Understanding Mathematical Creativity

By Keith Devlin @KeithDevlin@fediscience.org CONTENT WARNING: High concentration of speculation and New Year hope in this month’s post. A common artist’s illustration of the human brain as a network of firing neurons. Image source. What is going on in our brain when we finally come up with the key idea to solve a mathematical problem...

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My Mathematical Journey: Explorations

By: David Bressoud @dbressoud David Bressoud is DeWitt Wallace Professor Emeritus at Macalester College and former Director of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences In 1989 I decided that, for the sake of my own well-being, I would stop worrying about getting my next grant and look around for other ways to use my...

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How-to on Literature Reviews with Cara Evanson

By Tim Chartier, Davidson College Tim Chartier Literature reviews are an essential part of research papers. They lay the foundation of the work to follow and place the new ideas into context within the field. As such, researchers, students and faculty alike, must complete such reviews. How do we conduct such work? Where do we...

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Mega-minute of Data

Written by Tim Chartier, Davidson College Illustrated by Ansley Earle Tim Chartier Data analytics is a hot topic in our world and rightly so. With so much data, we need mathematics to analyze and make meaning from the mass of data. As such, we must rely on algorithms to search the web or recommend products...

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IOLA-X: Experiencing Linear Algebra through Inquiry-Oriented Activities

By Jana Talley, DUE Point Co-Editor, Jackson State University Inquiry-Oriented Linear Algebra Extended (IOLA-X) is the continuation of a collaborative curriculum design project that began over a decade ago. During the first IOLA project (NSF DUE #1245673/1245796/1246083), the instructional design theory of Realistic Mathematics Education (RME), which frames mathematics as a human activity, was employed...

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Normalizing Imposter Syndrome

By Eileen Faulkenberry Dr. Eileen Faulkenberry I recently facilitated a session on “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” for a group of incoming Freshmen STEM majors. While preparing for the presentation, I found myself doubting my ability to effectively lead the conversation. Surely there was someone else more qualified. I began to think through who else might be...

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Testimonios: Dr. Cynthia Oropesa Anhalt

Testimonios, a new publication from MAA/AMS, brings together first-person narratives from the vibrant, diverse, and complex Latinx and Hispanic mathematical community. Starting with childhood and family, the authors recount their own particular stories, highlighting their upbringing, education, and career paths. Testimonios seeks to inspire the next generation of Latinx and Hispanic mathematicians by featuring the...

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Confessions of a Brown Woman in Math

By Jasmine Camero My brown skin has often spoken for me before I’ve gotten the chance to show who I am in society and especially in academic spaces. I walk into any room and people immediately see my skin color, race and ethnicity, gender, the way I dress - all purely physical identities. Because of...

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Over The Line: When Evaluations Become Cruel

By Allison Henrich, Matthew Pons, and David G. Taylor From left to right: Matthew Pons, David G. Taylor, and Allison Henrich It’s one of those times of year again, when we finish our grading, submit our grades, then open the manila envelope (okay, I’m old school; for you, open the Google form) to read our...

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What You Can Do to Support VITAL Faculty

By Rebecca Swanson Rebecca Swanson After two years in a tenure track position at a small liberal arts college, I moved into a VITAL* faculty position at the Colorado School of Mines, where I have been a Teaching Professor since 2012. While there are many aspects of my job that I love, I have experienced...

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