The University of Windsor Alumni Association honoured the exceptional accomplishments of Richard Caron, professor of Mathematics & Statistics in the Faculty of Science, with the Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching during Convocation on Wednesday, June 13.
The award was established in 1987 to provide incentive and encouragement for achieving excellence and teaching at the University of Windsor.
Campus flags were lowered Wednesday in memory of mathematics professor emeritus Chi Song Wong, who died May 5 in China.
Dr. Wong joined the Department of Mathematics and Statistics as an assistant professor in 1971, was promoted to associate professor in 1975 and to professor in 1977, a position he held until retirement in 2003. Funeral arrangements were incomplete at the DailyNews publication deadline.
The University of Waterloo dedicated the atrium of its new mathematics building last week, but not in the name of the donor who helped make it possible. He wanted his favourite teacher to have that honour instead.
This summer school isn’t remedial – it’s an honour.
Rachel Mok Tze Chung, a second-year student in mathematics and statistics, is one of 16 women from across Canada invited to the two-week Summer School for Women in Math Conference in Waterloo this August.
The conference is intended to encourage attendees to continue on to graduate work in mathematics. The program will provide both enrichment of the undergraduate curriculum and a research component in a collaborative environment.
There’s a difference between math and baking, says Kevin St. Denis: “Math is easier.”
The third-year mathematics major prepared a couple of pies in celebration of Pi Day, Wednesday in Erie Hall.
“It’s just some premade crust and I poured in two cans of filling – cherry and blueberry,” St. Denis said. “I tried to shape them like the letter R because I was going for two pie R.”
Mathematics and statistics professor Myron Hlynka is one of the experts consulted by Macleans magazine for an article entitled “The end of the wait for the elevator: Science and industrial design join together to try to make elevators more efficient.”
He praises “destination-oriented dispatching,” a system which assigns users to elevators depending on their desired final stops.
“It’s fascinating,” says Dr. Hlynka. “It’s almost like preprocessing.”
Math and statistics professor Rick Caron calls chemistry professor emeritus Roger Thibert one of his favourite people. That is why he was so honoured to be named one of the inaugural recipients of the Roger Thibert Teaching Excellence Award, Monday at the Celebration of Teaching Excellence.
“I thought, if I’m going to get a teaching award, this is the one I want,” Dr. Caron said. “I feel such a kinship with the man for his dedication to his students.”
A search committee is inviting nominations and applications until Wednesday, November 2, for the position of head in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The appointment will commence January 1, 2012, for a term of three to five years.
When she arrived at the University of Windsor three years ago to begin her post-secondary career, she was grateful for assistance in getting settled, recalls chemistry student Samantha Scalia.
“It was really hectic,” she said. “I was so glad to have so many people helping new students.”
That’s why she decided to get involved as a volunteer with Windsor Welcome Week. Scalia was one of dozens of students who pitched in to help about new arrivals haul their belongings into residence Sunday.
