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Previous CSULA Math Club events
Wednesday, May 9, 2012: Speaker: John Kawai Title: How to get a teaching job after CSULA! Part 2 - Interview Workshop
Abstract: Ever wonder how to prepare for an interview for an adjunct position? How does that differ from the preparation needed for a tenured position? Are the interview questions different? What is the best personality to exude during an interview? What kind of math questions do they ask? How do you fit a one hour lecture into a fifteen minute demonstration? Come find out the secrets to interviewing for a math adjunct or full-time faculty position.
If you would like to have your resume, cover letter and teaching philosophy commented on, bring them with you.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012: Speaker: John Kawai Title: How to get a teaching job after CSULA!
Abstract: Are you curious as to how to go about getting a teaching job at a community college or trade school? Ever wonder how much a tenure track or an adjunct professor at a community college, Devry, ITT, the Art Institute, Bryman, Westwood College, Concord College or University of Phoenix makes? Learn how to write a resume, cover letter and teaching philosophy that stands out. Discover how to get your resume past human resources to the department heads. Find out what you can do as a teaching associate that will help you get a job when you graduate.
If you would like to have your resume, cover letter and teaching philosophy commented on, bring them with you.
Bio: John Kawai is a recent CSULA math department graduate who has successfully worked with a number of past alums, to help them prepare the materials needed for adjunct/tenure positions throughout Southern California. Dr. Kawai has past experience hiring math teachers for supplemental afterschool math programs and has made the rounds teaching at almost every God-forsaken place there is to teach math locally. Currently Dr. Kawai is working at LA Valley College as full-time math faculty.
Wednesday, Apr. 25, 2012: Speaker: Scott Annin. Title: Cyber Pickpockets! Is the personal information you supply over the internet really secure?
Abstract: We have all come to rely on the Internet to do more and more things: chat with friends, make airline reservations, find love, purchase concert tickets, and so on. On-line queries such as these often require us to reveal personal information such as our address or credit card numbers. Your information is kept private by an ingenious cryptographic system known as RSA, developed in the 1970s and based on the difficulty of factoring large numbers (several hundred digits long). RSA lies at the intersection of algebra, number theory and computers, but the enormous progress made in the factorization of large numbers has called into question the future effectiveness of RSA. Join us and find out how RSA works, what its weaknesses are, and what alternatives are being developed to keep you safe.
Wednesday, Apr. 18, 2012: Speaker: James Henderson. Title: How BIG is That? Abstract: A question that often arises in mathematics is the question of the size of an object. There are multiple ways of measuring mathematical objects, and we’ll consider a few of those. Some of the earliest geometry lessons involved measuring size through area and volume. But things get interesting when the objects don’t fit into some nice category with a formula for area or volume. For example, it is possible to have a solid with finite volume that contains another object with infinite area? Another example of size is obtained through counting. Again, things get interesting when there are infinitely many elements in a set and one tries to count the objects. Are there different types of infinity? Finally, as a topologist, volume and area don’t mean a lot to me. So how would I measure the size of a topological object? We’ll discuss the definition of the dimension of a topological set, and see some of the limitations on the definition of dimension and a couple of different approaches to generalizing that concept.
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011: An information session on the Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency (LAUTR) program. This program, originating from an $8.8 million dollar federal grant awarded to California State University, Los Angeles, aims to recruit and train math and science teachers for high-need urban schools. Upon completion of the 14-month program, participants earn both a teaching credential and a master’s degree in education. They are provided with a $16,000 living stipend while in school, and are assisted in finding employment with LAUSD after graduation. We recruit recent college graduates and career changers. Please visit www.lautr.org for more information, or email LosAngelesUTR@gmail.com.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011: Sara Jamshidi, "How to apply for Ph.D. programs" (2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in ST-F213) Abstract
Wednesday, June 1, 2011: Tea time honoring graduating seniors and Master's students (Starting at 3:30 p.m. in ST-F213)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011: Dr. James Henderson, "The versatile Cantor Set" (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213) Abstract
Tuesday, May 24, 2011: Census Bureau recruitment event
Wednesday, May 18, 2011: Dr. Michael Hoffman, Functions which Preserve the Convergence of Real Series (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Tues., May 17, 2011: CINQA talk: Dr Kevin Squire, UCLA (12:10-1:00 p.m. in Biological Sciences Room 335)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011: Dr. Wei-Tan Li, University of South Carolina, Columbia (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011: Dr. Ko-Wei Lih, Institute of Mathematics, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, An Euler square before Euler and Its Modern Implications
Wednesday, March 9, 2011: Dr. Gerald Beer, Uniform Continuity of a Product of Real Functions (Joint Work With Som Naipally)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011: Stories With Dr. Michael Hoffman
Wednesday, February 23, 2011: Jack Bennett, University of California, Riverside, title/abstract TBA
Wednesday, November 17: CINQA talk. Jehoshua (Shuki) Bruck, California Institute of Technology. Random Ideas about Biological Networks, 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, November 10: Tea Time (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Wednesday, November 3: CINQA talk. Ricardo Sanchez, Biochemistry, CSULA. Using Computers to Locate Redox Micro Switches in Proteins (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Wednesday, October 27: Tea Time (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
RESCHEDULED EVENT, DATE TBA: David Uminsky, UCLA (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
RESCHEDULED EVENT, DATE TBA: Dr. Vladimir Akis, CSULA Department of Mathematics (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
RESCHEDULED EVENT, DATE TBA: Wayne Blake, Graduate/Credential Student, Claremont Graduate University (Topic: Math for America) (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
RESCHEDULED EVENT, DATE TBA: Dr. Ji Son, CSULA Department of Psychology (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Events during the 2010-2011 school year:
Wednesday, October 20: CINQA talk. Gustavo Borel Menezes, Civil Engineering, CSULA. Groundwater Protection and Management through Multidisciplinary Research (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Thursday, October 21: Tea Time (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Events during the 2009-2010 school year:
Oct 14:Steven Davis, Lecturer, CSULA (Topic: Competitions for Math Students: Building a Community of Problem Solvers)
Oct 21:Dr. Gilles (AMGEN)
Title: Existence, Uniqueness and Computation of the Solution of a Polynomial System Relevant to Pharmacology
Abstract:
We recently proposed the class of complete networks of reversible binding reactions in an effort to describe many biochemical reaction mechanisms that are studied in pharmacology. An outcome of this effort is a positive polynomial P such that, given a vector b of total (free and bound) concentrations of the so-called elementary species, the vector x of equilibrium concentrations of these species is uniquely given by P(x) = b. The polynomial P is parameterized with structural and kinetic information about the network. The presentation will discuss the following topics:
- How two theorems, the well known Brouwer Fixed-Point Theorem and the lesser known Global Univalence Theorem of Gale and Nikaidô, lead respectively to the surjectivity and the injectivity of the map P;
- How the fixed-point perspective enables in some cases solving the equation P(x) = b with a priori assurance of success; and
- The prospect for exploiting the fixed-point perspective to solve the equation P(x) = b in all cases.
Oct 28:Alissa Crans
Title: Mathematical Disguises
Abstract: In honor ofHalloween, let's investigate how mathematical gadgets can disguise themselves! Using differentpoints of view, such as viewing certain objects wearing our algebraic and geometric glasses, we'll see how mathematicians can view the same object in multiple ways.
Jan 20, 2010: Sergey Kitaev, Reykjavik University, Pattern Avoidance in Permutations and Beta(1,0)-trees
Jan 27, 2010: Nick Abruzzo, Mathematical Devices of the Theater
Feb 17, 2010: Dr. Beer, Boundedness and Total Boundedness in Metric Spaces (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Feb 3, 2010: Dr. Mhaskar (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Feb 10, 2010: Dr. Lisette De Pillis, Harvey Mudd College, Mathematical Modeling of Cancer Growth and Immunological Indirection (CINQA talk, 3-4 p.m. in BIOS 244)
Feb 24, 2010: Tuyetdong Phan-Yamada, Crocheting the Hyperbolic Plane (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Mar 3, 2010: Dr. Henderson (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Mar 10, 2010: Dr. Christof Koch, California Institute of Technology, The Science of Consciousness: What do We Know and what do We Need to Know (CINQA talk, 3-4 p.m. in BIOS 244)
April 7: Ice Cream Social (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
April 14: Dr. Beer, Semicontinuous Functions (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
April 21: Wayne Blake, Archimedes Could Have Been a Tow Truck Driver (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
April 28: Celebration for Outstanding Graduate Student and Outstanding Senior (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
May 5: Dr. Brookfield, LaTeX (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
May 26: Dr. Shaheen (3:15 to 4:15 p.m. in ST-F213)
Events during the 2008-2009 school year:
Click the title of the talk for the abstract.
Events during the 2007-2008 school year:
Events during the 2006-2007 school year:
Fall 2006 Events:
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Date:
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Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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“Career Opportunities in Accounting for Math Majors”
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Speaker:
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Greg Kunkel (Chair, Department of Accounting, CSULA)
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Abstract:
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Businesses need employees who can think logically and who can communicate. The presentation will provide an overview of career opportunities for math majors in the field of accounting.
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Links:
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CSULA Accounting Dept.
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Date:
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Wednesday, November 8, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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“What can I do with a Math major”
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Speaker:
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Joanna Martel (CSULA Career Center)
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Abstract:
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This talk will give some answers to the following question: “What can I do with a degree in Mathematics?” Jobs in industry, government, market research, computers, insurance, securities, banking, and education will be discussed (including strategies to obtain these jobs).
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Links:
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CSULA Career Development Center; Event flyer
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Date:
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Wednesday, November 1, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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“How Escalante Makes a Difference in Math Instruction”
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Speaker:
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Fernando Fernandez (Program Director, East Los Angeles College Jaime Escalante Math & Science Program; CSULA graduate)
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Abstract:
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For more than 20 years, the Jaime Escalante approach to math has been blazing a different path than conventional classroom instruction. Graduate math students might well ask: What is Escalante doing right? We will present three possibilities: (1) the location and timing of Escalante workshops attracts motivated students; (2) Escalante’s curriculum focuses on fundamental math concepts, avoiding the fads and experiments typical of regular classrooms; and (3) by “liberating” teachers from rigid lesson plans or resistant students, the Escalante approach also manages to create positive attitudes toward mathematics –THE key to student success. With Starr King Middle School’s Escalante project, we’ll show how in just one year students were able to achieve dramatic results – simply by making math enjoyable.
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Links:
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Event flyer; East Los Angeles College Jaime Escalante Math & Science Program
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Date:
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Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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Math and Modeling in Cryobiology: an REU Experience
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Speaker:
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Claire Schulkey (CSULA student)
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Abstract:
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Mathematical modeling has been integral in theoretical advances and understanding in the field of cryobiology. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of cryobiology, integrating chemistry, physics, and biology, modeling has aided in the development of testable theory. Background in this field will be discussed, as well as research conducted over the summer at the University of Missouri-Columbia, on the cryoprotectant agent (CPA) propylene glycol and the freezing and thawing properties of this CPA associated with biological systems. The process of applying for and participating in a research experience for undergraduates (REU) will also be discussed.
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Links:
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Event flyer; REU
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Date:
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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Radio Labeling of Cn □ Cn
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Speaker:
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Aaron Yeager (CSULA student)
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Abstract:
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Links:
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Event flyer
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Date:
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
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Time:
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3-4 p.m.
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Title:
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First meeting of the year
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Speaker:
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None---it's an organizational meeting.
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Abstract:
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Come join us for the first math club meeting of the year!
Meet other students interested in mathematics to share ideas and to have fun. Find out about the MAA student chapter and how to join. Learn about teaching jobs, tutoring opportunities, undergraduate research, networking, and hearing from people in business and industry that use mathematics in their work.
Bring and share your ideas on what activities you would like to see during the fall quarter. We have some events planned already, but there is room for your ideas.
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Links:
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Event flyer
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Spring 2006 Events:
Meeting time Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m.
(with refreshments for talks starting at 2:30 pm)
Simpson Tower 213
Dr. Heubach will talk about the Putnam Exam, a mathematics competition.
- Chaos in a Bottle: Experimental Nonlinear Population Dynamics (Robert Desharnais, CSULA) May 24, 2006
Nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory provide an alternative to random noise as a possible explanation for large unpredictable fluctuations in the densities of ecological populations. Until recently, there has been a lack of empirical data to support this idea. This seminar will present the first experimental evidence for chaotic dynamics in an ecological population.
- General position point-sets with many similar patterns (Bernardo Abrego, CSU Northridge) May 17, 2006
Abstract: This talk concerns the following problem of Erdos and Purdy: For every n positive integer, find the maximum number of subsets similar to a given pattern determined by n points in the plane in general position (no three points on a line). Professor Abrego will show a general construction method for an arbitrary pattern and particular constructions for the cases when the pattern in consideration is an equilateral triangle, a square, and some other interesting sets. Then Professor Abrego will show alternative constructions when general position is changed from "no three points in a line" to "no two parallel segments." The talk is elementary and assumes no prior knowledge other than simple notions of Euclidean Geometry.
- How to Get a Job if your Major is Math or Computer Science (Bill Murphy, Visiting Professor, UCLA) May 10, 2006
Dr. Murphy has spent over 25 years at Rockwell Science Center in Thousand Oaks working on applied mathematical problems and has also been teaching at different universities. In his various positions, he has interviewed many applicants interested in careers in industry. He will be discussing how to get your resume into the right hands and emphasize the characteristics that will make you stand out. He will describe the advantages and disadvantages of employment in industry, universities and colleges, and government, and will describe briefly some of the mathematical problems he has solved. (This presentation is of interest for both undergraduate and graduate students.)
- Calculator workshop (Stuart Moskowitz, Humboldt State University) Saturday, May 6, 2006
This is a day-long calculator workshop with an emphasis on applications that can be used in high school teaching. Pre-service teachers (those that are enrolled in either the Bachelor's of Mathematics - Single Subject Credential or in a Credential Program) will receive a free TI-86 calculator (unless they received one in an ealier workshop). Sign up with Dr. Heubach. Space is limited to 25 participants. Fee: $15 (for food and workbook). The workshop will start at 8 am, breakfast, lunch, munchies and beverages will be provided. Workshop ends around 5 pm. DEADLINE for signing up is April 25!!!!
Are you a Sudoku addict or novice who wants to learn about the game that has become the hottest puzzle? I will give a brief history of the game, talk about strategies to solve a puzzle, and discuss some mathematical questions related to Sudoku puzzles, such as the minimal number of given values, ….
Here is a pdf file with the slides from Dr. Heubach’s PowerPoint presentation.
- Secondary Mathematics in California Public Schools-- Teaching and Beyond (Fred Uy, Charter College of Education, CSLA) April 26, 2006
Dr. Uy will discuss the process and the requirements in obtaining a Single Subject Credential in Mathematics in CA and will explore the other career options in secondary mathematics aside from teaching.
- The Story of 1 (video presentaion) April 19, 2006
We all start counting at 1 - find out about the history of how 1 came to be....
- Alternative Credentialing Programs (George Gonzalez, Recruitment Specialist, LAUSD) April 12, 2006
George Gonzalez will be talking about alternative credentialing programs for math, science, English and special education. In these programs, you can teach, earning salary and benefits, while you're taking classes for your credential. Some of the programs are tuition free (District Intern Program). LAUSD will be interviewing at the Career Center the next day - if you are interested, you can sign up after the presentation.
Winter 2006 Events:
Meeting time Wednesdays, 3 - 4
(with refreshments for talks at 2:30 pm)
Simpson Tower 213
- A Controversial Topic in Statistical Data Analysis (Kagba Suaray, CSULB) January 18, 2006
In the statistical analysis of data, it is assumed that all of the available information is used in order to attain an accurate summary of the population under study. However, due to various causes, there are times at which the variable under study will not be observable. Dr. Suaray will define and develop censoring, which is one of many ways this can happen, and look at some examples of how this real life phenomenon translates into nontrivial generalizations of the classical theory. Censored data arises in a wide variety of applied settings, including clinical trials in medicine and reliability theory in engineering.
- A topological approach to molecular symmetry (Erica Flapan, Pomona College) January 25, 2006
Symmetry plays an important role in predicting the behavior of molecules. A particular type of symmetry which is chemically important is mirror image symmetry. If a structure is rigid, it is not hard to check whether the structure and its mirror image are the same. Recently, knots, links, and other non-planar molecules have been synthesized which do not have the rigidity that is characteristic of small molecules. If a molecule is flexible or even partially flexible, it may be able to change into its mirror image, even though it cannot be rigidly superimposed on its mirror image. In this talk we will give examples of such structures and present techniques that can be used to prove that certain flexible structures cannot change into their mirror image.
If you want information about membership in the local MAA (Mathematics Association of America) student chapter, please contact Dr. Silvia Heubach at (323) 343-2150 or drop by my office in Simpson Tower 209.
Fall 2005 Events:
Meeting time 2:30 - 3:30
(with refreshments for talks at 2 pm)
Simpson Tower 213
- Calculator Workshop for Pre-Service Teachers (October 15- Saturday!)
- A career in the Actuarial Sciences (John Rodgers, PacifiCare) November 9, 2005
John will tell us about actuarial careers, how to prepare for it, where an actuary works,.... Here is the powerpoint presentation that John gave. It contains info and web sites of interest.
- Bubble Math (Dr. Brookfield, CSLA) November 16, 2005
Bubbles can do really hard math! Soap films always try to minimize their surface areas. In doing so, they can "solve" some really interesting geometry problems - problems that are too hard for mathematicians. In this talk, I will demonstrate what bubbles can do and discuss what mathematicians have been able to prove about bubbles so far. Also on the agenda are square bubbles, bubbles-inside-bubbles, double bubbles, weird foam, and more.
- REU and MORE programs, and Graph Pebbling (Ronald Martinez, CSLA) November 23, 2005
Ronald participated in a REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program last summer, and will give a short presentation on his research project (Graph pebbling). He will also tell us about his REU experience (how he found out about it, the works…) and the MORE program on our campus. Info on REU programs can be found at this AMS web site or on the NSF REU site.
- REU and MORE programs, and Graph Pebbling (Ronald Martinez, CSLA) November 30, 2005
Presentation will be repeated since it was interrupted by an emergency evacuation!
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