GVSU Math Major Newsletter |
This newsletter comes to your inbox each week from the GVSU math department. You can find past newsletters and information about previously announced events and opportunities at the newsletter webpage.
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Featured events and opportunities
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this Friday! Applied Math Seminar
Friday, October 9 from 1 - 2 pm in the PCS (MAK A-2-610) or via Zoom
Dr. Stuart Jones from GVSU's Anis Water Resource Institute will present about “I should have taken more math classes!”- An ecologist's path to loving math.
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Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Wisdom in Math (NCUWM): This is a conference we attend each year with GV math undergrads and we always have fun! It’s a great place to give a talk or poster if you’ve been doing research, or a great thing to go to if you’re curious about opportunities in math.
We plan to apply for funding for NCUWM, so this opportunity should be little to no cost for students.
Dates: January 29 - 31, 2027
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
Who Should Attend: All undergraduate math students. Women are especially encouraged!
What to Do Next (soon!): Contact DocK (keoulaur@gvsu.edu) if you’re interested! Registration is open until October 16, so we need to act soon!
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| Tanzania Study Abroad information meeting
Wednesday, October 21 from 7 - 8 pm in the PCS (MAK A-2-610) or via Zoom
Teach 50-60 hours in a Tanzanian classroom, volunteer at a local orphanage, many opportunities to interact with locals, and learn basic Swahili. Field trips include a 4 day-safari, a day climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro, tour a coffee plantation, shopping in the local Maasai market, design and have made clothing or accessories from local fabric. Build intercultural teaching and communication skills.
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this Monday! Monday, October 19: "The End of the Space Age: How Many Satellites is Too Many?" from 5-5:50pm in LTT 103. The Geology Department is hosting Dr. Mark Moldwin, Professor at the University of Michigan, who give a guest lecture discussing the rapid growth of commercial satellite constellations, the challenges of operating satellites in Low-Earth Orbit, and questions surrounding the future management of space.
- Friday, October 23: Tea Time at 1pm in the PCS (MAK A-2-610). Come join us for tea, cookies, and a chance to chat with peers and faculty.
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Friday 10/30: Math Circle at 1 pm in the Peer Collaboration Space (MAK A-2-610). Come explore fun math through Mancala. Come any time, leave any time. Even if you can't arrive until 2:00, that's OK. Math circles are a time to explore new math ideas in a friendly environment. Everyone is welcome!
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Scholarships, career, and internship opportunities
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What can you do with a math major? Check out job and salary info from GVSU alumni:
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Auto-Owners Summer 2027 Internship Opportunities Are Posted! If you are interested in pursuing a career in Software Development, Actuarial, Predictive Modeling, Security, Business Intelligence, Business Analyst, or Underwriting/Claims check out the internship opportunities that are available! Auto-Owners has hired many GVSU math majors over the years - you should definitely check them out!
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this Friday! 2026 Auto-Owners Tech Summit. The 2026 A-O Tech Summit will take place on Friday, October 16 from 10am – 4pm. The event shows students how their tech/data/math degree can be used in the insurance industry. If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior looking for an internship or career and you're interested working in the insurance industry, you should attend! Registration is open now!
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) 2027 summer actuarial and underwriting internship positions are currently posted:
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Community-Based Internships. Open to all GVSU College of Liberal Arts majors or work-study eligible students. Gain paid work experience with one of the following local non-profit organizations: Community Food Club, Grand Rapids Art Museum, IKUS, Junior Achievement, Kids' Food Basket, Paws with a Cause, Senior Neighbors, STEM Greenhouse, Boys and Girls Club, and Community Action House. For more information visit the GVSU Community-Based Internship page.
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Jackson’s Summer 2027 Actuarial Internship Program. Jackson is one of the largest annuity providers in the United States. An internship with Jackson’s Actuarial Department offers practical, hands-on work experience that enhances students' academic, career, and personal development, while helping the Company identify talented individuals for full-time employment after graduation. Interested students can apply using this job posting.
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The recruiting season for Jackson begins in September, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Interviews are expected to begin in mid-September, and internship offers will continue until all four positions in our 2027 intern class are filled. In previous years, positions have typically been filled by early to mid-October, so students are encouraged to apply now for full consideration.
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Resources to find internships and jobs: Handshake, the Career Center, LinkedIn and Indeed, plus the Career & Internship fair.
- The GVSU Career Center can help you find career and internship opportunities via their many events.
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If you're searching for internships or jobs, we strongly encourage you to join a career community (or multiple communities!). You will receive a monthly newsletter with internships, jobs, and events related to your area(s) of interest.
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The CareerLab is a drop-in space led by peers and career advisors that allows individual career consultation without an appointment. Get help with your resume, cover letters, interview prep, finding internship/employment opportunities, job applications, networking, and more.
- ScholarshipUniverse is GVSU's main website for finding and applying for scholarships. You can search by all kinds of filters and find matches for your major, minor, or other criteria.
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Unpaid Internship Support. If you find an internship and register for MTH 490 but aren't paid for it, you can apply for up to $1500. There are many details; click the link for more.
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Register soon for MTH 498 - Project-based Applied Mathematics (Capstone): If you are an applied math major and intend to graduate by Fall 2027, then you will need to complete your capstone course in the next year. MTH 498 is the standard option for your capstone and it is only offered in the Winter semester. There are limited seats available in MTH 498 for the Winter 2027 semester, so please register ASAP!
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Capstone credit for your internship (MTH 490): Applied math majors who are planning to do an internship might be able to earn capstone credit! If your internship is "mathy" and meets some other requirements, you can get capstone class credit (MTH 490) for that internship. Click the link for more information. The process to get approved for MTH 490 takes time -- if you intend to apply for a MTH 490 internship capstone, email or talk to Dr. Short in MAK B-2-204 right away to get the process started. Don't wait!
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Featured education opportunity
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The 2026 MCTM Annual Conference will take place November 6–7 at the Richard M. DeVos Center at GVSU, featuring keynote speaker Vanessa Vakharia, “The Math Guru.”
Math education majors: Don't miss this opportunity to learn, network, and experience attending a professional conference!
Reduced registration rate of $49 for MCTM college student members. Joining MCTM is free for college students and you can join using the MCTM membership page.
Volunteers attend free! If you'd like to volunteer at the conference, check out the volunteer opportunities.
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Other education opportunities
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MI Future Educator Stipend. Applications are now open for this $9,600 one-time stipend is for students in their student teaching ("internship") semester.
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MI Future Educator Fellowship. Applications are now open for a $10,000 scholarship for future educators, renewable for up to three years. There is a commitment to teach in a Michigan school as part of the fellowship.
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Featured conference and research opportunities
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| Math Student Research and Travel Funding
Up to $200 is available to support research-related costs, including travel and grad-school costs.
There are 2 application cycles – one due November 1 and one due March 15.
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Grad school, research, and conference opportunities
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new! NASA Michigan Space Grant Info Session from 4:00–4:50 PM in PAD 119. GVSU students are invited to learn about funding opportunities available through NASA MSGC, including Undergraduate Research Grants, Graduate Fellowships, Early Career Faculty Seed Grants, and educational programs.
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The Kindschi Undergraduate Research Fellowship in the Sciences provides financial support to GVSU students pursuing rigorous, independent scholarship during the academic year, mentored by a faculty member. The award provides students with a paid fellowship, $1,000 dissemination fund, and students can request up to $1000 for project supplies. Proposal deadline for Winter 2027: November 6, 2026. Visit the Kindschi Fellowship page on the OURS website to apply!
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NCUR 2027. The National Conference on Undergraduate Research will be held April 12 to 14, 2027, at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids. CSRSE will support registration costs for faculty or students who are presenting at the conference. Faculty interested in submitting with a student should note that abstract submissions are open now and close December 4. Conference information is available here.
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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited, nonprofit U.S. institutions of higher education. Secure three years of full graduate funding and a $37,000 annual stipend - applications are due Oct. 23 for mathematical sciences. The Program will host webinars and office hours providing information about the GRFP, including eligibility criteria, how to apply, tips for preparing the application, and details on to become a GRFP reviewer, expectations and responsibilities, and much more. Check out the full schedule and register today!
- Michigan Biostatistics graduate program. Discover how biostatistics and health science data turn quantitative reasoning into health impact. There are in person and virtual prospective student events scheduled for October.
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2027 Pi Mu Epsilon (PME) National Meeting will be held at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Chicago, IL, January 12-15, 2027. PME will be organizing student poster sessions, student paper sessions, and is pleased to offer up to $900 to defray travel, housing, and subsistence expenses for eligible PME student speakers. This is a combination of $400 in subsistence and up to $500 for transportation. To be eligible:
- Speakers must submit an abstract to the AMS-PME Student Poster Session or to the PME Contributed Sessions on Research by Undergraduates through the AMS abstract portal no later than Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
- Complete the application for travel grant, including abstract number if speaking, no later than Saturday, October 17, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET).
- Be enrolled as (1) a full-time undergraduate student or (2) a first-year graduate student.
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Be a current member of PME (PME initiation takes place once a year in April).
- Graduate school information: Interested in graduate school? Did you know that most math graduate programs are funded (that is, they pay you to complete a masters or doctorate)? Talk with your advisor (or Dr. Short) and use these resources too.
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Finding graduate programs: Looking for graduate programs to apply to? Here are two websites that will help find and filter graduate programs that are right for you: USA/Canada Math PhD Programs GRE Requirements and AMS Find Grad Programs.
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Learning about graduate school: Want to learn more about what graduate school is and how to prepare for it? Try these sites: Grad Guide (advice on applying to graduate school), STEM Graduate Programs website (help creating resumes, applying to fellowships, and more).
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Fellowships for STEM Majors: Check out this list of fellowships -- funded programs for studying, research, and more -- offered to GVSU students. Check them out now; deadlines are throughout the year. Also check out Roadmap to Fellowships, which offers advice on how to obtain and prepare for a fellowship.
- International Undergraduate Research opportunities: Check out this page for information about study-abroad, online, and other opportunities to do research internationally.
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Experiential Learning Student Showcase. This new Fall symposium will be held Wednesday, December 2nd, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., in the Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center. The showcase invites students to present work grown out of research, creative practice, community-engaged projects, internships, and study abroad, in poster, lightning talk, or zine format. Submissions will open October 12 and close November 13, and every student who submits will present. Those dates, along with additional details, are now posted on the website. Details are available here.
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Essay Contest. The Association for Women in Mathematics and Math for America cosponsor an essay contest each year for students in three categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, and Undergraduate. Contestants interview a woman or an individual from an underrepresented gender identity in a mathematical career about their life and work, and then they write and submit a short biographical essay based on their interview (500-1000 words). You can find out more at awm-math.org/awards/student-essay-contest: contest rules, an FAQ, submission instructions, etc. Essays will be judged based on content, grammar, presentation, and the presence of an authentic author's voice. The deadline is February 1, 2027. Submissions will open on November 1, 2026 on https://www.mathprograms.org/.
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Put these dates on your calendar!
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One important thing to know:
Financial support for students who are almost finished
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The National Math Talent Fund is a fund with the goal to keep 10,000 mathematics and quantitative-science students on track to graduation over the next five years, ensuring that a single financial setback doesn’t derail a promising mathematical career. If an unexpected financial setback is standing between you and your degree, the National Math Talent Fund exists to help you cross the finish line.
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If you have any questions about the newsletter, suggestions for things to add, or general advising questions, please email me!
Taylor Short
shorttay@gvsu.edu
Mathematics Advising and Engagement Coordinator
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1 Campus Drive
A-2-178 Mackinac Hall
Allendale, MI 49401
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