Math Major Newsletter - Winter 2026 Week 1

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.

Welcome back to Winter semester, math majors! You'll receive this newsletter every Wednesday with events, opportunities, jobs, scholarships, and more.
- Dr. Clark, newsletter editor for Winter 2026

Welcome Back! Math social, This Friday January 16, 1 - 2 pm in the Peer Collaboration Space (MAK A-2-610).

Join us to greet old friends and meet new ones! Everyone is welcome - come any time and leave any time.

Snacks and games will be provided.

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

Join the Math team! Every Wednesday, 9 - 10 am, MAK A-2-173. Do you like problem solving? Want to meet other math majors who like to think logically and creatively? GV Math Team members solve a wide range of math problems from various Math Competitions and Journals. Students talk and work together, with guidance from professors as needed. See the Math Team flyer for details and contact Professors Feryal Alayont or Clark Wells for more information.
Applied Math Seminar: Creating Accessible Diagrams with Dr. David Austin. Friday January 23, 1 - 2 pm, in the PCS.
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!

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

Employer of the Day: Informal opportunities to connect with potential employers. Education, nonprofit, and service opportunities are held in Au Sable Hall each Wednesday, 9:30 am - 2 pm.
Internship Info! If you're looking for a summer internship, now is the time to do it! Here are some resources to help:
- Resources to find an internship: Check out these resources: Handshake, the Career Center, LinkedIn and Indeed.
- 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.
OURFA²M² is the Online Undergraduate Resource Fair for the Advancement & Alliance of Marginalized Mathematicians. The 6th OURFA²M² Conference will be held on February 7-8, 2026. It includes "crash courses" on math topics, resource presentations, stories, and panels from professional mathematicians. Check out their website for more info and also subscribe to OURFA2M2's incredibly useful monthly newsletter.
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.
The GVSU Career Center can help you find career and internship opportunities via their many events, including Career Communities and CareerLab.

Volunteer at the Math in Action conference!
Register to volunteer by February 13.

Math in Action is a mathematics education conference for pre- and in-service teachers that is hosted and run by the GVSU math department. Its success depends on students like you, who volunteer to help out during the conference.

Volunteers at Math in Action get free registration to the conference and a free meal in exchange for working approximately 4.5 hours on Saturday, February 28.

As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to meet and network with current teachers, administrators, and other pre-service teachers from around Michigan, and to learn about the innovative things they're doing in their classrooms.

Questions? Contact Dr. Taylor Short, volunteer organizer: shorttay@gvsu.edu.

Teach in Tanzania. 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. Final application deadline is February 1.
new! MathPath Summer Camp Counselors: MathPath is a summer camp for middle school students who love math. We are looking to hire camp counselors. Counselors receive room and board (living on a college campus), travel reimbursement, and regular pay as well. Questions? Ask Dr. Clark! Applications are due February 15.
new! 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.

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 are open now and are due February 1.
Student Summer Scholars (S3): Applications for Summer 2026 are due February 6. Apply with a mentor to be funded for a 12 week, 40 hour per week summer project. Pay is $5000 plus some travel funding too. There's also a Modified S3: Similar to S3, but half time and half pay. Talk with a mentor soon if you're interested!
Summer research program opportunities: Check out this list of Summer REU programs to find many more opportunities. Here are a few that we've learned about recently:
- STEM Education REU at Middle Tennessee State University: This is a paid summer research program focused on STEM education research. If you are interested in education and research, this is a great opportunity! Applications are due February 2.
- TechBio REU at University of Pittsburgh: A research program for those interested in computational biology and math-biology applications. Applications are due February 13.
Grad school advertisements: Sometimes we hear directly from graduate programs that are looking for students. Here's one we heard from recently:
- soon! Central Michigan University has graduate degrees in both math and math education. They are holding an online info session on January 16, 3:30 - 4:30 pm.
- Auburn University has masters and PhD programs in math, stats, and data science. Learn more on their program flier and website.
- Northern Arizona University has funded masters' programs in math, stats, and math education. No GRE required; teaching assistantships are offered to most students.
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!

Put these dates on your calendar!

Friday January 16 at 5 pm: Last chance to add or drop a class for free.
Monday January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. day recess. No classes!
Thursday February 19: Winter career fair, 1 - 5 pm, DeVos Convention Center.
March 8 - 14: Spring break!

One important thing to know:
Adding and dropping classes

If you want to add or drop classes for this semester, you should do it in your Banner account by 5 pm on Friday January 16. After that, adding and dropping requires much more paperwork.

Make sure to talk with both your professors and your advisor before adding or dropping a class. This can affect financial aid and your overall degree plan.