Game of Set
Lea	Cluff	OH	Xi	When does a complex function equal it's own derivative?
Jeff	Cornfield	OH	Xi	Napoleon Triangles- A Brief Presentation
Kristin	Creech	TX	Iota	Finite Frames and Applications
Jennifer	Crounse	MA	Eta	The Personal Assignment Problem
Tara	Cruickshank	OH	Xi	Representations of Complex Numbers
Marie Nicole	Dailey	OH	Lambda	Divisibility Properties of 2007 and related numbers
Carrie	Davis	OH	Xi	The Mathematics of Free Throw Shooting
Kyle	Diederich	WI	Delta	Measuring the Diskivity of a Plane Region
Tyler	Drombosky	OH	Xi	Effective Condition Number
Joseph	Esposito	PA	Upsilon	Variational Methods for Image Decomposition
Krista	Foster	OH	Xi	Too Tall for Volleyball
Kensey	Foushee	NC	Mu	The Effect of Branch Cuts on Integral Representations
John	Fulk	TX	Eta	Wandering Vectors and Frame Vectors
Ellen	Galo	NY	Epsilon	Analysis of the Chartres Labyrinth with Implications for New Labyrinth Design
William	George	OH	Sigma	Some Implications of the Total Curvature of Knots
Rachel	Grotheer	OH	Iota	The tangled and knotted tale of two graphs
Jeffrey	Hatley	NJ	Theta	Algebraic Invariants of Binary Forms
Brent	Hawker	UT	Alpha	Continued Fractions and Sums of Squares
John	Hoffman	OH	Xi	Dawn of the Logistic Function
Laura	Homa	OH	Omicron	Quantitative Analysis of Literary Styles
David	Horn	IL	Iota	Cutting a Segment into Equal Areas without Cutting through the Curve OR Cutting Pie Fairly
Dylan	Hower	PA	Upsilon	Mathematical Methods for Automated Grain Boundary Detection
Michelle	Jackson	CA	Xi	Two Interesting Binomial Identities
Sara	Jensen	WI	Epsilon	Population Genetics and the ABO Blood Type
Brendan	Kelly	NJ	Theta	Plant Pathogen Dynamics
Kevin	Kreighbaum	OH	Omicron	Weird Dice
Mark	Krines	WI	Delta	Monoseparable and Metric Preferences in Referendum Elections
Jason	La Corte	TX	Rho	Brouwer's Fixed Point Theorem in R^n: A Combinatorial Proof
Mark	Lane	TX	Epsilon	Algebraic Combinatorics and Magic n-Circles
David	Ledbetter	OH	Omicron	On a Number of Primes less than X
Arielle	Leitner	CA	Omicron	Arithmetic Derivatives and Number Theory
William Ryan	Livingston	OH	Xi	Statistical Observations on America's Colleges and Universities
Micah	Martin	CA	Xi	Binomial and Gaussian Coefficients
David	Martin	OH	Xi	Trigonometric Infinite Series
Andrew	Matteson	TX	Eta	A Enzyme Kinetic Model of Tumor Dormancy
Kerry	McIver	OH	Lambda	The Perfect Shuffle: An Analysis
Stefanie	Meyer	TX	Epsilon	A Complex History
Cara	Montgomery	TX	Eta	Modeling of master and slave oscillators of birds during migratory season  [Joint paper with Lisa Cangelose]
Amanda	Moore	OH	Iota	Interlocked Linkages: Finding a Key
Meghan	Moreland	OH	Omicron	Geometry and Foucault Pendulum
Brittany	Mosby	GA	Delta	Applications in Number Theory and Cryptography
Lindsey	Nagy	MD	Delta	Laura Bassi.....Who?
Ryan	Pavlik	WI	Delta	Computational Intersection of Polygons - Intuitive Procedures and Practical Problems
Jason	Percival	MA	Delta	Calculating the area of a spherical triangle
Heather	Peterson	CA	Pi	Addition over Elliptic Curves
Erika	Peterson	CA	Pi	Reed-Solomon Codes
Jason	Pfister	TX	Eta	Stochastic Model of the Progression of an Atherosclerotic Lesion
Mauricio Alexander	Rivas	TX	Epsilon	A Combinatorial Morse Theory
Amanda	Rohde	IN	Gamma	A Variable Neighborhood Search Algortihm Applied to a Final Exam Scheduling Problem
Anne	Rollick	OH	Lambda	Spheres on a Cayley Graph
Jared	Ruiz	OH	Xi	Representations of Groups
Joseph	Salisbury	RI	Beta	Models of Synchronization: the many faces of the Kuramoto model
Bruce	Salter	MI	Lambda	No slip wheel rolling on function curves
Chelsea	Sprankle	MD	Delta	Maria Agnesi's \emph{Analytical Institutions}
William	Stanton	OH	Pi	Stable Multiplier Sequences
Ashley	Swandby	VA	Epsilon	A Comparison of Image Analysis Methods in cDNA Microarrays
Jeff	Swartzel	OH	Nu	Two-Dimensional Packings of Elliptic Paritcles
Mimi	Tsuruga	NY	Beta	Visualizing Vortices: Vorticity in Navier-Stokes Flow
Matthew	Voigt	MN	Delta	The Complexity of the Stars
Doug	Wajda	OH	Xi	A solution to a multi-sport race using differential equations
Jeffrey	Ward	NY	Omicron	Lattices in Cryptography
Matt	Ward	OH	Xi	Are the Gaussian Integers Friends?
Michael T.	Williams	MA	Delta	Continued Fractions with Gosper Grids
Rebecca	Winarski	OH	Sigma	Superbraid Index and its Application to Knot Invariants
Amy	Winslow	VA	Iota	Modular Origami and the Trefoil Knot
Moriah	Wright	OH	Xi	Some applications of Markov Transition Matrices
Jordan	Yoder	MD	Theta	What do monosaccharides, lipids, and amino acids have to do with mathematics?

 

Also in attendance at the conference were these delegates:

First Name	Last Name	State	Chapter
Kristel	Ehrhardt	MD	Gamma
Eteri	Svanidze	NY	Pi