Math Major Newsletter - Winter 2026 Week 6

T-shirt voting, geometry of viruses, career fair

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.

today! Vote for your favorite math t-shirt!

All students and faculty can vote through the end of the day today, Wednesday February 18.

T-shirts will be available to purchase later in the semester.

Applied Math Seminar: Geometry Goes Viral! Friday February 20, 1 - 2 pm, in the PCS: MAK A-2-610.

Dr. Mike McDaniel of Aquinas College will talk about the geometry of viruses.

Everyone is welcome, and there will be pizza!

Find these on the calendar of math major events (add it to your calendar at http://gvsu.edu/s/25s).

Math Circle: Making Waves! Friday February 27, 1 - 2:30 pm, in the PCS. Explore vibrations that make music... and make our own music too.
There's an event every Friday at 1 in the PCS! The math department hosts events throughout the semester on Fridays at 1pm in the PCS (MAK A-2-610). Keep this time available so you can attend. Everyone is welcome!

tomorrow! GVSU's Winter Career and Internship Fair: Thursday February 19, 1 - 5 pm in downtown Grand Rapids at the DeVos Place Convention Center.

If you're looking for a job or internship, this is the place to go! Even if not, it's worth going to learn how the fair works (it's free!) and make your future job search easier.

What can you do with a math major? Check out job and salary info from GVSU alumni:

Lathisms Scholarship: Scholarship open to Hispanic/Latinx students. Apply by February 27.
Math scholarships! Applications are due March 1st. Apply at ScholarshipUniverse. Log in and search for the scholarship's name to apply and see the full requirements.
- Mathematics Department Scholarship: Math major or PCKET with math concentration; 45+ credit hours completed; 3.2 GPA; and a few more requirements.
- Donald and Barbara VanderJagt Scholarship: Math major, PCKET with math concentration, or CS major with math minor; 3.0 GPA; and a few more requirements.
Career & Internship Info! If you're looking for a summer internship or a post-graduation job, now is the time to do it! Here are some resources to help:
- Resources to find an internship: 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, including Career Communities and CareerLab.
- 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!
- 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.
- Community-Based Work Study: If you are eligible for work study, this is a chance to earn money and make a difference in your community.
- Employer of the Day: Informal opportunities to connect with potential employers.

Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education is a 6-week summer program in Budapest, Hungary, where mathematics educators study problem-solving, creativity, and mathematical communication. Designed for pre-service teachers! Applications are due April 1.

Did you miss the faculty research showcase? Good news!

Here's a list of projects that faculty presented about at the research showcase last Friday.

Feel free to contact them, or anybody else in the undergraduate research guide. Now is the time to ask!

tomorrow! Statistics graduate program information session, Thursday February 19, 12 - 1:30 pm in MAK A-1-181. Learn about the GVSU Statistics department's graduate programs in Biostatistics and Applied Statistics.
Registration for Student Scholars Day is open! If you have research to present, this is a great place to do it. Register by February 27, and SSD itself is April 8. If you have a presentation in mind, talk with Dr. Clark who is putting together a math session.
Math Student Research and Travel Funding: Up to $200 per student is available. The math department has a fund to help support research-related costs, including travel and grad-school costs. This round of applications is due by March 15. More information here.
Kindschi Fellowship: Applications for Summer 2026 are due March 20. Provides financial support to students pursuing rigorous, independent scholarship during the academic year, mentored by a faculty member, up to $5000 plus travel and supplies funding. Talk with a mentor soon!
More research opportunities: Check out this list of Summer REU programs to find many more opportunities.
Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Conference: Saturday March 28 at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, Indiana). This is a good place to share your work and meet others interested in research. Register by February 27 to get first consideration for travel funds!
The 4th International Mathematics and Statistics Student Research Symposium (IMSSRS) will be held virtually on Saturday, April 11, 2026. IMSSRS is a free conference welcoming students to present research in the mathematical sciences, explore current research topics, and connect with peers worldwide.The abstract submission deadline is March 27, 2026. While presenters must be students, all are welcome to attend. Please visit our website or see our conference flyer for more info. This year’s program features a plenary by Dr. Katherine B. Ensor (Rice University) titled “The Critical Role of Statistical Thinking, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.” The program also includes a panel discussion, “Life After College,” on career paths for mathematical science graduates, with audience Q&A.
Michigan MAA Conference: March 27-28 at SVSU. This is the Michigan meeting of the Mathematical Association of America, one of the largest professional groups for mathematicians. This is an excellent place to present your research work! See the website for registration details.

Put these dates on your calendar!

Thursday February 19: Winter career fair, 1 - 5 pm, DeVos Convention Center.
March 8 - 14: Spring break (This is a week later than usual -- watch the schedule carefully!)
April 25: Last day of classes
April 25 - May 2: Exam week

One important thing to know:
Resources for success!

GVSU provides lots of resources to help you succeed in school. The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a wide variety of student success programs to support all students. Did you know about these programs that are available to all students?

Success Coaches work with students to provide tools, strategies, and resources to succeed. Success Coaching Appointments are available as either drop-in hours or scheduled appointments.

Academic Success Workshops - offered throughout the semester and cover topics such as time management (procrastination!), study skills and exam preparation.

Plus, there are many other online resources.