2009 Scholarship and Awards Ceremony
2009 Ice Cream Social
Friday, May 1, 2009, 3:10pm, Neill Hall Hacker Lounge
The department was pleased to honor its many outstanding students with scholarships and awards at the annual Scholarship and Awards Ceremony. Scholarships and awards are made possible by the generosity of our donors, which is deeply appreciated. Immediately following the awards ceremony, an Ice Cream Social was held in the foyer of Neill Hall for all math students and their families. Photos from the Ice Cream Social are also on this page. You may click on any photo to view a larger image of that same photo. For a more complete description of each scholarship, please visit the department scholarship page.
Justin Englund received the Bell Outstanding Freshman Award.
Justin is a freshman from Federal Way, Washington, who has maintained a 4.0 gpa his first year at WSU. He plans on majoring in mathematics with an emphasis in actuarial science. His goal is to pass all of the actuarial exams within five years after graduation to become a full level actuary working in a successful actuarial firm. He has been awarded a University Achievement Award, the Wiley College of Sciences Award, has been named a WSU Mortar Board Outstanding Freshman Scholar, and has been on the President's Honor Roll. He runs track and field, as well as cross-country for WSU, and was a varsity member of the cross-country team this past fall. Justin was unable to attend the ceremony because he was participating in a WSU track meet at Eastern Washington University.
Marci Tonnemacher received the Knebelman Outstanding Senior Award.
Marci is a senior from Sandpoint, Idaho who will graduate December 2009. She has a cumulative gpa of 3.91 and plans on becoming an actuary. In 2008, she received the Julie Kerr Scholarship in Mathematics. She has been an undergraduate teaching assistant for the department, has worked as a grader, and taught supplemental math courses to precalculus and business calculus for three years. She also does math tutoring on the side. Her pleasant and easy-going personality, coupled with her love of mathematics, makes it easy for students to come to her for help. This summer she will participate in an internship with Boeing in their actuarial department. Dr. Sandy Cooper presented the award.
Kimberly Schutte received the J. Russell and Mildred H. Vatnsdal Memorial Scholarship.
Kimberly will be a senior next year at WSU and comes from Othello, Washington. She graduated from Othello High School with a 4.0. She is a mathematics major with a concentration in secondary education. She plans to teach mathematics at either a high school or middle school in a town close to Othello. She then plans to return to school to complete her master's degree in mathematics education with an endorsement in science education. She has been on the President's Honor Roll since the fall of 2006, has been a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Additionally, she received the University Achievement Award from 2006 though 2008. When she is not in school, she volunteers at a dual-language elementary school in Othello, as well as the Othello Food Bank, and helps with the Local American Cancer Society Relay for Life. Each year she helps with the funding drive for the St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Kimberly was unable to be at the ceremony because she was attending her brother's wedding.
Jonathan Thompson received a William and Mary Lynn Graber Endowment Fund Award.
Jonathan is from Wenatchee, Washington, and will graduate in May of 2010. After graduation, he plans to obtain a master's degree in either mathematics topology or analysis, and then otain his PhD in mathematics. He is considering attending graduate school in Rheinische Friedrick-Wilhelms Universitaet Bonn, where he spent the 2007-2008 year abroad in Germany. He received the University Achievement Award from 2005 through 2007, was named German Student of the Year in 2006, received a National S.M.A.R.T. Grant from 2006-2008, received the Leo and Marie Alexander Scholarship in 2008, and has been on the President's Honor Roll since 2005. In 2006, he participated in an internship under J. Thomas Dickenson, performing high energy ablation in UHV vaccum systems. This spring (2009), he was an undergraduate lab TA and grader for the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Judi McDonald presented the award.
Elizabeth Bodine received a Sidney G. and Evelyn Hacker Fellowship for Graduate Research.
Elizabeth has been a teaching assistant in the math department since 2006. She has successfully taught Math 107, Math 110, Math 202, and Math 210. In the spring of 2006 she assisted with Math 201. In 2006, she received the Sidney G. and Evelyn Hacker Scholarship for Graduate Students, and in 2008 she received the Sidney G. and Evelyn Hacker Fellowship for Graduate Research. In 2007, she represented the department as a senator in the Graduate and Professional Student Association. That same year, she completed her master's degree in mathematics with an emphasis in linear algebra. Since the fall of 2007, she has done research on "Spectrally Arbitary Zero-Nonzero Patterns of Matrices over Finite Fields," with professor Judi McDonald. Dr. McDonald writes that, "Her results to date are really interesting and I continue to be impressed with how easily she learns about and uses a variety of techniques to attack the structures she is researching." She will complete her Ph.D in mathematics in the spring of 2010, and will teach at the university level. Dr. Judi McDonald presented the award.
Bonni Kealy received a Sidney G. and Evelyn Hacker Fellowship for Graduate Teaching.
Bonnie is from Spokane, Washington, and this is the second year in a row that she has received this award. Bonnie is pursuing her love of teaching and mathematics by completing a PhD so that she can teach at the university level. She fell in love with calculus in high school and completed a bachelor and master's degree in mathematics at EWU. She say's, "Having nearly completed my second year of coursework at WSU I am still continually pleased that I chose the PhD program at WSU to further my mathematical career. It is an honor to learn from and work with so many of the respected and esteemed faculty members that reside at WSU." She will obtain her PhD in 2011. "While I enjoy my research and continued learning in classes, my passion and daily joy is found teaching university level students. I find the mix of presenting the science of mathematics and the personal elment of advising students both challenging and fulfiling. Each semester brings a new group of students, with new perspectives, questions, and hunger for knowledge." Bonni has maintained a 4.0 cumulative GPA. Dr. David Wollkind presented the award.
Peter Klosterman received the Mariann Hawley Fessler Memorial Scholarship Peter is a junior from Normandy Park, Washington with a 3.99 cumulative gpa. He is a WSU Distinguished Regents Scholar, received the 2007 Bell Freshman Mathematics Scholarship as well as the William and Mary Lynn Graber Scholarship in 2008, and has been on the President's Honor Roll every semester at WSU. Last summer he participated in the Undergraduate Mathematical Biology (UBM) research program, investigating the modeling of the immune system interaction with HIV using a system of differential equations. Five years after graduation, he would like to teach mathematics at either the high school or community college level. He says, "During my own high school experience, I thoroughly enjoyed math because I had excellent teachers who loved what they did. I'm coming to realize that with a subject such as math, the teacher can truly make or break the course. With that said, I want to be the kind of math teacher that I had in high school. I want to do more than just teach it - I want to inspire young people and show them the importance and relevance of math in our modern world." Dr. Judi McDonald presented the award.
Eric Larson received the Julie Kerr Scholarship in Mathematics
Eric is from Spokane, Washington and will graduate from WSU in 2011. He completed two years of college at Eastern Washington University during high school through the Running Start Program. During his first three semesters at WSU he received the Jones, Delbert E. Marilyn M. Memorial Scholarship, an Academic Competitiveness Grant, a National S.M.A.R.T. Grant, a University Achievement Award and has been on the President's Honor Roll. Eric has been a math tutor, as well as a physics tutor. This year he has worked as an undergraduate TA for the department. He was one of only two WSU students to compete in the national William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition and scored within the top one-third of all participants. He plans to continue his education with graduate school and is contemplating a career in higher education or in industry working with a team of scientists. Whatever he decides, he knows it will involve mathematics. Dr. Judi McDonald presented the award.
Svetlana Lockwood has received the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for 2009-2010.
Svetlana Lockwood, a double-major in Mathematics and Computer Science, was recognized for receiving the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for 2009-2010. The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986, and a scholarship from it is considered to be one of the most prestigious undergraduate science awards in the United States. About 300 students receive the award each year. Ms. Lockwood also received first place in the Interdisciplinary/Mathematics Division of the 2009 College of Sciences Undergraduate Research Poster Competition. Dr. Bala Krishnamoorthy recognized Ms. Lockwood for the award.
Amelia Hancock was recognized for having received the College of Sciences Undergraduate Student Research Minigrant.
Amy will work with Sergy Lapin this summer on numerical solutions of the one-dimensional Richards' equation. She will learn the numerical analysis techniques necessary to solve a mathematical model of one-dimensional flow governed by Richards' equation. She will also learn the basics of scientific computing with MatLab and will develop code to run numerical simulations. This code will allow predicting of the behavior of water flow. Mano Manoranjan, Associate Dean of the College of Sciences, recognized Amelia for the award.
Random photos that were taken at the Scholarship Awards Ceremony and the Ice Cream Social, are below.
Marci Tonnemacher, Carolyn Smith, Mark Schumaker and Alan Genz. |
Eric Larson and his father. |
David Wollkind and his advisee, graduate student Bonni Kealy. |
Duane DeTemple congratulates Svetlana Lockwood. |
Graduate students', Corby Harwood and Andrei Kouznetsov. |
Amelia Hancock and Svetlana Lockwood.
|
Amy Johnston's son and Greg Vogel. |
People talking together. |
Peter Klosterman and Marci Tonnemacher discuss mathematics. |
Eric Larson's friend, Eric Larson's father, and Eric Larson. |
Kimberly Vincent serves ice cream to students. |
Graduate student Liz Bodine and instructor, Christy Jacobs. |
A student and Diane Gilchrist. |
Graduate student Jimmy Burk peruses the many topping choices. |
Mano Manoranjan and Duane DeTemple. |
Pam Guptill serves ice cream to graduate student Greg Vogel. |
Bonni Kealy with graduate student Amber Smith and her baby. |
Mike Kallaher talks with graduate student, Limin Yang. |
Graduate student, Bonni Kealy. |
Amy Johnston with her son. |
Kris Boreen serves ice cream. |
Graduate students' Greg Vogel and Bonni Kealy. |
Libby Knott and Michael Tsatsomeros. |
Graduate student Limin Yang. |