Bryn Mawr College Math Department: MAA Student Chapter

Faculty Advisor: Amy N. Myers, anmyers@brynmawr.edu

Leadership Positions | Board of Directors | Cool Math Links

The Mathematics Department at Bryn Mawr College believes in cultivating a vibrant and enriching environment with a sense of community and fellowship for all those studying mathematics.

All activities sponsored by the Department of Mathematics are under the umbrella organization of the “Mathematical Association of America Student Chapter.” Our MAA Student Chapter is the proud host of the following events throughout the year:

Welcome Back Toast in September
Majors Tea in November
Poster Session/Holiday Party in December
Math Awareness Week in April - APRIL 7-11, 2008 ACTIVITIES!!
Weekly Bi-College Colloquium
Distressing Math Collective
Mathematics Shakespeare Reading Group
NUMB3RS Club
Putnam Club in the fall semester
Career Talks (alumnae)
Panel Discussions
Excursions to Mathematical Conferences

Leadership Positions

The MAA Student Chapter is governed by junior and senior mathematics majors in a “flat” organizational structure, known as the Board of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors are the leaders of functions sponsored by the department, as follows:

Senior Major Reps: These students are senior mathematics majors who are responsible for the primary social events during the school year, which include the Welcome Back Toast in September, the Poster Session/Holiday Party in December, the Majors Tea in February, and Math Awareness Week in April. The Major Reps also serve as liaisons between faculty and students and often give input in evaluating candidates to fill faculty vacancies.

Junior Major Reps: These students are junior mathematics majors who assist the Senior Major Reps in the duties listed above and often continue in the senior year to be Senior Major Reps.

Web Site Manager(s): This student (or team of students) constructs and maintains the official web site of our MAA Student Chapter.

Mathematics Photographer(s): This student (or team of students) photographs mathematics department functions and maintins the continuous slide show on the math hallway monitor.

Bulletin Board Manager(s): This student (or team of students) takes responsibility for the Mathematics Department bulletin boards.

Math Lounge Supervisor(s): This student (or team) organizes fellow mathematics majors to maintain the Anna Pell Wheeler Mathematics Lounge during the academic year.

Putnam Club Captain: This student leads the Putnam Club Problem Sessions throughout the fall semester to prepare all those interested in participating in the competitive national William Lowell Putnam Exam in early December. Visit the website at http://math.scu.edu/putnam/.

Math Excursion Coordinators: This team of majors works to organize transportation, finances, and the itinerary for all mathematics students interested in attending regional or national meetings of professional mathematics associations (or other off-campus events). Mathematics majors are invited and strongly encouraged to present papers of original research at such meetings.

Distressing Math Collective (DMC) Coordinator: This student organizes the meetings of the Distressing Math Collective, a group started in 1997 by students wanting to discuss mathematical paradoxes and other mathematical topics not usually covered in math courses. In recent years, meetings have consisted of a math talk given by a volunteer, followed by math-oriented-game-playing. The DMC attracts a mix of undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, alumnae, and friends.

Mathematics Shakespeare Reading Group Coordinator: This student advertises and coordinates meetings of the Mathematics Shakespeare Reading Group, a very loosely organized group of students, faculty, and alumnae who gather to read Shakespeare plays (and often make math jokes while doing so).

NUMB3RS Club Hostess: This student serves as a hostess for the wekkly gathering of mathematics majors who watch the CBS television show NUMB3RS. Activity worksheets--designed by Texas Instruments (TI) in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)--that highlight the mathematics presented in each episode are provided for those in attendance. Please visit the website: www.cbs.com/primetime/numb3rs/ti.

Math Newsletter Editor(s): This student (or team of students) produces an annual Mathematics Department newsletter that is sent to all math major alumnae.

NOTE: If you are interested in volunteering for any of these positions, contact the faculty advisor of our MAA Student Chapter, Amy N. Myers, at anmyers@brynmawr.edu. Each member of the Board of Directors receives a complementary membership to the MAA ($30 paid by the BMC Mathematics Department), which includes a one-year subscription to both FOCUS Magazine and Math Horizons Magazine (publications of the MAA).