Monday, April 26, 2010

Finals

I gave my final this morning in Calculus II. The exam was long, I think, but not hard. Now I have to grade it. Went for Indian food after word. It was good but I ate too much. Need to go for a long walk tonight. Will be giving a final for Calc III tomorrow. Once that is done I just need to grade.

Have started reading a book on Logical faith. As I progress through it I will share. So far it is very interesting.

Monday, April 19, 2010

MIGHTY

UDM hosted the MIGHTY conference over the weekend. I am happy to say that it was a huge success. There were alot of good talks. Our main speaker was Ping Zhang from Western Michigan. She gave a wonderful talk and it generated alot of interesting discussion.

Anyway thanks Math department of UDM for all its support for this conference. It was a good day.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Midwest Graph Theory

I am very excited today. The Midwest Graph Theory Conference will be hosted by the University of Detroit today and tomorrow. Tonight is reception and tomorrow is the actual conference. We have fifteen speakers lined up including the main speaker.

Thanks to the mathematics department for helping me organize this thing. It was fun.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

End of Term

Hi Everyone.

We have reached the end of term. Next week is dead week and then final exams. I feel overwhelmed and cranky. I need peace. When I was finishing my PhD I took at job at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame Indiana. SMC is a small liberal arts college for women. It was interesting year there I must admit. The mathematics department there was very supportive and they allowed me to keep my office while I finished writing up my thesis. Anyway during my stay I met a wonderful young women named Kelly McGannon. She was a graduate of SMC and had just finished up a Masters at Yale University. She was there at SMC as an instructor in the Humanistic Studies department. During the year I got to know her. When I left to work at UDM I eventually lost contact with her. This term I found her blog and I must admit that she has given me alot of food for thought. Her blog is very inspiring and very playful She gives lots of interesting ways of thinking. I have often wondered what it means to be an intellectual. Does being a college math professor make you an intellectual? I have come to the conclusion that it does not necessarily follow. Being an intellectual in my mind means that you have not only expert knowledge of your own field but you have a broad interest in things outside your field. That you have an appreciation for knowledge and love to ponder about all sorts of things. You bring your experiences and your knowledge to problems that and questions that are difficult but nice to think about. Kelly has taught me that. I enjoy her blog and that is why I read it on a regular basis. She has taught some interesting things about how to approach life. When I was a student I did not want to end up as somebody that hates there job. I do not hate my job. I love my job. But part of my job has become routine and I feel stale. I want to find that peace again. That joy. Richard Feynman said that thinking is his favorite activity. I want to find that again. I want to find the playful side of mathematics again.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Congratulations Butler!!

The NCAA final game between Butler University and Duke University was one of the most exciting matches I have seen in a long time. The coach of Duke was right. Duke won, but Butler did not lose.

Both teams were great. Both teams played hard. Duke is to be congratulated for winning the competition and having a spectacular season. But Butler deserves our admiration most of all. I did not think that Butler would do so well. I knew they were a strong team. But I did not think that they were strong enough to stand up to a team like Duke. Remember the day before Duke took apart West Virginia. They just could not keep up. But Butler did. And not only that they came within a hair of winning.

I am always for the underdog. But Butler took the term "underdog" to a whole new level. SO congratulations Butler University. Well done and the best of luck next time. Because there will be a next time.