Newsletter June 2021

From the Chair

Dear Alumni, Friends, Colleagues, and Students,

Welcome to the department's 2020-2021 newsletter.

Due to COVID, classes at WSU have been online since March of 2020. Professors are still teaching, students are still coming to class, and all of this is being done with Zoom. In our newsletters we usually report on a variety of activities in the department. There are fewer of these this year, so this newsletter is a little shorter than usual.

Still, much is happening—students and faculty in the department have received awards and honors. Students have participated in research projects with faculty, given talks at virtual conferences, and participated in virtual mathematics competitions. We have kept in touch through online social events, and clubs are meeting online.

The pandemic has been stressful for everyone. Students have fallen ill with COVID and some have lost loved ones. Most students have been sheltering with family, sometimes under crowded conditions, and some have struggled to obtain the technology necessary to participate in virtual classes.

In spite of these difficulties, yet as you would expect, the entire WSU community has pulled together to keep each other safe and connected. The administration has held frequent meetings to keep us apprised of new developments, and students have reached out to offer help and support to one another. Our department continues meeting regularly via Zoom, and we’ve had department-wide virtual social events. We have been constantly checking on each other and providing help whenever it’s needed. I am thankful to be a part of such a supportive and caring community.

We are planning to be back on campus and in real classrooms by the start of the academic year in August. Nothing can match the excitement of the classroom, and nothing online can compare to the college experience on an active and vibrant campus. Students and faculty are eager to get back to normal.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please send a note or an email to let us know of the recent, and even no-so-recent events in your life and career, as we are very interested in hearing from you.

We appreciate our alumni, friends, and all who are associated with the department in some way. You all have contributed to the success of department and the students we teach.

Sincerely,

Charles Moore
Professor and Department Chair