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Welcome our new Department Chair!
Associate Professor of Mathematics, Mahesh Agarwal joined our administrative staff as department chair effective the Winter 2024 term.
A Note from our Department Chair
I am honored, thrilled, and deeply humbled to step into the role of Chair for our department. First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt best wishes to Joan Remski, our outgoing Chair, as she embarks on her new journey as Associate Provost at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Joan has been a formidable force in nurturing and leading our department over the past few years, especially through the tumultuous COVID phase. I am confident that she will thrive in her new position.
Post COVID years, we find ourselves facing multiple headwinds such as fluctuating student enrollments, financial constraints, and a general apathy towards liberal arts education. However, we are also brimming with new opportunities made available through technology like artificial intelligence, remote learning tools, etc. Our curriculum has undergone significant restructuring with the transition to a four-credit course system and more emphasis on practice-based learning.
Our department currently offers three undergraduate majors—Actuarial Mathematics, Applied Statistics, and Mathematics—each at different stages of development, from new to well-established. Additionally, we have a small graduate program in Applied and Computational Mathematics. Managing a department with programs at varying levels of maturity poses unique challenges. Graduates from our mathematics and statistics programs are making their mark in various fields, from information technology to law firms and hedge funds, with many contributing right here in our state. Furthermore, many of our students are pursuing master's and doctoral work at leading universities in mathematics, statistics, biostatistics, and other related fields. It is particularly gratifying to see our newest program, Actuarial Mathematics, thrive. Our students are successfully passing actuarial exams and securing internships and job offers at insurance companies and banks well before they graduate.
Our department has seen significant growth in research productivity, thanks to our recent hires and our increased emphasis on research. Over the past three years, we have secured over $2 million in grant funding, underscoring our growing recognition for excellence both on and off-campus. Our faculty members continue to receive awards, such as the Excellence in Teaching Award (Aditya Vishwanathan) and the Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentoring Award (Yulia Hristova). Engagement in outreach activities has never been stronger—we now host one of about 40 NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates sites in the country, Math Corps site, Girls Get Math program, and Math Kangaroo exam site. In addition, our students participate in numerous competitions around the state.
Our primary motivation is fostering intellectual growth and social-economic mobility in our students, which will positively impact their communities. While challenges lie ahead, especially with budget constraints, these make our work even more important. I eagerly look forward to the upcoming academic year. Stay connected with us and visit the department whenever possible—we always cherish the opportunity to reconnect with our alumni and former colleagues.
Go Blue!
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Meet our new Faculty
Our department expanded its faculty by welcoming three new lecturers in Fall 2023 and two this Fall 2024 term.
Welcome
Michael Keogh, Dorina Hoxhaj, Lillian Ryall,
Ishita Gupta and Mark Nieland.
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Michael Keogh, Ph.D. in Mathematics from Wayne State University
He is also a University of Michigan-Dearborn alumni!
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Dorina Hoxhaj holds both a Master of Science in Mathematics and a Master of Science in Applied Statistics from Oakland University.
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Lillian Ryall holds a Masters of Mathematics from the University of Texas and a Juris Doctorate from Wayne State University.
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Ishita Gupta holds both a Master in Integrated Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technolgy, Kharagpur, India and her Ph. D. from Wayne State University.
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Mark Nieland holds a Masters of Mathematics and Ph.D. in Mathematics from SUNY Buffalo.
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| First Class of Actuarial Mathematics Graduated
We are excited to announce that the first class of Actuarial Mathematics Students graduated during the Winter 2023 term.
Congratulations to:
Autumn Tashman, Natalie Holzhueter and Blake Hanson
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| Department Staff
Mahesh Agarwal
Chair
Ragen Wingate
Admin Specialist
Elisa Madrigal
Admin Asst Sr.
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Our wonderful Student Office Assistants at our Awards Ceremony in April.
Pictured: Jada Wade, Aliyah Elatat and Katrina McKay.
Read more about our student assistants here.
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Meet our fabulous Student Ambassadors:
Emilee Gootee, Katrina McKay and Kaitlynn McKenna.
Thank you for all your work!
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Actuarial Mathematics Program Receives Bronze Level Recognition
Our Actuarial Mathematics program has been officially awarded Bronze Level recognition by the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS). CAS is one of the two societies in the United States responsible for the certification process and for awarding the designations of associates and fellows within the actuarial profession.
Read more about this story in the Reporter.
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Students Jonathan Kerr and Kristen Mulroney going over a math problem with Prof. Dabkowski.
Photo/Julianne Lindsey
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Our department organizes a variety of events throughout the year. In March, we celebrate Pi 3.14 Day, where students, faculty, and staff enjoy pizza, pie, and themed activities. In April, we recognize our talented and hard-working students at our annual Award and Recognition Ceremony. In November, the AWM sponsors our Meet the Math Department night. In December, we honor and celebrate the achievements of women in mathematics and statistics, as well as commemorate the birthday of the late mathematician Julia Robinson. Additionally, we host career day events, math competitions, and special summer programs. For more information, please visit our webpage.
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Meet the Math Department Night
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Math Circles
Math Circles are interactive programs designed to engage school students in exploring mathematical concepts through problem-solving and collaborative discussions. Several faculty members have been involved in leading the Maize and Blue Math Circle sessions this year, which were held at Dearborn STEM.
You can see who and when here.
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Professor Yulia Hristova organized a Math Kangaroo center and held the competition on March 21. More than 30 students from 1st to 10th grade participated.
Learn more about this progam here.
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Analysis Day Revival!
We are excited to bring back our department's Analysis Day on Saturday, May 4, after a brief hiatus due to COVID-19.
Thank you to CASL and Professors Clifford, Dabkowski, Wiggins and Zeytuncu for making this possible.
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The Michigan Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators Conversations among Colleagues Conference was held on campus on
Saturday, March 16, 2024.
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Distinguished Teaching Award
Aditya Viswanathan, has been honored with the 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award. This recognition acknowledges his outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, highlighting his embodiment of the teacher-scholar model through innovative pedagogy and impactful teaching practices.
Aditya serves as an inspiration within the UM-Dearborn community, contributing to the commitment to providing high-quality undergraduate education and fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth among students.
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Sister Mary AmbrosiaFitzgerald Mentorship Award
This prestigious award has been given to Yulia Hristova who has demonstrated exceptional mentorship to students in the STEM fields. The scope of this award is truly impressive, as it includes the entire university, inviting nominations from students, faculty and teams across all three campuses.
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Congratulations to Aditya Viswanathan!
Dr. Aditya Viswanathan, was recently promoted to the position of Associate Professor with tenure. Dr. Viswanathan holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and has an extensive professional background, including post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology. Professor Viswanathan’s work focuses primarily on phase retrieval problems, which lie at the intersection of science, mathematics, and engineering, and naturally arise in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), x-ray crystallography, and transmission electron micrography. Overall, his promotion reflects his outstanding contributions as a researcher, educator, and advocate for student success.
New Associate Provost Joan Remski!
Dr. Joan Remski now supports the campus as the Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Digital Learning. Joan oversees the Mardigian Library, the Hub for Teaching and Learning, Digital Education, the open education initiative, and the campus HLC efforts. Joan also serves as the program review contact for MASU and assist with the P&T process and the KCP awards. Her portfolio will include new initiatives with the aim of growing online education and supporting faculty excellence and advancement.
New Title - Teaching Professors of Mathematics
The University of Michigan has recently established an enhanced academic title, "Teaching Professor," to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and student mentorship among its lecturer faculty. The University of Michigan-Dearborn has conferred the title of Teaching Professor upon three outstanding lecturers of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics:
Ali Bazzi, Jeff Igo, and Mike Meade.
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| Faculty Research & Grants
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The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has several significant achievements and newly awarded grants that highlight the excellence and innovative research conducted by our faculty. These accomplishments reflect our ongoing commitment to advancing knowledge and improving education in the STEM fields.
- Machine Learning Misclassification Error Detection to Enhance the Safety of Level 3 Autonomous Driving** – Gengxin Li (Co-PI), 2023, $199,948
- REU Site: Mathematical Analysis and Application** – Yunus Zeytuncu (PI), 2023, $259,200
- REU Site: Mathematical Analysis and Application** – Yunus Zeytuncu (PI), 2023, $59,963
- Retaining Students in STEM on a Commuter Campus with Efficient High Impact Practices** – Joan Remski (PI), 2021, $1,439,824
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imaging with Phase Retrieval and Uncertainty Quantification** – Aditya Viswanathan (PI), 2022, $93,600
- LEAPS-MPS: Elliptic Dedekind Sums, Eisenstein Cocycles, and p-adic L-functions** – Tian An Wong (PI), 2022, $121,754
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Michael Lachance, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics
Michael Lachance, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, retired from active status on December 31, 2022 following 43 years of service to the University.
Professor Lachance held several administrative appointments, serving as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics from 2010-2014 and as Associate Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters from 2015-2021. During his tenure at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Professor Lachance focused his scholarly work on a broad range of mathematics including approximation theory, computer-aided design, geometric modeling, and linear algebra.
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Meet our MLC Director
Lexi Sullens, our new Math Learning Center Director, brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her role. Having served as the Math Learning Center (MLC) Director since June 2023, Lexi holds a bachelor’s of arts degree in Mathematics from Michigan State University and master’s of Arts in Applied Mathematics from Wayne State University.
Beyond her passion for numbers, she's a dedicated sports mom who finds joy in activities like spinning, cooking, and home decorating. Lexi cherishes UM-Dearborn's serene campus and close-knit community, where fostering student success is paramount.
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Statistics 431/531 - 4 credit Hours
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is excited to announce the introduction of a new course – "Machine Learning and Computational Statistics." This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to create and analyze models trained with high-dimensional data, a capability increasingly important in both industry and academia. See more details on the course here.
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| REU
Mathematical Analysis and Applications
Our summer REU program runs from late May-July. The research projects are related to Fourier analysis, complex analysis, operator theory, spectral theory, algebraic coding theory, and mathematical music theory. Selected participants had a unique interaction with experienced faculty mentors in a rich intellectual environment, where they learned how to use mathematical ideas to solve real-life problems. For more information visit our website .
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Math Corps & Math Matches
Our camp is about more than just learning mathematics, it is all about kids. We use the "kids teaching kids" model and provide a supportive environment that builds a sense of family.
For more information on our program visit our website.
"...campers showed tremendous improvement in their mathematical ability over camp." - Prof. Mike Dabkowski
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Checkout Channel 4's news spot on our Math Corps from 2023.
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| Girls Get Math
GirlsGetMath@Dearborn is a selective week-long applied mathematics program at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. High school students are invited to explore topics in applied mathematics such as image processing, graph theory, mathematics of voting, recommendation systems, and cryptology. Activities include games, interactive lectures, daily computer lab activities, panel discussions on careers in STEM fields and college applications.
Aditya Viswanathan, Hyejin Kim and Yulia Hristova got an additional grant Tensor Women and Mathematics from MAA for $5,325 to support this camp again from August 12-16, 2024. For more informaiton visit our website.
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Pictured are GGM students who helped with the camp last year, August 14-18, 2023.
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Our most recent Graduates Fall 2022-Winter 2024
Graduate
Applied and Computational
Mathematics:
Batoul Awada
Bill Cook
Mariam Dawwas
Mustapha Ghazi
Dawson Kinsman
Aaron Kuehn
Kristopher Tokarz
Sydni Uhlenberg
Foster Wisusik
Rita Wanjiku
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Undergraduate
Mathematics:
Christopher Akey
Zainab Almosawi
Batoul Awada
Timothy Batt
Mark Boyanowski
Amber Cheplick
Kyce Dawwas
Clayton Durst
Amelia Felkowski
Eric Fredriksen
Emilee Gootee
Amani Hamadi
Islam Hachem
Louisa Hoback
Brandon Hutchison
Dawson Kinsman
Aaron Kuehn
Reed L’Heureux
Kristin Mulrooney
Bryan Pierce
Zahra Safwan
Brett Smith
Hope Tally
Sydni Uhlenberg
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Applied Statistics:
David Bowers
Stuart Didonato
Sarah McCann
Joseph Mikhael
Kristin Mulrooney
Robi Redzic
Aiden Resch
Erika Schiffer
Rachel Socha
Bruce Wilkie
Jarvis Yan
Actuarial Mathematics:
Blake Hanson
Natalie Holzhueter
Autumn Tashman
Mathematics for Finance Certificate:
Blake Hanson
Joseph Mikhael
Kristin Mulrooney
Jonathan Kerr
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Stay connected and engaged with the vibrant community of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UM-Dearborn by joining our social media accounts! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on the latest news, events, and achievements within the department. Join us and be a part of the conversation!
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UM‑Dearborn Mathematics Support FundYour gift will support student learning in Mathematics and Statistics. For example, funds will be used for student scholarships or to bring visiting scholars who are experts in mathematics or statistics to campus for co-curricular programs.
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