Math Major Newsletter - Fall 2025 Week 7

Math circle, career fair, and more!

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! Math Circle: Diagonals Rule! 1 - 2:30 pm in the PCS.

Diagonals can create interesting patterns and rules! Come
explore how, no previous knowledge required. Come at any time, leave at any time.

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

Tuesday October 14: Statistics Seminar: Inference of Partial Correlations of a Multivariate Gaussian Time Series with Dr. Andrew DiLernia. 10 - 11 am in MAK D-2-117.
Friday October 17: Tea Time in the PCS. Join us for conversation, tea, and cookies.
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).
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!

Next week! Tuesday October 14: Career and Internship Fair, 1 - 5 pm, DeVos Place Convention Center, downtown Grand Rapids

This is GVSU's biggest career event of the year. Tons of employers are looking to hire for internships and jobs.

If you're thinking of maybe looking for something -- start here! Even if you aren't sure, it's worth attending to help prepare for future years.

Big hint: Many employers like to hire math majors for their communication, collaboration, and analytical skills. Even if an employer doesn't list "math" as a preferred major, it's worth talking with them about possibilities.

Before the fair, check out the free drop-in Career Fair Prep sessions with resume reviews, tips, free professional head-shot photos, and guidance:

Today! Wednesday October 8, 12 - 2 pm, 200 STU (Valley campus)
Tomorrow! Thursday October 9, 2 - 4 pm, DeVos Knowledge Market (City campus)

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

register soon! Friday October 17: Auto Owners Tech Summit, 10 am - 4 pm on-site in Lansing. Free! Learn about job and internship opportunities from Auto Owners Insurance, while touring their South Lansing campus. Auto Owners has hired many GVSU math majors both for internships and permanent jobs -- it's worth the trip! Registration required by October 13.
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.

Tonight! Teach in Tanzania info session! (study abroad) Information session, 7 - 8 pm in the PCS.

Future math teachers can study abroad in Tanzania, put your skills into practice, and have the adventure of a lifetime! (Plus, you can earn class and capstone credit.)

Curious? Join us tonight for more information! You can also fill out this interest form to connect with us and get on our email list.

Thursday November 6: MTTC Test Prep Webinar, 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.
MI Future Educator Fellowship. 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. This fellowship depends on the State of Michigan's budget, which is not yet finalized.
MI Future Educator Stipend. This $9,600 one-time stipend is for students in their student teaching ("internship") semester. This stipend depends on the State of Michigan's budget, which is not yet finalized.

MTH 296: Introduction to Mathematical Research Winter 2026, meeting time will be decided by a survey.

Take part in a hands-on research project and learn about grad school, research, and more. This class is ideal for anyone curious about research who hasn't yet done a research project.

MTH 296 can be an elective for any math major. Prerequisite: MTH 210 or MTH 325. Talk with Dr. Clark if you're interested!

due soon! Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Wisdom in Math (NCUWM): January 30 - February 1, 2026 in Lincoln, Nebraska. 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.
- 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 10/1 to 10/17, so we need to act soon!
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. Start by talking with a potential research mentor as soon as possible.
new! Math Student Research and Travel Funding. Up to $200 is available to support research-related costs, including travel and grad-school costs. Two deadlines: December 1 and March 15.
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).

Put these dates on your calendar!

October 19 - 21: Fall break! No classes.
November 7 at 5 pm: Last day to withdraw from classes with a "W" grade.

One important thing to know:
Mental Health Screening Day is tomorrow

Mental Health Screening day is tomorrow, Thursday October 9.

The University Counseling Center is offering free and completely confidential mental health screenings to all GVSU students. This is an opportunity to have a brief and private check-in on your mental health by screening for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, substance misuse, and eating disorders.

Even if you are not experiencing mental health concerns, we encourage you to participate and spread the word!