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Seven Undergraduate Students Receive 2008 Trjitzinsky Awards
September 30, 2008
Providence, RI:
The AMS has made $21,000 in awards to seven students (names and schools below) through the Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky Memorial Fund. The fund is made possible by a bequest from the estate of Waldemar J., Barbara G. and Juliette Trjitzinsky, which stipulates that the income from the bequest should be used to assist needy students who may be in danger of not completing the degree program in mathematics for financial reasons. The AMS chose seven geographically distributed schools in a random drawing from the pool of the Society's institutional members, and the mathematics departments at those schools then chose the following students to receive the funds to assist them in pursuit of careers in mathematics.
The recipients, who each received $3000, are:
Aaron Peterson, Luther College
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Aaron receiving his award from Professor Reginald Laursen (left) and Professor Richard Bernatz (right), department chair at Luther.
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Aaron is a senior mathematics major at Luther, who graduated from Chisago Lakes High School in Lindstrom, MN in 2005. After spending three semesters pursuing a degree in music and following courses in linear algebra and discrete mathematics, Aaron shifted his focus to mathematics. He has already completed broad coursework in math, including vector calculus, ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, probability and statistics, chaotic dynamical systems, modern geometry, real analysis, complex analysis, abstract algebra, and general topology. This year Aaron plans to complete courses in functional analysis, integration theory, and algebraic topology. He is the co-president of the Luther College Math Club and competes in numerous intercollegiate mathematics competitions. Aaron has held undergraduate research fellowships at the University of Iowa and at Texas A&M University, and has one published article to his credit. After graduating from Luther, Aaron plans to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics and a career in post-secondary education. |
Faith L. Buell, Wright State University
Faith is a senior at Wright State, working towards her B.A. in mathematics, and considering a minor in psychology. She is a first-generation college student, hoping to graduate in 2009. In high school Faith was a member of the National Honor Society and the student council service committee. Upon acceptance at Wright State she was admitted into its Honors Program. Over the past few years, Faith has volunteered at food pantries, and participated in many church-based activities. Recently she assisted in tutoring elementary school children in the Dayton area.
Phillip David Lorren, Georgia Southern University
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Phillip (pictured at left with Professor Martha Abell, chair of the department) graduated from South Gwinnett High School in Snellville in 2006. While at South Gwinnett, he took a challenging curriculum that included numerous AP classes. Phillip also tutored students in classes from algebra to AP Statistics. In fall 2006, he entered Georgia Southern’s highly selective 1906 Scholars Honor Program. Phillip has been active in community service, including serving as a tutor in an adult literacy program, and has served as an honors ambassador to promote the Georgia Southern Honors Program. He is currently a Southern Ambassador, giving campus tours and providing information about the university to potential incoming students. Phillip is also active in the department’s student chapter of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), participating on the Math Jeopardy team that competed at the 2008 MAA Southeastern Sectional Meeting at the Citadel last spring. He is on schedule to graduate with a B.S. in mathematics in spring 2010. |
Daksha Shakya, Ithaca College
Daksha is a very strong student who has been on the Dean’s List and has been inducted into two national honor societies. In her classes, she shows keen insight into the material, expresses herself well, asks thoughtful questions, and always strives for complete understanding of the material. Beyond her classroom performance, Daksha is outgoing, considerate, and respectful. She often helps other students—working with them regarding academic and personal issues. Her unique perspective and experiences add much to the many programs in which she participates. This past summer, Daksha had a Dana internship to work with a faculty member on the Prisoner Express program and on teaching math to members of the Ithaca community.
Joseph Zancocchio, College of Staten Island, City University of New York
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Joseph (at right) at the award ceremony with Professor John Verzani, department chairperson.
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Joseph’s mathematical interests include prime numbers, cryptography, and Diophantine equations. He also loves philosophy—specifically the epistemological, logical, and metaphysical branches—and the relationship between these fields and the underlying mathematical systems governing them. Joseph feels that math is the best way to describe and prove theories about reality, which then lead to a better understanding of our nature. He also enjoys the history of math and the way math was used to explain and predict many things. For example, the derivation of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, Newton’s classical physics models, and Einstein’s theory of relativity, which are all fascinating instances that enhanced our ability to explain the world. Joseph says that “Math is the backbone of all science, and for that reason I feel like knowledge of math opens my mind to the knowledge contained in all scientific data.” |
Amanda J. Mueller, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Amanda is from Waukesha, WI, where she earned her associate degree before transferring to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to earning her associate degree, Amanda graduated from Immanuel Lutheran High School in Eau Claire, WI, where she was presented with the Higher Educational Aids Board Academic Excellence Scholarship. She is now majoring in both applied mathematics and physics. Amanda is an excellent student of mathematics, well appreciated by the faculty, who enjoys computer programming, singing, theater, and playing piano. Apart from her studies, she has also worked as a tutor and is currently employed by a developer of computer forensics technology.
Hans Parshall, Humboldt State University
Hans has been enthusiastic about the study of mathematics since he began school. After graduating from Arcata High School with coursework that included calculus and statistics, Hans enrolled in the College of the Redwoods. There he took every mathematics course offered, and was a frequent participant in extracurricular problem solving sessions fondly known as Pizza & Problems. Last December Hans made his first attempt at the Putnam Competition, and earned a score of 10 which put him in the top one-third of the participants. Hans is looking forward to furthering his study of mathematics at Humboldt State University.
Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky was born in Russia in 1901 and received his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1926. He taught at a number of institutions before taking a position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he remained for the rest of his professional life. He showed particular concern for students of mathematics and in some cases made personal efforts to ensure that financial considerations would not hinder their studies. Trjitzinsky was the author of about 60 mathematics papers, primarily on quasi-analytic functions and partial differential equations. A member of the AMS for 46 years, he died in 1973.
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Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life. |
