School of Mathematics & Sciences
SMS MESSENGER Summer Newsletter
2016
Dean’s Message Dear Alumni and Friends of the School of Mathematics and Sciences: As the last days of summer countdown and the deadline for the school report approaches, it is a good time to reflect on the 2015-16 academic year in the School of Mathematics and Sciences (SMS). You’ll notice that there is new title for the newsletter, SMS Messenger. Dr. Donald Gregory came up with the title which reflects the mission of the newsletter: to send clear and timely messages about the outstanding achievements of our students, faculty, staff and alumni, upcoming events and any new strategic plans for the school’s future.
Dr. Jacob Harney, Dean School of Mathematics and Sciences
The academic year just completed was a very successful one for both students and faculty in the School of Mathematics and Sciences. For starters, there were 44 total inductions into one or more of five different honor societies (see pgs. 3,7,11,12). Collectively, these outstanding students represent the best in their respective disciplines (biology, math, political science, psychology, sociology or cross-disciplinary) and they embody what is most rewarding to faculty, student ownership and total engagement in their education. The concept of taking ownership of your education is one that our school fully embraces. We want our students to know their general education and major disciplinary requirements. From their first day on campus we want them to feel welcomed, excited and challenged. We strive to provide a safe, intellectually stimulating environment that fosters personal growth, social acceptance and intellectual inquiry resulting in the development of mature, responsible adults. That goal will never change, regardless of the addition or subtraction of new or old programs that is a part of the evolution of higher education and the job market. In addition to the honor society inductions, our students presented undergraduate research in psychology and sociology at regional meetings. Biology students presented numerous research projects at the annual Convocation of Artists and Scholars and social science students raised thousands of dollars for service projects in Mexico (many actually traveled to Mexico and participated in those projects) as well as performing hundreds of hours of collective community service with local food banks, the Salvation Army, soccer programs for at risk kids, and the Special Olympics. Academically, 45 of the 67 students (67%) who made the Dean’s List at the end of spring semester were repeaters to the list from fall 2015. To make the Dean’s List, students must achieve a 3.5 or better GPA based on the successful completion of at least 12 credit hours and no grade below a B. This was a list that I strived to make when I was a student, and it pleases me immensely to see so many students demonstrate consistent outstanding performance. Our M&S faculty were quite active both inside and outside the classroom, publishing research papers, book chapters, contracting and writing a book, presenting at regional and local conferences, mentoring community service-learning projects, traveling abroad with students to participate in international community service, reviewing original research for professional journals, serving as advisors for honor societies and teaching English to Spanish speaking students at the Mi Familia Center in Canton, GA. I am proud to serve as dean for a school that is so dedicated to teaching, service excellence and continued scholarly activity. The future is very bright! The school will begin a new program in Information Technology (Cyber Security) with concentrations in Cyber Attacks and Computer Forensics. If interested, contact Dr. Francesco Strazzullo, Mathematics Program Coordinator, at FS1@reinhardt.edu or 770-720-5904. Please feel free to contact my office (jph@reinhardt.edu or 770-720-9102) at
any time with questions, interests, or ideas that you might like to see the School pursue. You can always find important dates for university-related events here or on the Reinhardt website - www.reinhardt.edu.