Melvyn's Messages

Best Wishes to Dr. Melvyn Jeter Yuanziyi Zoe Zhang Class of 2018, Illinois Wesleyan University

J be the set of all Dr. Melvyn Jeter’s students. Let n = card(J). Thus, J = {j1 , j2 , ..., jn }.

tion from the natural numbers set N to the set J of all Dr. Jeter’s students c d as below. ( jx mod n , if x mod n 6= 0

Students’ Congratulatory Messages for Your Retirement

On Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 1:15 PM David Elliott <david.elliott89@gmail.com> I hope this isn't too late!!

Dr. Jeter, Congratulations on your retirement! I can't thank you enough for the encouragement you gave me in my time at Wesleyan. The two proofs classes I took with you were completely transformative in terms of my ability to tackle hard problems and communicate results effectively. That experience has really empowered me to tackle challenges in my professional life. I tell friends and colleagues about the experience all the time.

When I started your topology course I had quickly realized that I could work ahead and take care of a large volume of easy proofs and easily get by. You took enough of an interest in me to sit me down and challenge me to get outside of my comfort zone. You gave me a list of (significantly harder) proofs that were the only ones I was allowed to attempt from that point on.

Those proofs were orders of magnitude harder than anything I had attempted to that point in my academic career. I really struggled with many of them. Some problems took 20-40 hours of my time and I was never able to complete them. I learned a lot about being patient and methodical while dealing with tough problems and those lessons stick with me today. I've made a career as an actuary but the skills that are most important to me are creative problem solving and effective communication - two things I learned a lot about in your classes.

Enjoy your retirement! And thank you again for pushing me outside of my comfort zone. It has really made a huge difference in my life.

David Elliott _________________________________________________

On Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 6:08 PM Craig Knoche <cknoche42@hotmail.com> Please tell Dr. Jeter I said “Congrats on a great career!” and tell him I ended up being a math teacher, too!

Craig Knoche Class of 2002. _________________________________________________

Date: Mon, May 25, 2020 at 8:10 AM - From: Craig Isaacs <craig.isaacs.io8i@statefarm.com> I hope you are all doing well, take care, Craig. ________________________________________________________ (see letter on next page)

State Farm Corporate Headquarters 1 State Farm Plaza Bloomington, IL 61710-0001

Dr. Jeter, Congratulations on your retirement! That’s fantastic news for you, I hope that you enjoy every minute.

You have had a long and influential career, including impacting me and thousands of other students.

We had 3 main encounters – my very first recruiting trip to campus and two classes: Techniques of Proof and Topics in Geometry. That first recruiting trip was a deal clincher for me, and getting to meet you and learn more about the math curriculum and how I could create something of an Actuarialfocused degree through a Math major and two minors was just what I wanted.

I know that many were awed and some intimidated by the Texas method you used in both of those classes, and I’m sure you’ll hear similar lifelong takeaways to mine from other graduates. For me it was an eye-opening way to collaboratively learn math with my peers that I still think about today in business.

The experience helped me appreciate how much deeper the learning can be – and how much more people pay attention! – when someone is learning and teaching at the same time, rather than just sitting back and absorbing material.

And I can’t ignore the learnings you passed on regarding persevering through challenges and taking risks – especially knowing the compassionate and encouraging support that you gave us all. Being sent back from the white board to work on a really difficult problem always reinvigorated me, and helped me appreciate that it’s ok to try something out that I may not get right the first time. I often talk to my team about the importance of learning through failed efforts and that the real failure would be to give up or not learn from the experience… lessons I learned early on jumping into the much more theoretical areas of math you taught compared to what I was used to.

Lastly, being in leadership now myself, I have a much greater appreciation for the indirect influences you also had on me as Dept. Chair. From recruiting and leading other great professors like Dr. Drici, Dr. He, and Prof. Coates, to designing the math curriculum, to helping lead through transition from the old science building to the new one, I know you had a hand in many decisions that shaped my time at IWU. For all of that and more – thank you! Congratulations!

Craig Isaacs Vice President – P&C Actuarial & Underwriting Modeling IWU Class of ‘97

On Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 10:57 AM Kimberly Diller <kdiller@route24.net> Sorry for the delay! It's hard to know what to say to someone who had such an impact on my undergraduate years. I still don't think I adequately described it, but my attempt is attached.

Thank you!

Kimberly Dr. Jeter, I am so excited for this opportunity to write about the impact you’ve had on my life. When I found myself in your Techniques of Mathematical Proof class in the spring of my freshman year, I was seriously considering a change in both major and university. My first semester had been overwhelming, and the 15 weeks of proofs ahead certainly didn’t give me any comfort. I had been accepted to two other universities for the coming fall and was deciding between an Actuarial Science and Food Science program.

Your class changed my mindset changed entirely. I proved a lot in that class, but most important was proving to myself that I had a place in the math department at IWU. Had I not been in your class that semester, I might not be an IWU graduate today.

I remember the following spring, as a sophomore, I was struggling to find a class that fit into my schedule and that I had the prerequisites for. There was a 400-level class with some seats open yet that I happened to have the right classes for: Topics in Geometry, I believe it was. That was to-date (post master’s degree) the most intimidating class I’ve stepped foot in. As a sophomore, walking into a 400-level class and a room full of seniors, knowing I’d have to present my work to them on a regular basis, I felt nothing but fear.

That was the semester you became my confidence. You had so much confidence in me that I couldn’t help but to have some in myself. After a few rough weeks, things turned around, and my fear of going to class was replaced with excitement.

In my senior year, while taking Topology, I ended up in your office often. I don’t remember talking about Topology so much as Texas, grad school, travelling and research. You encouraged me to explore PhD options, while I had a job offer I couldn’t refuse. I’m thankful you pushed me so strongly toward grad school. I was burnt out on classwork and studying when I graduated from IWU, so I wasn’t convinced I ever wanted to go back. When the opportunity arose at work to pursue a master’s degree on campus at UIUC, I thought a lot about your encouragement.

At the moment, I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of my diploma. I’m working in a job that I love (from my kitchen table), building staffing models, fraud models, sampling engines, data structures, etc... I couldn’t be more content. I’m so glad I stayed at IWU, accepted the job I have today, and pursued a master’s degree in Statistics, and I will be forever grateful that your confidence in me shaped the pathway here.

With that, congratulations to you! I know I’m just one of many IWU graduates who’ve been inspired by you, and I hope you enjoy every minute of your retirement.

Best wishes, Kimberly (Wenger) Diller ’15

Date: Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 6:39 PM - From: Yizhe Gao <yzhegao@gmail.com> I've had two classes with you and they are both very important to me not only because of the class content but also because you taught me a way of independent learning. This has been extremely helpful during my academic and professional career. Happy retirement Dr. Jeter !

Yizhe Gao. _________________________________________________

On Tue, Jun 30, 2020 at 5:55 AM John Blumenreich <john.blumenreich@apavegas.org> Hi Dr. Jeter, I wanted to take this opportunity to first congratulate you on your retirement after helping so many students (including myself) over the years. IWU was very lucky to have you for the length of time you taught at their university, and you will be tremendously missed amongst the IWU community.

When looking at colleges and universities to attend during my junior and senior years of high school, I knew from a very young age that I wanted to become a high school math teacher. I researched several liberal arts colleges and universities across the country for opportunities to pursue this career, and IWU ultimately seemed to be the best choice. I knew that pursuing a double major in mathematics and secondary education would not be an easy task, but you and other faculty at the university were very pivotal in helping me to be successful during my time at IWU. I remember speaking with you during my Titan Orientation week as you were my assigned mathematics advisor, and I was fortunate enough to be able to take my Calculus I class with you along with Techniques of Mathematical Proof, Linear Programming, and Topics of Geometry in the Euclidean Space. Despite the Texas Method of Instruction being a difficult adjustment for my learning, I am fortunate to have experienced this unique educational opportunity to not only learn the mathematics knowledge that helps set me apart from other mathematics teaching candidates but to also remind me that there are always several methods of instruction that can help one to effectively teach students.

During my years at IWU, I was very grateful to have you as my mathematics professor and advisor as you were able to give me advice as to which classes I should take along the way; I was also very fortunate to have you in my corner as you genuinely were active in ensuring my success. So, I thank you for always being there and making sure that I had the tools necessary to be successful.

Here is an update on me: I currently still live in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be entering my 6th year as a secondary mathematics teacher at a charter school called American Preparatory Academy Las Vegas. Our school teaches using the Saxon Math curriculum which I bet you are familiar with. With this program, I have taught the following levels: 8/7 (pre-algebra), Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Advanced Mathematics, and Calculus; I have also taught AP Calculus AB and a financial literacy course along with Character Development courses that all of our students take as their homeroom class. In my time with my school, I have worked hard to become a math lead in my department where I have opportunities to help with observations of classes, creating supplemental curriculum, working on math placements for students, and other administrative tasks. In the future, I have expressed interest in not only continuing my work in the classroom but also in possibly looking into academic coaching across departments along with administrative roles.

Since graduation from IWU, I have visited the IWU campus twice: once to visit a friend who was finishing up coursework the semester following my May 2015 graduation as well as for a wedding last year in 2019. I hope to be able to revisit IWU in future years as I truly value my time attending this fantastic university.

Thank you again for all of the hard work and genuine care you put into your job especially during my time when I attended IWU from 2011-2015. Speaking for the masses, you have done a tremendous job and you should be very proud of how many students you have reached over the years. I hope that you enjoy having this time off to spend with your family, and I hope for continued health for you and your family especially during these unprecedented times.

John Blumenreich Class of 2015 - Mathematics & Secondary Education Double Major jblumenr@iwu.edu _________________________________________

On Thu, Jun 25, 2020 at 7:55 PM David Janashvili <djanashvili@gmail.com> Dr. Jeter, First and foremost, congratulations on your retirement and on such an incredibly distinguished career. I remember you warmly as a phenomenal teacher and mentor, and wish you all the very best in your future endeavors, which I hope include lots of golf, travel and fun with family. Thank you once again for your tremendous contributions to both my personal success as a professional and a person, as well as to the success stories of so many students that have looked up to you throughout the years.

Warmest regards, David Janashvili, IWU Class of 2002 ___________________________________________________________

On Fri, Jun 26, 2020 at 3:33 PM John Meuser <jmeuser@icloud.com> Dear Dr. Jeter, You set a higher standard and set me up to reach it. You made me love math in a new way, a way that brought it together with all the best that humanity has to offer. I've lived a better life because of your compassionate concern for clarity and exactness. You taught me to think more than any teacher I've had. There is no price I can put on how helpful all that you did as a teacher, mentor, and guide has been to me. I've done my best to help others as you helped me, but paying it forward hardly feels like enough.

More than anyone, you taught me how to navigate the chaotic storm of confusion that comes with any problem worth solving in life and work. There are few people that learn to navigate this world by constructing and collecting clear and exact principles: there are even fewer who are lucky to have such an effective way of dealing with the world taught to them.

You released a mathematician from within me that I did not know was there. You taught me how to discover and explore. I didn't know it at the time, but you introduced me to the greatest adventure you can be on in this life, the one where love and truth meet in the intersection of meaningful work and meaningful relationships.

You did what few teachers even think is possible: you taught people to create and discover mathematics. You broke down the mysticism of mathematics, the stories of cosmic insight that history blindly maintains, and built up a way of shaping students into constructive members of a shared mathematical environment.

You were able to build a culture in a classroom. I still do not know how to do that or how you did that. I know it is as much an art as it is a science, but I'm too young to have mastered the art, and whatever science I've mastered is no replacement for that art. See, there are still things that you are teaching me: I will think of you and how you continue to change my life for as long as I have a body to think with.

I may not have the impact on the world that I would hope for, or help all those that I would hope to help, but whatever good I do will be forever in part because of you.

John Meuser _________________________________________________.

Date: Mon, May 18, 2020 at 3:54 PM From: Bob Lauer <rlauer@gmail.com> I told my wife a story about Professor Jeter not too long ago, hopefully it fits in well: I remember Professor Jeter told us about a time he had to fix a piece of machinery that he wasn't very familiar with. He was able to fix it by thinking through the problem logically and understanding the mechanics of the machine. He would often encourage us to do the same, slow down and think it through logically. 12 years later, I found myself fixing my lawn mower without knowing much about how they work, and suddenly his voice popped into my head. At that moment I fully realized what he had been telling us so many years before, and what an impact he had had on me.

Bob Lauer, Class of '06. _________________________________________________

On Mon, Jun 22, 2020 at 11:54 AM From: Yuanziyi Zhang <yzhang1@iwu.edu> Greetings!

This is Yuanziyi Zhang, Class of 2018. I would like to include a message to Dr. Jeter to send my congratulations.

I apologize for the late reply. It took me some time to figure out what to say. :) Please see the files attached. The pdf is the message. In addition, there are three pictures. The first one is a cool back view of Dr. Jeter. The second one is the grade notification of Dr. Jeter's class I have cherished for four years.

The last one is the two books Dr. Jeter gave me and I have been carrying them with me since then.

And thank you very much for putting together such a wonderful gift! Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with!

Thank you again! Miss the math department every day!

Please stay safe and take care!

Best Regards, Yuanziyi _________________________________________________

Best Wishes to Dr. Melvyn Jeter Yuanziyi Zoe Zhang Class of 2018, Illinois Wesleyan University

Let J be the set of all Dr. Melvyn Jeter’s students. Let n = card(J). Thus, J = {j1 , j2 , ..., jn }.

A function from the natural numbers set N to the set J of all Dr. Jeter’s students can be defined as below. ( jx mod n , if x mod n 6= 0 f (x) = jn , if x mod n = 0.

There are infinitely many ways to define such a function just like Dr. Jeter has successfully mapped each of his students to their passion for mathematics. In Dr. Jeter’s class, I realized the importance of taking a brief pause and looking back at my own knowledge system. New ideas and inspirations often come from a mind with all the existing knowledge fully mobilized.

This is the beginning of a new journey. I hereby send my best wishes and kindest regards. Congratulations!

I will end this message with a quote from a beloved character of both Dr. Jeter’s and mine.

“Happiness is the richest thing we will ever own.”

——Donald Duck

1

Date: Thu, May 21, 2020 at 11:12 AM From: Smith, Brian <smithb@steamboatmountainschool.org> Though it's been 20+ years since I had a class with Dr. Jeter, I remember most fondly his presence. He had a certain gravitas that gave me confidence in his teaching and trust in what I got out of his classes.

Brian Smith Dean of Students Steamboat Mountain School, Boundless ________________________

On Mon, Jun 29, 2020 at 10:59 AM From: Michael Portwood <portwood143@gmail.com> Over my time at IWU, I had the great privilege of sitting under Dr. Jeter's tutelage through dozens and dozens of classes together. And even though some of the content-specific particulars have faded with time, one of Dr. Jeter's lessons still stands out most significantly.

As we would come up against some monster of a math problem, requiring great insight and perseverance, Dr. J used to tell the story of how, on his Texas ranch, he would lay under his broken down John Deere tractor, trying to figure out what was causing it not to run properly. And as he laid there, he said he would spend great amounts of time just staring and thinking at the complex system of mechanicals in front of him. And even though temporarily stumped, yet convinced that the solution was within grasp, he used to tell himself, "If someone can figure this out, I can figure this out.

This picture of self-confidence always stood out to me to me as a young man, and I have recited these words to myself many, MANY times after hearing this great model of grit and resolve. Thanks for being a great storyteller and teacher, but even more so for incorporating personal, real-life lessons into class that still give guidance decades later.

Mike Portwood. - Class of '99 __________________________________

Date: Tue, May 19, 2020 at 12:27 AM From: Melinda Brandt <melindarbrandt@gmail.com> Dear Professor Jeter, Thank you so much for your contributions to the math department. I highly enjoyed my time as a student and how it prepared me to teach secondary mathematics in Missouri and in Colorado. Thank you for challenging me to be my best!

Sincerely, Melinda (Sprague) Brandt, class of 2006 ________________________________

Date: Mon, May 18, 2020 at 4:06 PM From: Laura Crowley <lcrowley@jburroughs.org> Hello Dr. Jeter!

This is Laura (Chik) Crowley '96. Congratulations on your retirement! I have many fond memories of my time studying mathematics under your tutelage. In fact, I enjoy math so much that I have made a career of teaching it to high school students. I have been a teacher for two decades, teaching every level from middle school PreAlgebra through AP Calculus BC. This spring has been a new challenge for me (as for everyone!) as I learned how to do some of this virtually. Attached is a screenshot of a video I made to help as my students were preparing for their AP Calculus exam. I've taught in a public school and in a private school, and have chaired the mathematics departments at both of my schools. Sometimes my teenage daughters even let me help them a bit with their math homework. =) I remember the Texas-style courses I got to take with you, which were in a style and a format completely new to me. I loved how the nature of how we developed content together in these courses emphasized both the deductive nature and the collaborative of mathematics. Each time we proved a theorem, we could then use that one to prove the next, etc. I wonder if you still have students write up their attempted solutions - ready to be presented to the class as each of our classmates tried to poke holes in our proof - on transparency sheets for the overhead projector, or if modern times have called for a new system.

Thank you for everything that you taught me, Dr. Jeter!

Best wishes to you, and I hope you enjoy a long and fruitful retirement. ________

Laura Crowley - Chair, Mathematics Dept. - John Burroughs School cell 314.662.0523 - office 314.993.4040 x32

Date: Mon, May 18, 2020 at 9:20 PM. From: Mary Narens <marynarens@hotmail.com> Dr. Jeter, I grew up a straight A+ student excelling in Math and Science. I was shook to the bones when I was not doing well in Linear Algebra. I remember going to your office and you showed me so many applications for Linear Algebra (which honestly I can remember none now LOL.) You were able to refocus me, and I was able to get my degree in Physics with a minor in Math. I worked for FermiLab and was there when we found the top quark. I led Pandemic Planning at Walgreens during H1N1, transformed the Business Continuity Program at Allstate Insurance, and I am now proud to be in Pandemic Response for Information Security at SC Johnson, helping to battle the CoVID-19 virus with disinfectants. I've had an amazing career based on the basics that I received in Math and Physics at Illinois Wesleyan.

Thank you for changing my paradigm Mary (Sluiter) Narens. ________________________________________________

Date: Tue, May 19, 2020 at 2:37 PM From: Vicki Ward <vickiward16@gmail.com> Hi Dr. Jeter, I had a class with you (I think it was Linear Programming) where it was me and three older male students. I was so intimidated. Thank you for all of your hard work and for helping me understand the material. I also remember attending your office hours very frequently to get a lot of help because college level math was very challenging for me. I'm a high school math teacher now, so I understand how patient you were with me. Enjoy retirement!

Vicki (Beata) Ward '08

___________

Date: Thu, Jun 11, 2020 at 8:48 AM From: Xinyun Ye <xye@iwu.edu> Happy Retirement, Professor Jeter! It was a pleasure to be your student at IWU and hope you can enjoy your retirement life!

This is Cecilia Xinyun Ye from Class 2016. To be honest, this is my first-time looking at MyIWU emails box after graduation and incidentally, I got the news about your retirement. I think he who teaches me for one day is my teacher for life and really miss the time when studying your course (though it is not an easy course).

Thank you - Best wishes, Cecilia Xinyun Ye _______________________________________

On Sun, Jun 28, 2020 at 7:41 PM From: Patrick Ward <pward@iwu.edu> Here is my message for Dr. Jeter: Dr. Jeter was a great influence on me as a math student and he is a big reason why I am pursuing math research and teaching. Topology with Dr. Jeter was one of my favorite math classes and I believe I grew the most as a mathematician during that class. Dr. Jeter cared so much for his students and was always excited to see students learn and grow. I'm lucky to have had him as a professor. I wish Dr. Jeter an excellent retirement.

Best, Patrick __________________________________________________

Date: Sat, May 23, 2020 at 3:26 PM From: Steven Hayman <steven.paul.hayman@gmail.com>

“I really grew as student during your modified Moore method classes.”

Thank you, Steve

Date: Sat, May 23, 2020 at 7:37 AM From: <mmvoelker@gmail.com> Dr. Jeter, Congratulations on your retirement! I look back at my days as a math major at IWU and I’m so grateful I chose that path. My time with you and all the math professors at IWU opened my eyes to the fact that a math major could do more than teach or become an actuary. I had never thought about graduate school before - and now I have a Ph.D. and have been working as a math researcher since graduating!

Meta Voelker IWU Class of 1997. _______________________________________