Math Major Newsletter - Fall 2025 Week 10

Research panel - Euler pumpkin

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.

Friday October 31: Student Research Panel, 1 - 2 pm in the PCS (MAK A-2-610).

Are you curious about doing research in math? Don't know where to start? Get advice from students who have completed research projects and learn how to find a project for yourself.

Math majors Jordan Edwards, Marshall Nicholson, and Ethan Woudwyk will talk about how they found research projects and what they learned.

There are options for everyone: First year through seniors, theoretical, applied, and secondary. Join us and learn more!

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

new! Thursday November 6: Alumnus in Residence Lucas Smielewski presents on his work, 4 - 5 pm in Loutit 103. Lucas is a GVSU math grad who works as a Scouting Analyst for the Milwaukee Brewers. Stay tuned for more info.
Friday November 7: Math Circle: Liar's Bingo! 1 - 2:30 pm in the PCS. Join us to explore fun math! Come any time, leave any time.
Monday November 17: Statistics Career Day. All day in Kirkhof. Includes a keynote, breakout sessions, and employers. Math students are welcome! Free registration is required (or $5 for a box lunch) by November 10.
Every Friday at 1pm in the Peer Collaboration Space (MAK A-2-610). The math department hosts events throughout the semester on Fridays at 1pm. Keep this time available so you can attend. Everyone is welcome!

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

Employer of the day: A new employer comes to campus every week.
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.
Applied Math Capstone opportunities: Applied math majors should read these right away!
- Register soon for MTH 498 - Project-based Applied Mathematics (Capstone). Applied math majors who intend to graduate by Fall 2026 need to take MTH 498 this winter.
- Capstone credit for your internship (MTH 490): Applied math majors can get capstone credit for a mathy internship. The process to get approved for MTH 490 takes time -- email or talk to Dr. Clark right away to get the process started. Don't wait!
The GVSU Career Center can help you find career and internship opportunities:
- Career Communities: Tailored communication about job & internship postings, events, and resources related to the industry area you are interested in. New communities have been added for Education; Engineering, Technology, & Data; and Science and Research.
- CareerLab offers drop-in hours virtually and in-person.

Unpaid Internship Support. If you find an internship and register for MTH 490 but aren't paid for it, you can apply for funding from the college! There are many details; click the link for more.

soon! MTTC Test Prep Webinar: Thursday November 6, 3 - 4 pm. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification is required for all education students. This webinar will help you navigate that process, including finding test prep materials, registering, and reading a score report. Register here, and find general MTTC info here.
open soon! MI Future Educator Stipend. Applications open November 1: This $9,600 one-time stipend is for students in their student teaching ("internship") semester.
MI Future Educator Fellowship. Applications are open now: 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.
Teach in Tanzania. Priority application deadline is December 1, final application deadline is February 1. Explore the rich culture and beauty of Tanzania while teaching and studying issues in education in the US and Tanzania. Learn from and interact with teachers and students in a different culture. Can count as your math capstone and other class credit as well.

Math Student Research and Travel Funding: Up to $200 is available. The math department has a fund to help support research-related costs, including travel and grad-school costs.

Applications are due November 1 and March 15. Apply now!

University of Dayton Undergraduate Mathematics Day: November 8, register by Friday October 31. The University of Dayton hosts this conference for students interested in math research. There are opportunities to give a presentation, keynote speakers, and more. Registration includes a free lunch. Interested? Talk with an advisor or mentor and register soon!
Kindschi Research Fellowship: Applications for Winter 2026 are due November 14. This offers funding (pay!) for 5-10 hours of research per week during a semester or an entire year, plus extra funds to support dissemination and travel.
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. Clark and use these resources too.
- 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.
- 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).
new! Grad school advertisements: Sometimes we hear directly from graduate programs that are looking for students. Here's one we heard from recently:
- Northern Arizona University has funded masters' programs in math, stats, and math education. No GRE required; teaching assistantships are offered to most students.
new! Fellowship opportunities: Fellowships are a big category of research-related opportunities that can pay you to complete research internships, offer tuition support, and more. GVSU keeps a large list of fellowships. Here are one of particular interest to math majors:
- Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI): A research internship offered by the Department of Energy during Summer 2026. You can work at a national lab on a project of national interest. Applications are due January 7, 2026.
new! AWM Student Essay Contest: Interview and write a biography of a woman or other person in an underrepresented gender identity who has a mathematical career. Prizes include money, publication, and an AWM membership. Submissions open November 1 and are due February 1, 2026.

Put these dates on your calendar!

November 7 at 5 pm: Last day to withdraw from classes with a "W" grade.
November 26 - 30: Thanksgiving break (No classes Wednesday through Friday).
December 6 - 13: Exam week!

One important thing to know:
Spooky Math!

Enjoy this jack-o-lantern carved by math major Rhys Wiers, featuring Euler's Identity: A connection between five fundamental numbers in math, 0, 1, e, pi, and i!