Math Faculty Members Selected as
NExT Fellows

Jon Short, Jacqueline Jensen and Julie Jones are among a group of recent Ph.D.s who were selected from hundreds of applicants across the nation to participate in the prestigious program.

"Sam Houston State University is uniquely represented by three fellows," said Jaimie Hebert, chair of the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics. "Their experiences in this program are certain to bring new and innovative ideas to our mathematics classrooms."

Short, a graduate of St. Louis University, joined the SHSU faculty in August 2001. Jensen is a recent graduate of the University of Oregon, and Jones is a recent graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. They will begin their Sam Houston State University careers next month.

Project NExT, the acronym for New Experiences in Teaching, is a program for new or recent Ph.D.s in the mathematical sciences who are interested in improving the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics. It addresses the full range of faculty responsibilities in teaching, research and service and provides professional support for new faculty as they undertake these activities.

Each year, approximately 60 faculty members from colleges and universities throughout the country are selected to participate in a workshop preceding the math association's summer meeting, activities during the association's meetings, and an electronic discussion network throughout the year.

The first event for this year's project will be a workshop July 29-31. The workshop will be held just prior to MathFest, the summer meeting of the association, in Burlington, Vt. Aug. 1-3.

Among the topics that the fellows will discuss are: effective strategies for teaching calculus, pre-calculus, and differential equations; innovative approaches to liberal arts mathematics, statistics, and more advanced courses; involving undergraduates in mathematical research; alternate methods of assessing student learning; perspectives from pedagogical research; getting research off to a good start and writing grant proposals; and balancing teaching and research.

At MathFest the fellows will have an opportunity to choose among special short courses organized by Project NExT, as well as participate in all aspects of the meeting.

During 2003 the fellows will participate in an electronic network that links Project NExT Fellows with one another and with distinguished teachers of mathematics throughout the nation.

They will also attend special events at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Baltimore, Md. Jan. 15-18, and will attend a one-day workshop and the 2003 MathFest in Boulder, Colo. July 30-Aug. 2.

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SHSU Media Contact: Julia May
July 9, 2002
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