Math Major Newsletter - Winter 2026 Week 5

Research showcase, t-shirt voting, scholarships

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.

Faculty research showcase: Friday February 13, 1 - 2 pm, in the PCS: MAK A-2-610.

Are you looking for a research project next year? This is the place to connect with a research mentor!

Faculty will present about upcoming projects and how you can get involved. Everyone is welcome, regardless of experience.

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

soon! Datafest 2026: Datafest is a data analysis competition. Teams of 2 to 5 students compete to analyze a large, complex, and surprise data set. Register by February 13. The event is held March 27 - 29, all weekend! Visit the website for more info.
Applied Math Seminar: Geometry Goes Viral! Friday February 20, in the PCS. Dr. Mike McDaniel of Aquinas College will talk about the geometry of viruses.
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!

Vote now for your favorite t-shirt (February 11 - 18)

All students and faculty are eligible to (ranked choice) vote from the t-shirt designs we received. Shirts will be available for purchase later in the semester.

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

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.
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.

Math in Action needs YOU to volunteer! Register to volunteer by February 15 (deadline extended!).

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.

This is a great chance to meet and network with your future colleagues and learn their innovative classroom ideas. Questions? Contact Dr. Taylor Short, volunteer organizer.

MathPath Summer Camp Counselors. Applications are due February 15.

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 (he helps run the camp)!

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.

new! 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.
new! 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.
Summer research program opportunities:
- 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!
- TechBio REU at University of Pittsburgh: A research program for those interested in computational biology and math-biology applications. Applications are due February 13.
- Check out this list of Summer REU programs to find many more opportunities.
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.
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.

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:
First year & new transfer students

Are you a first year student or a transfer student in your first year at GVSU? You must meet with a Professional Advisor before you can register for classes. This means your CLAS advisor (located in C-1-120 Mackinac).

Schedule this meeting through Navigate, by calling CLAS Advising at 616-331-8585, or emailing at advstu@gvsu.edu.

If you don’t meet with a CLAS advisor, you cannot register for classes. Meeting times fill up fast, so make an appointment as soon as possible! (Really -- schedule now!)

Reminder: You have two (or more!) advisors: Your Professional Advisor works in CLAS Advising and can help you with your whole schedule, including general education classes -- this is the one you must meet with to be able to register. Your Math Advisor can help with math classes, career advice, research, and more. You may also have an Education Advisor if you have an Education major.