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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this friday! Pie (and advising) in the PCS: Friday March 14th (π day), 1 - 2:30 pm in the PCS, MAK A-2-610. Drop in for a slice of really good pie (to eat -- only professors get a pie in the face!) and get answers about class registration, advising, upcoming classes, and anything else about the math major, minor, and classes. Come any time, leave any time.
Screening of the film Counted Out. The mathematics department is organizing a screening of the new film Counted Out on the evening of March 20 at 7:00pm (location to be announced). This film makes the case that mathematical literacy is vital for citizens to have agency in our society as it grapples with issues such as climate change, political misinformation, and racial justice. It also examines who has access to mathematics and how we must and can do better in providing more effective mathematical training. You can view a trailer at the film's website and read a conversation with the director, Vicky Abeles, Why Democracy Lives and Dies by Math, in the New York Times.
This event is free and open to all. It is not required, but please consider signing up for a free ticket. This will give us a sense of how many people will be attending and will send you a (non-annoying!) reminder about the film. See this flyer for more information.
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new! Pie a Professor! Math and Stats Club Pi Day Fundraiser. Donate money for the professor you want to see pied. The two professors from the math and stats departments with the most donations will be pied on Pi-day! See this flyer for more information and check the PCS (MAK A-2-610) for a current tally of the donations for each professor.
MTH 431 Non-Euclidean Geometry. Are you interested in taking MTH 431? Please fill out the form on this flyer!
Mathematics Student Research and Travel Funding. The math department has created a new fund to support students majoring in mathematics in their engagement in research, other scholarly activities, and in their pursuit of graduate school admittance for further research work. There are two application cycles, the first of which are due by March 15. For more information, see this flyer.
Student Volunteers Needed for Campus Tours during Science Olympiad: GVSU will host the Regional Science Olympiad Tournament on Saturday, March 29, bringing over 1,500 students, parents, and educators to campus. The Regional Math and Science Center (RMSC) is asking departments to showcase their programs at the Industry Expo from 2–4:30 p.m and are seeking student volunteers to lead STEM-focused campus tours and assist during the Expo. Tours will highlight labs, small class sizes, academic resources, and opportunities like undergraduate research. It’s a chance for you as a math major to share your GVSU experience with future Lakers! If interested, please contact Jess Sudy (sudyje@gvsu.edu RMSC Program Manager) or scan the QR codes on flyers in STEM offices and the MAK first-floor bulletin board to sign up.
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Internship, career, and job information |
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new! Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summer Internship Program. A 10-week, full-time, summer internship opportunity at JPL to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in STEM. Students will be paired with mentors at JPL and complete projects designed by the mentors. Summer internships begin in May and June and students must be available full time (40 hours per week) for at least 10 weeks during the summer. Participants will receive a monetary award given in monthly disbursements and travel and housing funding is provided for those who live outside a 50-mile radius of JPL. Apply here. Applications are due March 15. See the FAQ page for more information or contact internships@jpl.nasa.gov.
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new! Graduate Student (and Advanced Undergrad) Mathematical Modeling Camp. Participate in a 4-day (June 4-7) summer training experience at California State Polytechnic University for graduate and advanced-undergraduate students. Work in a team to model and analyze problems posed by faculty mentors to develop problem-solving and mathematical modeling skills essential in industry. The deadline to apply is April 16th. You can find the application here. Note that if you are accepted, you will automatically be accepted to the Mathematical Problems in Industry Workshop (MPI). This workshop will be held June 9-13th at The Claremont Colleges (California) and brings together researchers and representatives from industry to work in groups on problems presented by industries. Note that if you are a student who has not participated in MPI or an equivalent event in the past, you are required to first attend the Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp (GSMMC). If you have, the deadline to apply for MPI is April 16th and the application can be found here.
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SULI Internship program. Are you an undergraduate student who is ready to use your major in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field or science policy to help make a difference in the world? Then the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship (SULI) is for you! SULI is a 10- to 16-week summer or semester-long internship program for college sophomores, juniors, or seniors majoring in STEM fields or science policy. Selected students perform research under the guidance of scientists or engineers on projects supporting DOE missions.The application for the summer term has closed already, but the application for the Fall semester opens in March. Here is a link with more information: https://bit.ly/3TXP4oo
- STEM Community Jobs on Handshake. This is a GVSU-curated collection of STEM internships and jobs. There are many opportunities for math majors here!
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E.R.I.S.A. Inc. Retirement Plan Services is looking to hire a mathematics major for a full time position starting in June 2025 and/or possible intern for Summer 2025. This is a small Illinois-based company, where 4 out of the 8 employees have a bachelors degree in mathematics, including the president and owner of the company. This company has hired 2 recent GVSU graduates in 2021 and 2023 and has reached out because they would like to hire more! E.R.I.S.A. is a third party administrator for 401(k) and pension plans. The company's role is primarily with compliance which can include complex testing, government filings, interpretation of law, reconciliation of assets and income, etc. If interested, please send your resume directly to the president and owner of the company, Richard Perlin at richard@erisainc.com.
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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 right away to get the process started. Don't wait!
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GVSU Joint Applied Math and Data Science & Analytics MS degree program: Did you know about this combined bachelors-masters degree program you can take right here at GVSU? You can complete both an Applied Math major and a Data Science and Analytics MS degree together at GVSU! There's significant overlap between these degrees, and with careful planning they can take as little as 5 years together. If you'd like to make this happen, now is the time to plan. See Dr. Ortiz-Robinson for more information!
- The Student Public Research Interest Group has internship opportunities that may involve data analysis and other mathematical skills.
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Auto-Owners internships and jobs: Auto-Owners Insurance has hired several GVSU math graduates in the past. Click the link to see their current job and internship openings, including some in Grand Rapids and Lansing!
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The GVSU Career Center can help you find career and internship opportunities:
- Employer Showcases: Every week, different employers come to campus to talk about jobs and internships. Check out the STEM showcase in front of the Mackinac POD!
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Career Communities: Receive direct communication about job & internship postings, events, and resources related to the industry area you are interested in.
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CareerLab offers drop-in hours virtually and in-person.
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Scholarships and Fellowships |
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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Alayont Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Mathematics. The Alayont Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Mathematics has been developed to provide financial support to students pursuing rigorous, independent scholarship during the academic year, mentored by a faculty member.
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MI Future Educator Fellowship. The MI Future Educator Fellowship offers 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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MI Future Educator Stipend. This stipend is for students in their teaching apprenticeship and student teaching internship semesters. Click the link or contact CECI's Office of Certification and Accreditation (OCA) details.
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Research and graduate school opportunities |
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REUs and Mentorship Programs. Most REU applications for Summer 2025 are due in January or February 2025. If you are interested in doing a REU next summer, start working on your applications now!
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Advice for Applying to REU Programs (From Recent Participants!)
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new! Combinatorics and Coding Theory in the Tropics / Combinatoria y Teoría de Códigos en el Trópico. An REU held at the University of Puerto Rico in Ponce and virtually from June 16 - August 15. Students work on research projects in coding theory, combinatorics, graph theory, parking functions, locally recoverable codes, and codes from finite geometries. Students from a wide variety of personal and academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Note that financial support is limited to US citizens or permanent residents. Apply through the NSF ETAP website here (click “Apply Now” at the top right corner of the page). The deadline to apply is April 12. For more information contact Fernando Piñero González at fernando.pinero1@upr.edu
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new! Virtual NSF REU Site on Computational Modeling Serving Portland. An online REU program whose focus is computational modeling to serve and enhance Portland (OR) and its greater region. Students will be involved in multi-disciplinary, community-based research projects and trained in computational thinking across different disciplines. The activities of this REU Site will involve a 2-week training followed by an 8-week research project completed under a faculty mentor’s guidance and with the involvement of a community partner. Students receive a stipend of $7000 and an additional $1400 meal allowance as well as a $2200 housing allowance. Apply here (this page also lists eligibility requirements). The deadline is March 30. Students from institutions with limited STEM and research opportunities (such as 2-year community colleges) and tribal colleges/universities are specifically encouraged to apply.
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new! Polymath Jr. REU. An online REU program who’s goal is to provide research opportunities to every undergraduate who wishes to explore advanced mathematics. The program is open to the majority of undergraduates having experience with writing mathematical proofs. There are no citizenship restrictions. Each project consists of 15-25 undergraduates, a main mentor, and graduate students or postdocs as additional mentors. The group works towards solving a research problem and writing a paper. Each participant decides what they wish to obtain from the program, and participates accordingly. The deadline to apply is April 1. For any additional questions or comments, please contact Adam Sheffer at adam.sheffer@baruch.cuny.edu.
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REU at UMBC: Online Interdisciplinary Big Data Analytics in Science and Engineering. This is a purely online program open to students from the entire nation. The 8-week program will include training in fundamentals of HPC software (MPI) and productivity tools (SLURM) on large distributed-memory clusters with CPUs and GPUs as well as Data Analytics applications like Tensorflow, Keras, PyTorch, and Horovod. Each student will be paid a stipend of $5,600 for participation and provided with opportunities to present their work at conferences. We are looking for students from all STEM disciplines and particularly also for students who are interested in gaining Big Data, HPC, and application experience. More information can be found at https://bigdatareu.umbc.edu and the PDF flyer there. The application deadline is by 03/01/2025.
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REU Master List. This page contains a listing of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs) aimed at mathematics students that will plan to run in the summer of 2025. It is in spreadsheet format to make it easier for people to copy and sort through what they need to find. Much of this information overlaps with what can also be found at the NSF maintained list of REU sites and the AMS list of REU summer programs.
- Opportunities to present your research: Here are some upcoming conferences and events where you could share your work! Talk with a research advisor or Dr. Short if you have questions.
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new! The Applied Algebraic Topology Research Network (AATRN) Conference. Date: August 18-22, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. AATRN is a research community that hosts regular online talks and interviews, produces educational content, helps facilitate online conferences, and brings together an international group of researchers. You can find their YouTube channel here. This workshop will include a poster session. Everyone is welcome to submit a poster and early career researchers are particularly encouraged to do so. Each poster presenter will be given the chance to present their work in a very short lightning talk prior to the poster session. The deadline for proposing is March 14. Scroll to the Registration section to register and submit a poster abstract if interested.
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new! The Mathematical Congress of Americas Conference. Date: July 21-25, 2025 in Miami, Florida. The goal of the Mathematical Congress of the Americas (MCA) is to internationally highlight the excellence of mathematical achievements in the Americas and foster collaborations among researchers, students, institutions and mathematical societies in the Americas.To register for the conference visit this page on their website. Note that all attendees are required to register to access the conference sessions and events. If you require travel support, check out this page on their website to see opportunities to receive funding. There will be a poster contest where mathematical posters presented by undergraduates and graduate students (at a university or college in the Americas) will be judged by an international panel of judges. To apply to present a poster, the deadline is March 31 at 11:59 PM ET. A letter of support by a faculty mentor/supervisor is required by April 7 at 11:59 PM ET. Apply here.
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new! The 3rd International Mathematics and Statistics Student Research Symposium. Date: April 12, 2025, virtual. See the schedule page here. The conference provides a venue for students (high school, undergraduate, graduate) to present their research in mathematical sciences (mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics and operation research), to learn about current research topics and hang out with like-minded math and stat enthusiasts. For more information about the speakers, schedule, abstract guidelines for presenters, and their list of resources promoting mathematics and statistics beyond the conference see their website. To give a presentation at the conference, submit your abstract using the link here by Friday, March 28. The conference is open to all (not just presenters) and is free. To register, use the link here. Registration closes on Friday, March 28. All conference links will be sent to the registered participants before the conference begins. If you have any questions please contact: mathstatstudentresearch@gmail.com.
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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Department of Mathematics 40th annual Undergraduate Mathematics Conference will be held on Saturday March 29, 2025, on the campus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. This conference is a great opportunity for undergraduate students to present their work, network with fellow math-interested students, and listen to excellent speakers. Presentations can be a great place to showcase class projects, independent projects, REU work, and/or senior theses. Undergraduate presenters coming from all areas of mathematics are welcomed. We invite interested undergraduate students to present a 15-minute talk. Deadline for Priority Consideration for Travel Support has passed but there are limited funds available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Abstract Submission Deadline: March 15. Online Registration Ends: March 25. Additional information about the conference can be found at http://www.rose-hulman.edu/mathconf.
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The GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) provides travel grants for students. These are available for both students presenting at academic meetings and conferences, as well as for students who will be attending a conference with their faculty mentor. More information is available at the Academic Conference Fund and the Academic Professional and Educational Fund websites.
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Underrepresented Students in Topology and Algebra Research Symposium (USTARS). Date: April 4 - 5th, 2025. Deadline: December 13, 2025. Location: Portland, Oregon. Dedicated to furthering the success of underrepresented students, USTARS seeks to broaden the participation in the mathematical sciences by cultivating research and mentoring networks. USTARS is open to all people interested in the topological and algebraic fields.
- 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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Extracurricular and other opportunities |
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new! Michigan MAA 2025 Annual Meeting will be held April 4 and 5 at Lake Superior State University.
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new! PROMYS Counselor Application. Undergraduate students are hired as counselors to mentor students in the Program in Mathematics for Young Scholars (PROMYS) high school program. “PROMYS is designed not only for the mathematical growth of students, but for the advancement of counselors as well. During the program, counselors devote considerable time to pursuing their own mathematical endeavors. They find new perspectives in the Number Theory lectures and problem sets, participate in advanced seminars, and interact individually with the faculty.” The program is 7 weeks long (June 29 - August 9, 2025) and located at Boston University. Counselors receive free room and board, plus a stipend of $5,500. Counselor applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting February 1. The final deadline to apply is March 15 at 11:59 pm (EDT). Click here to apply.
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new! Mentors for Wolfram High School Summer Research Program. An intensive two-and-a-half-week program where undergraduate mentors are hired to lead a team of 3-5 high-school students on their project and advance their programming and problem-solving skills. Through a curriculum of active-learning activities, hands-on workshops and lectures, students explore the power of modern computation and deep dive into STEM fields while gaining mastery of Wolfram Language, computational thinking and research skills. If you are passionate about STEM, confident coding in Wolfram Language/Mathematica, and interested in mentoring talented high schoolers, please apply here. Applications are due April 15.
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new! Undergraduate Workshop in Discrete Groups in Topology and Algebraic Geometry. A program held at Notre Dame University that involves an Undergraduate Workshop (June 2-6), Graduate and Post-Doc week (June 9-13), and an International Conference Week (June 16-20). The Graduate and Post-Doc week will include several minicourses taught by professionals. If you are interested in attending the Undergraduate Workshop, the application can be found here. The deadline to apply for travel support is March 31. If you are interested in attending the Graduate and Post-Doc Week, the application can be found here. The deadline to apply for support is March 31. To attend the International Conference Week, apply here. The deadline to apply for support is March 31.
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10th Lake Michigan Workshop on Combinatorics and Graph Theory will be held at University of Illinois Chicago on April 5 and 6, 2025. With the support of the NSF travel support is available for students. If you intend to seek such support, please register on the conference website before March 5. Registration is open now!
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Math Medic Foundation Pi Day Pi K 2025 Presented by NumWorks. Join us for the second annual Math Medic Foundation Pi Day Pi K Presented by NumWorks! Each participant will receive a T-shirt and finisher medal with this year's one-of-a-kind race logo. Participants can choose to run virtually with their friends and family OR choose to run in-person at one of our 6 locations around the country. Check the details of each location to see if one of them is right for you.
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DataFest@GVSU. March 21–23, 2025, hosted by the Department of Statistics! DataFest is an opportunity to win prizes, meet other students who share an interest in data, and learn more about data science and statistics. This event will challenge you to find your own story to tell with the data – one you think will be meaningful to the (secret) data donor. Participants spend the weekend working in small teams (2–5 individuals), around the clock, for 48 hours (5 pm Friday–5 pm Sunday), to find insight and meaning in a large and often messy dataset. Attached is the events flyer, FAQ document and you will also see information posted around MAK. You can register as a team of up to five (5) members or as an individual and we will help place you into a team. You can register using this Google Form (you will need to be signed in with your GVSU email account): https://forms.gle/5Vt6hVq1F7pvPt298. More details about DataFest can be found here: https://www.gvsu.edu/stat/datafest-50.htm.
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2025 Data Analytics for Science Immersion Experience (DASIE) Summer Program is now accepting applications. DASIE provides a hands-on, immersive opportunity to explore how data analytics intersects with science. For more information and to apply, visit the DASIE website here. All applicants will be notified of their application status no later than April 25, 2025. Dates to Know: Priority Application Deadline: February 14, 2025. Application Reviews Begin: February 17, 2025. Final Deadline: March 28, 2025
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Mathematical Sciences Semesters in Guanajuato (MSSG) is a study-abroad opportunity. “Our semester based programs are an excellent option for STEM focused students to have a study abroad experience without putting their academic goals for the semester on hold.” Students can choose from the following courses in Mathematics during Summer 2025: (1) Data Driven Dynamic Modeling, (2) A Journey Through Data Science. Electives are available in all levels of Spanish and Mexico Culture and History as well. The MSSG also organizes a cultural calendar throughout the semester. Together these educational opportunities provide the students with a well-rounded academic experience while here in Guanajuato. Learn more about the upcoming program and potential future ones here, and apply here. Applications for the Summer and Fall terms have an early bird deadline on April 1, 2025 and a final deadline on April 15, 2025.
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Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) (April 11-12, 2025). The Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) is a national conference designed to broaden participation in the mathematical sciences. IPC aims to foster a sense of community in mathematics among women from underserved populations and welcomes all mathematicians who feel they may contribute to or benefit from this event. Conference sessions are designed to showcase the infinite possibilities of mathematics to participants at all stages of the pipeline, from undergraduate and graduate students to professionals in academia, industry and government. IPC 2025 marks the 20th year of IPC programming! Registration Fee: There is a registration fee of $25 for students and $60 for non-students. There is a separate fee of $25 to attend the Saturday night banquet which includes the presentation of the Etta Z. Falconer Award for Mentoring and Commitment to Diversity. The fee(s) are payable after the application to attend is accepted. March 7, 2024 is the application deadline if you are requesting funding. Travel and Lodging Support: There is financial support available to help cover travel and lodging expenses for participants based in the United States. They can indicate their need for support when they apply.
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Free professional memberships! GVSU students can get a free membership to the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the world's largest community of mathematicians, students, and math enthusiasts. This membership looks good on your resume, gives you access to MAA journals and articles, and helps you build a network. To join for free, go to maa.org and click "Login" at the top right of the webpage. Choose to create a new account (or simply log in if you already have an account), add your school email address and other demographic information, and enter your institution's name as Grand Valley State University. Then go to portal.maa.org, click "Join MAA", select "Student Membership - $35 ($0 if at Departmental Member Institution)", and proceed to fill out your information, skip adding "Math Horizons - Print, etc." as these cost extra, and on the final screen verify that you have "Total: $0.00" and click "Complete Payment".
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MTH 313 - Teaching Probability and Statistics in Grades 5-12. As a part of certification changes from the state, we are finally offering a course we have long wanted to teach, MTH 313, Teaching Probability and Statistics in Grades 5-12. Starting in the 24-25 catalog year it is required for secondary math education. But for those from a previous catalog year, the department is allowing this course as a substitution for the Math Elective. This is a great option for anyone interested in secondary math teaching. The prerequisites are MTH 229 and STA 312. It will be offered Fall 25 for the first time.
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Hey Doc! Questions for the MAA Math Horizons. Do you have a burning question you've always wanted to ask your math professor? Now is your chance! Math Horizons, an undergraduate magazine of the MAA, is collecting questions that will be answered by our resident staff mathematician. All questions submitted are anonymous and may be answered in a Math Horizons issue.
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Put these dates on your calendar!
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One important thing to know:
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Registration for next year's classes is opening soon! You should register as soon as you can. Registration happens in Banner. Here's a bunch more information about how to register.
Here's a quick reference - this refers to the total number of credits you've earned, including transfer credits and the classes you're in right now:
Senior (85+ credits):
120+ credits: March 18
106-119 credits: March 19
94-105 credits: March 20
85-93 credits: March 21
Junior (55 - 84 credits):
72-84 credits: March 24
62-71 credits: March 25
55-61 credits: March 26
Sophomore (25-54 credits):
41-54 credits: March 27
30-40 credits: March 28
25-29 credits: March 31
Freshman (0-24 credits): April 1
Open Registration: April 2
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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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