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MAA Honors HMC Math Faculty Mohamed Omar and Francis Su each received prestigious awards during the Mathematical Association of America’s (MAA) 2018 MathFest. For his dedication to teaching and engaging students, Omar received the Henry L. Alder Award, which recognizes beginning college or university faculty, top educators whose teaching has been extra ordinarily successful and whose effectiveness in teaching undergraduate mathematics is shown to have influence beyond the classroom. “It is an honor to be recognized by a leading national mathematics association through the Alder Award,” said Omar. “The Harvey Mudd College community played a pivotal role in making this possible.” Omar is a leading expert on creativity in mathematics. He has collaborated with national leaders in mathematics education to promote creativity as a critical element of learning. He has served on organizing committees for some of the largest high school mathematics competitions in the U.S. and Canada, including the American Mathematics Competition and the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge. He has also created YouTube videos sharing creative techniques for deconstructing standardized test problems. Omar employs sophisticated mathematical techniques to study foundational questions about networks, including questions about the structure
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of abstract networks, and fundamental questions about networks in neuroscience, motivated by Nobel Prize-winning work. His research also focuses on discrete mathematics: understanding patterns in finite structures. Su was awarded the The Paul R. Halmos-Lester R. Ford Award, given to the best papers published in the MAA’s flagship journal, The American Mathematical Monthly. The paper recognized was the published version of a speech Su gave at the end of his MAA presidency titled “Mathematics for Human Flourishing.” The much-lauded talk explores how the deeply-human themes that drive people to do mathematics can be channeled to build a more beautiful and just world in which all can flourish. Su’s paper was also selected for inclusion in The Best Writing on Mathematics 2018 (Princeton University Press). This is the third time Su’s writing has been selected for the Princeton anthology. Su, the Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics, studies geometric and topological combinatorics, and he has a passion for popularizing mathematics. He is also the creator of the popular Math Fun Facts website and, more recently, the MathFeed app, a math news aggregator. He has been involved with the MAA for many years, serving as one of its youngest presidents from 2015–2017.
Voices for the Voiceless Critters Speak is an environmental art and education project Rachel Mayeri, professor of media studies, created for Brandon Ballengée’s portable museum of Gulf of Mexico biodiversity, Crude Life. In June 2017, Mayeri visited South Louisiana and interviewed a broad range of people to assess environmental recovery seven years after BP’s Deepwater Horizon, the largest oil spill in US history. A shrimper, a state senator, an activist, biologists, and others share their stories. Portrayed as animated animals and other life forms, they give voice to the species of this unique habitat, the largest wetland in North America. From coral reefs to coastal marshes and inland swamps, they speak for the invisible, unheard and overlooked critters who keep the Gulf of Mexico alive. Critters Speak is presented on a tablet, on a webpage (rachelmayeri.com/critters_speak), and as an 18-minute documentary. It was produced with a grant from the National Academy of Science Keck Futures Institute.
Math and Magic Art Benjamin shares some mathemagical secrets in his newest contribution to The Great Courses, the educational site for lifelong learners. “Math and Magic” will help you master card tricks and the mathematical principles behind them, learn shortcuts to those fast mental calculations that Benjamin is known for and understand how to create and solve geometric puzzles and magic squares. In addition to those by Benjamin, courses by mathematics professor Talithia Williams are also available via The Great Courses.