Welcome
Mathematics is the most central of the STEM disciplines,
fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics considered as vital areas of study in the modern age. As President Obama said at the launch of his
‘Educate to Innovate’ campaign in November 2009, “Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific
discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges
of this century. That’s why I am
committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a
national priority.”
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics plays a vital
role in STEM education not only through the advanced training of its own majors
and graduate student students but through the support it gives to sister
disciplines in the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences. This
support takes the form of advanced coursework in areas such as numerical
analysis and partial differential equations (physics and engineering), classes
in statistics (biology and forestry) and through its Statistical Consulting Lab
which advises faculty and graduate students across the university in the design
of experiments and the analysis of data.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics also prepares
students for secondary mathematics teaching, provides further training and
professional development opportunities for in-service teachers, and works with
schools on a variety of outreach activities.
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics also provides
coursework to enhance the quantitative reasoning skills of students across the
university and in support of the needs of a wide variety of majors, such as
elementary education, parks and recreation management and business.