2004 - present: Professor, Mathematics Department, Monmouth University
1998 – 2004: Professor and Chair,
Mathematics
Department, Monmouth University
1994 – 1998: Professor, Wabash College
1992 – 1997: Chair, Department
of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wabash College
1984 – 1994: Associate Professor, Wabash College (1984-85: Acting Chairman,
Mathematics Department)
1978 – 1984: Assistant Professor, Wabash College
1977 – 1978: Instructor, Douglass College, Rutgers
University
At Monmouth, I have developed several new courses: Mathematical Modeling in the Social Sciences (MA 105); Mathematical Modeling for the Biological Sciences (MA 115); Calculus for the Biological Sciences (MA 116); (with Carol Bellisio) Foundations of Elementary Mathematics (MA103), for pre-service elementary school teachers; (with Tom Smith) Introduction to Mathematical Modeling (MA 419), a capstone experiential course for our majors. I have taught also taught Precalculus (MA 109), Calculus I and II (MA125-6), Quantitative Reasoning and Problem Solving (MA100) and Quantitative Analysis for Business I & 2 (MA117, 118), Differential Equations (MA 211), Number Theory (MA 314) and Modern Algebra (MA 410), as well as Mathematical Foundations of Software Engineering (SE 501). I’m currently working on developing a sequence of six courses (several will be developed by other department members) for middle school mathematics teachers who don’t have mathematics certification. I have taught the first two of them, Foundations of Number Systems, in Spring ’03 and the second, Discrete Mathematics and Problem Solving, in Fall ’03.
At Wabash I taught first-year calculus almost every semester, and taught finite mathematics, precalculus, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations several times. I developed a general-education mathematical modeling course. I taught the following junior-senior level courses: discrete mathematics, combinatorics, number theory, foundations of geometry, abstract algebra, real variables, topology, complex analysis, set theory and senior reading (a capstone course involving readings in the history and philosophy of mathematics). Outside of mathematics, I taught Cultures and Traditions (a general-education course) and developed and taught a freshman tutorial, Platonic Dialogues as Drama.
4-09: External reviewer for mathematics program, St. Joseph University, Philadelphia
1-09: Panelist reviewing grant proposals for National Science Foundation’s REESE program
2009 - present: Chair, New Jersey section, Mathematical Association of America
2008 – 2009: Chair-elect, New Jersey section, Mathematical Association of America
2006 – 2008: Vice-Chair for Speakers, New Jersey section, Mathematical Association of America
2005 – present: Newsletter Editor/Web Page Manager of POMSIGMAA
2002 – 2005: Chair of POMSIGMAA, the Special Interest Group of
the MAA on the Philosophy of Mathematics
2000 - 2001: Co-director (with Dr. Charles Pack) of the 21st
Century Science Teacher Skills Project
1998 – 2001: Editorial board, Mathematics Magazine
1998 – present: Director, Project NJ-NExT
1996 - 1998: Director, Project NExT-IN
1996 – present: Editor, Innovative
Teaching Exchange, MAA Online
1988 – 1995: Editor, Innovative Teaching Exchange, UME Trends
newsletter
1987 – 1990: Member, syllabus development committee, GLCA-ACM calculus
reform project
MAA Committees:
2008 – present: Co-Chair, Committee on Assessment, Mathematical Association of America
2004 – 2007: Editoral board of Illustrative Resources of the MAA
2001 – 2007: Committee on Articulation and Placement
1996 – 2001: Chair, Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate
Mathematics
1996 – 2001: Coordinating Council for Education
1995 – 2002: Professional Development Committee
1995 – 2004: Chair, Developmental
Mathematics Subcommittee (subcommittee of CTUM and CPD)
1991 – 1995: Spectrum Editorial Board
1988 – 1990: National Steering Committee of Curriculum Action Project
(produced Heeding the Call for Change: Suggestions for Curricular Action,
Lynn Steen, ed., MAA Notes #22, 1992).
1985 – 1991, reappointed 1995: Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate
Mathematics
“What is Mathematics I: The Question,” in preparation
“Your Philosophy of Mathematics Impacts Your Teaching!” College Mathematics Journal, to appear.
Review of Visual Thinking in Mathematics: An Epistemological Study by Marcus Giaquinto, MAA Online, May 2009.
Proof and Other Dilemmas: Mathematics and Philosophy, edited with Roger Simons, MAA (Spectrum Series) 2008
“Making the Math Major Work for the Under-Prepared Student”, joint with Pamela Pierce (main writer), John Ramsay, Laura Taalman, MAA Focus 28 (4), April 2008, pp. 4-5.
“Alternatives to the One-Size-Fits-All Precalculus/ College Algebra Course”, in N.B. Hastings, ed., A Fresh Start for Collegiate Mathematics: Rethinking the Courses below Calculus, pp. 249-253, MAA Notes # 69. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2006
“Assessment in a Middle-school Mathematics Teacher Preparation Program” in L. Steen, ed., Supporting Assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics, pp. 125-129. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2006
“Assessment of Developmental, Quantitative Literacy, and Pre-calculus Programs”, in L. Steen, ed., Supporting Assessment in Undergraduate Mathematics, pp. 29-35. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America, 2006
“Status Report: Program Assessment at the Collegiate Level”, in G. W. Blume, P. Smith, & R. M. Zbiek (Eds.), 2003-2004 yearbook of the Pennsylvania council of teachers of mathematics (pp. 19-27). University Park, PA: Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Review of Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A Christian Perspective, ed. by Russell W. Howell and W. James Bradley on MAA Online, June 2004
Review of Philosophies of Mathematics by Alexander George and
Daniel J. Velleman, MAA Online (http://www.maa.org/reviews/wheremath.html),
October 2002.
“From an Acorn to an Oak: Establishing Lasting Reform in Teaching
Practices,” with Richard Jardine, p. 14 in Focus, v. 21 # 5 (May/June
2001), MAA.
Review of Where Mathematics Comes From: How the Embodied Mind Brings
Mathematics Into Being, by George Lakoff and Rafael E. Núñez,
MAA Online (http://www.maa.org/reviews/wheremath.html), February
2001.
Review of What is Mathematics, Really, by Reuben Hersh, and
Social
Constructivism as a Philosophy of Mathematics by Paul Ernest, in the
American
Mathematical Monthly 106:4, April 1999, pp. 373-380
Assessment Practices in Undergraduate Mathematics, editor with
Sandra Z. Keith and William A. Marion, MAA Notes # 49, 1999.
"Requiring Student Questions on the Text," Innovative Teaching Exchange,
MAA Online, 1997
"What Is the Philosophy of Mathematics, and What Should It Be?" Mathematical
Intelligencer16:3, 1994, pp. 20-24
Several labs ("Graphing Functions," "Patterns of Integrals," "Limit
Comparison Test," "Approximating Functions
by Polynomials") in Learning by Discovery: A Lab Manual for Calculus,
Anita Solow ed., MAA Notes #27, 1993
"Challenging the Better Students II," UME Trends 3:3, 1991,
p. 2, reprinted in You’re the Professor, What’s Next MAA Notes #35,
1994
A Source Book for College Mathematics Teaching, Committee on
the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics, Alan Schoenfeld ed., MAA Reports
#2, 1990 (I was co-author of the section in Instructional Techniques)
"Relatively Diophantine-Correct Models of Arithmetic," Notre Dame
Journal of Formal Logic 28/2, 1987, pp. 291 - 296
"Compact and w-Compact Formulas in Lw1w,"
Archiv
fur Mathematische Logik und Grundlagenforschung 19/1-2, 1978, pp. 51
– 64
“Quantitative Literacy, Articulation, and Assessment,” presented at the “Academic Affairs Workshop: Mathematics” organized by the New Hampshire College and University Council/Campus Compact for New Hampshire in Concord, NH on February 19, 2010
Participated in a panel for Project NExT, “Alternative Methods of Assessment”, at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Francisco, CA, January 2010
Co-organized a contributed paper session, “Philosophy of Mathematics for Working Mathematicians” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Francisco, CA, January 2010
Presented a paper, “Philosophical Questions You DO Take a Stand on When You Teach First-year Mathematics Courses” at MathFest 2009 in Portland, OR, August 2009
Presented a paper, “Talking the Talk: Helping Students Learn the Language of College-Level Mathematics” at Rutgers University’s Precalculus conference, March, 2009
Organized a panel, with Amy Shell-Gellasch, “The intersection of the history and philosophy of mathematics” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, Washington DC, January 2009
Presented a paper, “Addressing student difficulties with negating mathematical statements and translating statements from English to symbolic form” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, Washington DC, January 2009
Presented a workshop, “Helping Our Students Learn to Read Mathematics” at the MAA-NJ meeting at Fairleigh Dickinson University, November 2008
Presented a paper, “Assessing student growth in reading mathematics” at MathFest 2008 in Madison, WI, August 2008
Presented a paper, “A Discrete Mathematics Course for Pre-Service Middle School Mathematics Teachers” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting,San Diego, January 2008
Jointly with Susan Marshall, prepared a talk, which Susan gave, “Revising a Portfolio Assessment Program to Make It Work” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting,San Diego, January 2008
Participated in a NExT panel, “Making the Math Major Work for the Under-Prepared Student” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting,San Diego, January 2008
Presented a workshop, “Making mathematics-for-non-majors more attractive” at the MAA-NJ/MAA-MetroNY joint meeting November 3, 2007 at St. Peter’s College
Presented a paper, “Helping First-Semester Freshmen Mathematics Majors Develop Proofs,” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, New Orleans, January 2007
Participated in a panel, “Algebra at Various Levels: How does it differ?” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Antonio, January 2006
Co-organized and co-chaired a contributed paper session, “‘I Can't Do Math’: Strategies for Teaching Underprepared, Math-Anxious Students”, at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Antonio, January 2006
Presented a paper, “Mathematical objects may be abstract, but they're NOT acausal” at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Antonio, January 2006
Presented a paper, “Assessing Developmental, Precalculus, Quantitative Literacy, General Education, and Pre- (In-) Service Teacher Programs” at the SAUM workshop at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, San Antonio, January 2006
Presented a paper, “A Modified Moore-Method Number Theory Course” in a Contributed Paper Session, “Teaching & Learning Proof in Inquiry-Based Courses: Integrating Research & Practice,” at Mathfest, August 2005, in Albuquerque, NM
Participated in a panel at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, Atlanta, January 2005, for Project NExT, “Publishing Teaching Projects”
Co-organized two contributed paper sessions for the joint AMS-MAA meeting, Atlanta, January 2005, one on “Philosophy of Mathematics”, the other on “Countering ‘I Can’t Do Math’: Strategies for Teaching Under-Prepared, Math-Anxious Students”
“What is Mathematics II: A Possible Answer”, at the joint AMS-MAA meeting, Atlanta, January 2005, preliminary discussion of the topic I’m working on
Participated in a panel, “Using the case studies on SAUM website,” and gave a presentation, “Developing case studies” at a workshop on Assessing the Major as part of the SAUM project, at Clayton College and State University in Morrow, GA, January 2005
Participated in a panel at Mathfest 2004 in August in Providence RI, “The Nuts and Bolts of Periodic Review.”
With William Marion, gave a minicourse at the joint AMS-MAA meetings, January 2004, Phoenix, on “Developing Your Department’s Assessment Plan”At Wabash, I chaired the Teaching and Learning Committee, served on
and was secretary of the Academic Policy and Planning Committee, served
on the Diversity Task force, the Department Chairs’ committee to revise
the tenure policy, the Budget Committee, the Quantitative Literacy Task
Force, the Division I Facilities Planning Committee, the Division I Safety
Committee, the Off-Campus Study Committee, the pre-Business Committee,
the Women’s Studies Committee, and a few others, as well as assorted mathematics
department committees. I have been a freshman advisor several times, and
was advisor to the International Students’ Association.