FRONTIERS BYU COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL & MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES SPRING/SUMMER 2012
FUNDING THE FUTURE
CPMS PLANS TO RAISE $20 MILLION FOR STUDENT MENTORING
JESSICA PURCELL
SPIRITED TEACHER AND SLOAN FELLOW
STUDENT TEACHING SHIFTING THE FOCUS
FRONTIERS MAGAZINE
BYU College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences Scott D. Sommerfeldt, Dean Thomas W. Sederberg, Associate Dean Bart J. Kowallis, Associate Dean Kurt D. Huntington, Assistant Dean
Department Chairs Gregory F. Burton, Chemistry & Biochemistry Parris K. Egbert, Computer Science Scott M. Ritter, Geological Sciences Tyler J. Jarvis, Mathematics Steven R. Williams, Mathematics Education Ross L. Spencer, Physics & Astronomy Del T. Scott, Statistics
Contact Information D. Lynn Patten, Marketing Manager 801.422.4022, lynn_patten@byu.edu
Brent C. Hall, LDS Philanthropies 801.422.4501 brenth@byu.edu
Frontiers Production Bart J. Kowallis, Editorial Director D. Lynn Patten, Assistant Editorial Director Katie Pitts, Managing Editor Jason Redford, Graphic Designer Stacie Carnley, Writer Alysa Hoskin, Writer Chris Scheitinger, Writer Natalie Rice, Writer Erik Westesen, Writer Levi Price, Photographer
Additional Photography
PHOTOS: right, Jaren Wilkey; cover, Levi Price
Mark Philbrick, BYU Photo Jarom Wilkey, BYU Photo
DEAN’S MESSAGE
It’s nice to be able to flip to the back of your textbook to find an answer for problem three in chapter four. But as great as that is, the world will not find answers to its problems in any textbook. The solutions to problems like global warming and the energy crisis still hide in the minds of people who are much like our alumni: well educated and ready to apply that education. Every day, students of math and science attend classes on the BYU campus. We have great programs that give students a good understanding of their discipline from a classroom perspective. Yet students who only spend time with textbooks and lectures leave campus without strong practice in implementing that understanding. Thankfully, our student research programs give students that practice. We involve undergraduates and graduates in research alongside faculty mentors, exposing these students to problems where there’s not a nice textbook answer. Often, we professors don’t even know what the answer is. Here, real science happens, and developments that serve the world materialize. In our research programs, students have to put concepts into practice: try an idea, realize it’s not working well, try another idea and so on, until they can decipher what the data really says. Students who have this experience leave BYU ready for employment. Grad schools and employers often express appreciation for how our students have learned the techniques needed to get going in their work from day one. Of course, every time we get in a new setting, there are new things to learn and things we haven’t seen before. But if we’ve had similar experiences, it makes it that much easier and quicker to come up to speed. Providing students with a research experience is costly, but worth every dime. If you look at what’s happening nationwide, our expertise in the science and math fields is a major national concern. We enjoy a wonderful standard of living, but when it comes down to it, technology is at the heart of the lifestyle we’ve grown accustomed to. Technology feeds business, driving the economy and our well-being. If we lose our edge as a nation, our standard of living will be impacted somewhere down the road.
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If we care about this country’s ability to contribute to the many global problems, we need strong scientists. Issues of climate change, disease, and energy have political elements, but must first be answered from a scientific standpoint. As you make your way through this issue of Frontiers, you’ll recognize that we have an excellent program for preparing students who can go out and contribute to solutions. We are equipped to give them knowledge and a mentored education, including meaningful research experience. To keep providing these programs, we will need your financial support. CPMS has begun creating two endowments. Our goal is to have two $10 million funds that will support undergraduate research and graduate recruiting far into the future. With your help, we can continue to bring bright young minds into our labs and prepare even more students to leave our campus ready to make a difference. For more information on the funds and how they will be used, please turn to page 12. We hope you too will catch the vision of what our students can do and get involved in funding the future.
Wishing you all the best,
Scott Sommerfeldt, Dean
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PHOTO CREDIT: top, Levi Price; middle, Mark Philbrick; bottom, Erik Westesen
DEPARTMENTS 6
ALUMNI NEWS
8
FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE
9
COLLEGE NEWS
10
FACULTY NEWS
11
STUDENT NEWS
12
12
FUNDING THE FUTURE
16
16
JESSICA PURCELL
20
STUDENT TEACHING
FEATURES CPMS PLANS TO RAISE $20 MILLION FOR STUDENT MENTORING
SPIRITED TEACHER AND SLOAN RESEARCH FELLOW
SHIFTING THE FOCUS
20 SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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ALUMNI NEWS
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY 2005| Aaron M. Johnson (BS ’05, MS University of California, Berkeley, PhD Germany; Rexburg, Idaho) is now teaching chemistry at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. Previously, Aaron was completing his PhD abroad in Germany.
1997| Chad Lillian (BS ’97, MS ’07 University of California; Miramar Beach, Fla.) is currently working at SURVICE Engineering as a CFD engineer, developing aircraft loads and writing code to determine flow conditions around the aircraft. Previously, he worked for TYBRIN and Bosch.
COMPUTER SCIENCE 1987| Danny Young (BS ’87; West Jordan, Utah) is working on product integration as a business operations director for Google. Young and his team are designing features that will allow users to view YouTube videos within Google+.
1998| Dmitri Kuksov (BS ’94 Moscow State University, PhD ’98, PhD ’03 UC Berkeley; St. Louis, Mo.) recently published an article called, “Pricing, Frills, and Customer Ratings,” in Marketing Science. Dmitri is an associate professor of marketing at Washington University in St. Louis and was co-chair of the 2011 Summer Institute in Competitive Strategy. MATHEMATICS EDUCATION 1976| Jacqueline Voyles (MA ’76, EdD ’87; Orem, Utah) received the 2011 Don Clark Award for a lifetime of achievement and excellence in mathematics education from the Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Jacqueline recently retired as a teaching professor in the Mathematics Education Department after teaching math for forty years.
1996| Adam Hiatt (BS ’96, MS ’07 University of Colorado at Denver; Fairfax, Va.) recently became a senior principal developer engineer at a defense contractor firm in the Washington, D.C. area. Hiatt is responsible for design, development, and implementation of enterprise-scale identity management and security solutions. Adam also works as an iPhone Developer at Atomsapps and as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland. 1997| Amber Sistla (BS ’97; Portland, Ore.) published her debut novel, Obligations of a Cobalt Hue, in August 2011. The book is a fantasy novel suitable for all ages. Amber lives with her husband and two small children in Portland, Oregon. 1998| Alen Peacock (BS ’98, MS ’01; Orem, Utah) founded Space Monkey, a cloud storage service. With Space Monkey, consumers can store terabytes of data online. Previously, Alen was a principal software engineer at Mozy. GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1989| Mark Petersen (BS ’83, MS ’89; Arvada, Colo.) travels to the far corners of the world as an internationally recognized expert in seismic-risk evaluation. His recent work has concentrated on Southeast Asia in light of the 2011 tsunamis. Mark is employed by the US Geological Survey. 1994| Dean Richmond (BS ’92, MS ’94; Billings, Mont.) recently transferred to SM Energy where he works as a regional manager of exploration and development in the Bakken Shale plays of the Williston Basin in North Dakota. He was previously employed at Ocean Energy. MATHEMATICS 1959| Alvin Nelson (BS ’59, MS ’64 Stanford University, MS ’92 University of Idaho, ABD Montana State University; Miramar Beach, Fla.) was honored with an Outstanding Affiliate Faculty Award from the University of Idaho. Prior to his retirement, Alvin was a National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellow from 1970-71.
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1989| Sharon Christensen (BA ’89, MA ’10; Saratoga Springs, Utah) was selected as one of Utah’s finalists for the Presidential Award, the highest national honor for mathematics and science educators teaching kindergarten through twelfth grade. Sharon has been teaching mathematics for twenty-three years. She is currently in her sixth year at Mountain Ridge Jr. High School in Highland, Utah. 2000| Linda Furuto (BA ’00, MA ’03 Harvard University, PhD ’07 University of California, Los Angeles; Pearl City, Hawaii) was selected for the 2010 “Forty Under 40” list for Pacific Business News, based on her accomplishments in and out of the workplace. Linda currently works as an assistant professor of mathematics at University of Hawai’i-West O’ahu. PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY 1966| Uwe J. Hansen (BS ’54, MA ‘61, PhD ’66; Terre Haute, Ind.) is the 2011 recipient of the ASA Distinguished Service Citation. Uwe is a fellow of the Indiana Academy of Science; he has also served as IAS speaker of the year and as IAS president. 1976| Lee Pearson (BA ’76, PhD ’82 Utah State University; Bear River City, Utah) is the president of Box Elder Innovations, LLC, which provides software and electronic controls for physics-based measurement systems. Lee was previously employed as chief scientist at ATK in their Aerospace Division. 1986| George Cross (BS ’84, MS ’86; Lancaster, Calif.) became the senior laser applications scientist at Science
ALUMNI NEWS
Applications International Corporation. Previously, George was employed as an adjunct professor of physics at Antelope Valley College. 1993| Kevan Weaver (BS ’93; Bellevue, Wash.) is the director of technology development at TerraPower, LLC, which explores energy technology. He was previously a reactor physicist/engineer at Intellectual Ventures. 2004| Luke Bissell (BS ’04, PhD ’11 University of Rochester; Fairborn, Ohio) just received his PhD in optics from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. His thesis was “Experimental Realization of Efficient, Room Temperature Single-Photon Sources with Definite Circular and Linear Polarizations.” He has since accepted a position at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. STATISTICS 1981| Sharon Propheter (BS ’81; Fredericksburg, Va.) is currently employed at the FBI as an analyst. Prior to this position, she worked for the FBI as a statistician. 2001| Ryan Yamagata (BS ’98 BYU-Hawaii, MS ’01; Sunnyvale, Calif.) recently transitioned to Advanced BioHealing (ABH) in La Jolla, Calif. At ABH, Ryan was the first non-clinical statistician brought on board and was tasked with assessing the needs and opportunities for statistical support. He was previously employed at MedImmune as the lead statistician and has successfully worked in the biotech and pharmaceuticals fields for over ten years. 2004| Jed Brinton (BS ’04, JD ’09 Yale Law School; Provo, Utah) was hired at Kirton McConkie, the largest law firm in Utah, in their constitutional and appellate section. Prior to that, Jed worked for the Constitutional Sources Project, a non-profit in Washington, D.C., devoted to creating a free online library of primary source documents related to the writing and ratification of the Constitution. 2006| Kassie Fronczyk (BS ’06, MS ’07, PhD ’11 University of California Santa Cruz; Houston, Texas) is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas: MD Anderson Cancer Center and Rice University. She received her PhD during the summer of 2011.
MEMORY BYTES Raising the Roof with Science By Christopher Watchman (Physics, BS '95; Tucson, Ariz.)
During a physics lecture on electromagnetic induction, my class was shown the jumping ring experiment. The class was in one of the old pit classrooms in the Eyring Science Center. As some students may recall, the ceilings in those classrooms were quite high—nearly fifty feet. Our instructor notified us that she was a theoretical physicist and, consequently, an experimental lab hazard. She began the demonstration by inducing a current in a metal ring, which caused the ring to jump. The next step was to take the metal donut, place it in liquid nitrogen, and repeat the experiment. We all anticipated the ring jumping higher, but we were not prepared for what happened next. As the instructor turned on the power supply, the ring shot off the stand like a rocket and shattered a light in the ceiling. After the unexpected results of the experiment our instructor said, “See! I told you I was a physics lab hazard.” It was an impressive demonstration of magnetic induction, which I will never forget.
Have a Memory Byte to Share? Was there a time when you had to defend your faith to a scientist? Or perhaps, you've had to defend science to a non-scientist. Tell us about your experiences with balancing religion and science in the face of uncertainty and doubt from others—or even yourself. Please send your anecdotes (of up to 200 words) to cpms@byu.edu with "Memory Bytes" in the subject line. We’ll publish the best ones in the next issue of Frontiers. Submissions may be edited for length, grammar, appropriateness, and clarity. SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE
By Natalie Rice
Chemistry, calculus, rocket science—the untouchable subjects? Natalee Lloyd doesn’t think so.
Natalee Lloyd makes math almost as exciting for students as being in the pilot's seat might be.
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When Lloyd came to BYU, she knew what she wanted to do. With a natural love and knack for mathematics, plus a desire to teach, the mathematics education major was an easy fit. After graduation, Lloyd went to Houston, Texas where she began implementing her training right away, teaching mostly geometry. Satisfied with her direction, Lloyd wasn’t looking for a change. Her expected career path took a subtle divergence, however, when a friend urged her to apply for a NASA summer position helping to create activities for a new educational program. “It was just something that kind of came my way,” she said. “And I [thought] that it sounded like a really interesting and fun way to spend my summer.” In an effort to retain interest in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—fields, NASA asked Lloyd to create problems and activities for algebra, calculus, and physics classes that used some of NASA’s actual space programs as a framework. They hoped that as middle and high school students applied theoretical principles to real-life situations, the subjects would come alive. Feeling that she, herself, grew up unaware of the direct connections between STEM curricu-
PHOTO: courtesy of Natalee Lloyd
NASA LAUNCHES NEW PROGRAM IN THE CLASSROOM
lum and applications in research and discovery, Lloyd enjoyed opening up this world to others. “As I was able to write problems for students to see those connections,” she said, “[this project] just made so much sense to me.” What started as “a summer thing” has now evolved into a new career path that Lloyd is enthusiastically pursuing. She is currently leading a project called Math and Science @ Work, which gears itself toward Advanced Placement students, providing them with “challenging supplemental problems based on space exploration topics,” according to NASA’s website. Lloyd hopes this approach will transform what may look like a boring equation into an exciting puzzle for students as they realize that these numbers and symbols help make space travel possible. “Hopefully as we make it a little bit more exciting,” she continued, “then they can actually see that this is something they might be more interested in doing as a career.” To ensure that all materials maintain scientific integrity and accurately present dilemmas STEM professionals deal with, Lloyd collaborates with individuals who are currently employed at NASA. Involving experts in curriculum development is important to her. “It takes a lot more than just teachers to . . . inspire students to really want to stay in [STEM] fields,” she said. With technological advancements accelerating at a rapid pace, our country needs future scientists who will be able to shoulder the weight and keep discovery moving forward. Because it’s “everybody’s part to educate the future,” perhaps it is time for each of us to reconsider our role and find ways to further the effort. To learn more about the program, visit nasa.gov/education/mathandscience.
COLLEGE NEWS Time for Some Recognition
At the 2012 College Awards, Wesley Lifferth received the Outstanding Administrative/Staff Award; Ken Rodham (3–10 years) and John Lamb (10+) each received Excellence in Teaching Awards; Summer Rupper received the Young Scholar Award; and David Embley received the Distinguished Citizenship Award. In addition, the following received University Service Awards: Freeman Anderson (30 years), Kathi Carter (10), Kim Christensen (5), Loren Harshbarger (5), . Logan (30), Lynn Patten (10), Robert Paxman (10), Diann Sorensen (25), and Klark Walker (15).
Forging a Friendly Alliance
Contradictions between science and religion wage war on almost every college campus. For scientists, balancing the battle between belief and science can be a difficult task. Distinguished scholar Dr. John Welch described the need for a “treaty,” referencing successful LDS scientists who merged their beliefs in God with their passion for science. Hear the lecture at cpms.byu. edu/summerhays-lecture-john-welch2011.
Center for Animation is on the Move From pajama adventures to armadillo love, BYU’s prestigious Center for Animation isn’t just creating cute stories—it’s also making big changes behind the scenes. The Center is moving to the Talmage Building as part of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences to connect its students more closely with the Department of Computer Science. A new animation lab will be constructed in the Talmage Building, adding opportunities for students to bring new characters and stories to life. Last year, the Center won its eleventh College Television Award (Student Emmy) from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. The success does not stop there; after graduation, students go on to work for numerous studios, including DreamWorks and Pixar.
Annual University Conference Awards
Wayne Anderson, research and personnel administrator in the Chemistry and Biochemsitry Department, received the Ben E. Lewis Award. Linda Richards, assistant manager in the chemistry stockroom, received the President’s Appreciation Award.
Renowned Stanford Chemist
PHOTOS: top, courtesy of BYU Animation Center; bottom, Levi Price
Dr. Richard Zare spoke at the annual Izatt-Christensen lecture to students and the community about being successful. Zare shared ideas about leading a successful life, facing life’s problems, and having the right attitude. Listen to the lecture online at cpms.byu.edu/zare-lecture/.
New Stream Table Flows into BYU
Students are learning the true meaning of “going with the flow” as they experiment on BYU’s new stream table. With this table, students can illustrate countless elements of nature, including stream systems, water velocity, and sediment particles. Check out the video: cpms.byu.edu/stream-table.
Assistant Dean Retires Assistant Dean Dan Johnson retired March 1, 2012. Hired at BYU in December of 1983, Dan brought his experience from industry to campus as the Department of Computer Science’s first operations and systems manager. In 2002, he began work in the dean’s office as assistant dean. Dan enjoys golfing and spending time with his family; he has six children, sixteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Taking Dan’s place is Kurt Huntington, who has worked as a consultant in administrative solutions for the past eight years. Employed at BYU for almost twenty years, Kurt looks forward to the new opportunity of working in the dean’s office.
Alumnus Explains the Effects of Health Care Reform
After Congress passed the widely discussed Affordable Care Act, questions arose in everyone’s minds. Michael Bahr, one of BYU’s 2011 Honored Alumni, addressed some of these questions last fall. He spoke on campus, explaining health care reform and how it affects the industry. Hear the lecture at cpms.byu.edu/ michael-bahr-alumni-lecture-health-care.
Dan Johnson SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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FACULTY NEWS
NEW ADJUSTMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS & IMPRESSIVE ACCOLADES CPMS Faculty Continue Achieving
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY New Faculty: CPMS recently welcomed Joshua L. Price, who specializes in protein folding, structure, and function. He received his BS in biochemistry from BYU and his PhD from the University of WisconsinMadison in organic chemistry. Innovation Awarded: Allen Buskirk received the BYU Class of 1949 Endowed Young Faculty Award from BYU recognizing him for his innovative scholarly work in protein synthesis and excellence as a research advisor. Scientifically Speaking: Steven Goates received a General Education Professorship from BYU recognizing his efforts in improving the advanced writing courses to prepare students for scientific communication. Cancer Research: Daniel Simmons, director of BYU’s Cancer Research Center, received the Technology Transfer Award from BYU for his research in critical enzymes and cancer formation. You’ve Got a Friend in Chem: Steven Wood received the Karl G. Maeser Professional Faculty Excellence Award from BYU for his effective teaching and ability to create a comfortable setting where students are actively engaged in learning. He developed ChemCompanion, an interactive website for students. Separations Science: The American Chemical Society is recognizing Milton Lee’s work developing instrumentation and methods for analyzing chemicals by
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awarding him this year’s national Award in Separations Science and Technology.
to the department. He received the Savage Teaching Award.
Mission Call: Emeritus professor Earl Woolley and his wife Anita Woolley received a mission call to the Asia area. The Woolleys leave for their service in Hong Kong in February.
MATHEMATICS EDUCATION New Faculty: Dawn Teuscher joined the department as an assistant professor. Teuscher received her BS from BYU. While teaching high school, she received her MS from the University of Utah. She later earned a PhD in mathematics education from the University of Missouri.
A Life Well Spent: Eliot Andrew Butler died January 19, 2012, at his home in Provo, Utah. Eliot joined the BYU Department of Chemistry in 1956. For most of his thirty-five years in the department, he taught freshman chemistry, giving thousands of students their first taste of college chemistry. During his time at BYU, he served as chairman of the Chemistry Department, dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and associate academic vice president.
Lifetime of Teaching: Emeritus professor Jacqueline Voyles received the 2011 Don Clark Award for a lifetime of achievement and excellence in mathematics education. She has taught math and mathematics education for forty-four years, with thirty-three of those years spent at BYU.
COMPUTER SCIENCE Parenting in Cyberspace: Professor Charles Knutson appeared on an episode of BYUtv’s Insight, where he urged parents to get actively involved in the virtual world instead of ignoring it.
PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Young Scholar: Kent Gee received the Young Scholar Award from the Acoustical Society of America for his nationally recognized research on nonlinear acoustics and his commitment to both individual mentoring and classroom teaching.
SIGCHI Award: Professor Dan Olsen received the SIGCHI Lifetime Research Award, recognizing him for three decades of exploring computer-human interaction.
STATISTICS New Associate Chair: William Christensen was recently appointed associate chair of the department.
GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES Digging up Church History: Led by professors Bill Keach and John McBride, geology students used ground penetrating radar to discover what lies beneath the surface in Nauvoo and at the Provo Tabernacle. Participating in the project not only furthered the students' knowledge, but also unearthed more of the Church's history. MATHEMATICS New Faculty: The Math Department welcomed four new visiting assistant professors: Matthew Housley, Emily Evans, Jörg Thuswaldner, and Benjamin Webb. Teaching Award: The Math Department honored Professor David Cardon for his excellence in the classroom and dedication
CORRECTION Last issue, we incorrectly listed Richard Meibos as an emeritus professor. Richard Meibos, who passed away on May 26, 2011, was the business manager for the Chemistry Department for thirty-seven years. He played an integral part in getting the Nicholes Chemistry Stores and the Benson building built. Known affectionately as “Brother Meibos,” he worked with all of the professors and received the Ben E. Lewis Management award, all while supporting his nine children. We apologize for the mistake and send our gratitude and thanks to his family.
STUDENT NEWS
OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM Mathematics
Mathematics Education In a field where communication is so critical, mathematics education student Dayn Hornberger brings a set of unique skills to the classroom. Hornberger, who is deaf, has successfully gained the teaching skills and knowledge necessary to teach mathematics. He has been an active participant in his university classes, although his method of receiving information—via ASL interpreters—is unique from other students. Hornberger is currently participating in his student teaching experience at the Jean Massieu School of the Deaf in Salt Lake City, Utah. He hopes to teach in a similar setting following his graduation this spring. PHOTO: top right Dayn Hornberger
PHOTOS: top, Erik Westesen; bottom, Levi Price
Chemistry & Biochemistry Kyli Bishop and Alisa Edmund were recognized for their research on inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy testing at the Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies conference. Kyli was awarded a special recognition for her undergraduate poster, and Alisa took first place in a competition against graduate students and established scientists.
0101 1010 Computer Science 1 Hacking isn’t against
the Honor Code for these award-winning students. Austin Whipple, Kin Hou Lei, Kimball Germane, and Scott Ruoti—from the Internet Security Research Lab—dominated other schools in a hacking competition to capture hidden computer files. With his Twitter skills, Kin Hou Lei also contributed to a program that uses tweets to generate a live crime map.
BYU students Hiram Golze, Sam Dittmer, and Robert Young took first, second, and third place, respectively, in the Intermountain Mathematics Competition this past October. BYU’s team dominated the seven-question, three-hour exam, which included students from Boise State, Idaho State, University of Utah, and University of Nevada, Reno. This landslide victory puts BYU math students among the top in the West. One week after sweeping the Intermountain Math Competition, the championship trio headed off to the Virginia Tech Regional Mathematics Contest, where BYU competed against ninety-eight other schools from twenty-six states. This time, BYU came in third, behind the University of Michigan and Carnegie Mellon. The third-place Cougars were only 10 points (out of 160) behind first-place Michigan and only 4 points behind second-place Carnegie Mellon. PHOTO: (from left) Sam Dittmer, Robert Young, and Hiram Golze
Geological Sciences
Physics & Astronomy
Statistics
Students Matt Davis and Forrest Roberts brought home BYU’s first championship in the 2011 Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ Challenge Bowl. Matt and Forrest were awarded $1,000 and the opportunity to interview with ExxonMobil by winning this premier, university-level geophysics competition, held in San Antonio, Texas.
BYU’s Acoustics Research Group demonstrated the power of sound with flames, Slinkys, and exploding balloons in the Sounds to Astound event, which occurs several times a year. Using state-of-the-art anechoic and reverberation chambers, students studying acoustics conduct sound research on subjects ranging from small military spy plans to large Balinese gamelan gongs.
Students made contributions to a study published by the University of Utah concerning the identification and treatment of rare genetic diseases. Using BYU’s supercomputer, undergraduate students assisted in finding the cause of Ogden Syndrome by analyzing algorithmic data and comparing the DNA sequence of a child with a disorder compared to a relative who is healthy.
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FUNDING cpms plans to raise $20 million for student mentoring
G the
FUTURE By Erik Westesen
PHOTO: Levi Price
Statistics student Michelle Withers has been researching how to identify personalized treatments for cancer patients based on their genetic information. Lauren Richie, a physics major, spent part of her time at BYU studying and replicating photonic structures in beetles—technology that could lead to the fastest computer chips ever made. In the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MacKenzie Mayo, also an undergrad, helped develop a renewable energy source from organic waste. In many areas of science, CPMS students make significant contributions toward solving real-world issues. Someday, their research may help to save lives, change computer technology, or provide electricity for entire cities.
The BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences has some of the nation’s best programs for undergraduate research in science and mathematics. These undergraduate programs go hand in hand with our top quality graduate programs.While the research done at BYU can make a significant impact on the world, the future of these programs is clouded because of potential funding cuts and the increasingly competitive nature of graduate recruiting. Currently, these programs are paid for through a combination of budgeted CPMS funds, donations to the university, and external research grants. Unfortunately, these sources tend to fluctuate with the economy and government budgets—making the competition for research funding even more intense. To offset these problems and to better prepare for the future, CPMS is announcing a new initiative to raise two endowments that can provide stable financial support to our undergraduate research and keep our graduate programs competitive—thereby making sure that CPMS students can continue to contribute to a brighter future for everyone. “Experience in the college over the past decade has shown that involvement in mentored research is one of the most valuable aspects of a student’s education,” said Scott Sommerfeldt, dean of the college. “As such, we are very committed to ensuring these opportunities for our students SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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BUDGETED FUNDS 46%
into the future. We want to do what we can to protect against potential financial challenges by setting up these endowments.”
Why Fund Undergraduate Research
For a long time, BYU was one of the few universities to offer extensive research opportunities to undergraduate students. Other schools have begun to follow the same model for undergraduate education, but BYU is still one of the best, leading the way with its commitment to giving undergraduates the best education possible. In 2010, about 660 undergraduate CPMS students participated in mentored research. About half of the funds to support those students came from CPMS budgeted funds; the remaining funds consisted of a combination of external grants and gifts. Total expenditures for 2010 were approximately $1.5 million. Though BYU budgets have provided consistent support for undergraduate research, we are close to the limit of what the college can contribute to this effort. Looking into the future, we will need strong continued support from external grants and donations if we are to provide our students these valuable mentoring experiences. In the current climate of tight government funding, where external grant dollars are more and more difficult to obtain, donations from our friends and alumni will be increasingly more important. In addition to the issues of maintaining the status quo, we need to provide additional mentorships. With about 1,000 juniors and seniors in the college, there are certainly more students who are eligible and willing to participate in a mentorship, but lack of funding keeps this opportunity from becoming a reality. “With money from these new endowments, the college will be able to keep pace and even
The past decade has shown that involvement in mentored research is one of the most valuable aspects of a student's education. 14 FRONTIERS
PRESENT
grow our mentoring programs as we compete with other universities around the country,” Sommerfeldt said. “Having these funds will give us the flexibility to be innovative and to institute new initiatives to benefit our students.” A $10 million endowment dedicated to mentored undergraduate research would provide about $500,000 per year—enough to absorb potential losses of funding and allow more students to participate in this valuable experience.
Graduate Students: The Keys to Quality Undergraduate Research
As the race for external research funding heats up, recruiting top graduates has also become more competitive than ever before. Strong undergraduate programs in science and math depend on strong graduate programs to provide high quality research experiences. As graduate students produce better research, they allow faculty members to be more competitive in seeking external funding, enabling the college to involve undergraduates at a higher level. Recruiting the best graduate students in the country allows students at all levels to change the future for the better as they research together. “Our graduate students play a fundamental role in helping to mentor our undergraduate students,” Sommerfeldt said. “By raising the quality of our graduate programs, we also raise the quality of the mentoring experience available to undergraduates.” In many cases, graduate recruiting is becoming as competitive as athlete recruiting. Some universities offer complete financial
BUDGETED FUNDS 13% RESEARCH GRANTS 40% RESEARCH GRANTS 40%
DONATIONS 14%
packages—including a stipend as a graduate assistant, health insurance, and full tuition—to their graduate students. Keeping up with these offers is costly, but the benefits of doing so are invaluable. This is why CPMS has set a goal to raise a second $10 million endowment to assist its departments in recruiting and funding top graduate students.
Building the Endowment Fund
After considering the present funding challenges, the deans of the college have set a new goal: to raise two endowments that will allow the college to continue providing excellent mentored undergraduate research opportunities, increase the number of students who can participate in mentored research, and provide support to keep our graduate programs strong into the future. Because endowments pay out only the interest accrued from the account, establishing these two funds will provide CPMS with a consistent source of revenue that doesn’t deplete or run out. So far, CPMS is off to a great start. The CPMS Undergraduate Mentoring Endowment Fund currently has about $408,000, and the CPMS Graduate Endowment Fund has about $830,000. Still, the two funds have a long way to go. The college is now reaching out to BYU alumni and friends for their help in building these endowments in a timely manner. “We recognize that those who have and do support our college are in many cases making significant sacrifices,” Sommerfeldt said. “We take that seriously and strive to make sure that
FUTURE
the funds we receive are used to provide maximum benefit for our students.” Creating these new endowments will ensure that CPMS undergrads and grads get the quality of education they expect from BYU, no matter what financial storms come. BYU alumni and friends are encouraged to visit the CPMS endowment website to learn how they can support this new endowment.
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If you would like to contribute, or know someone who can help in this effort, please visit cpms.byu.edu/donate or contact Brent Hall at 801-422-4501 or by email at brenth@byu.edu
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ENDOWMENT METER In each Frontiers issue, progress on the two endowment funds will be displayed with the Endowment Meter. Look for the meter and watch the two funds grow.
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UNDERGRADUATE MENTORING
ENDOWMENT FUNDS 33%
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JESSICA PURCELL Spirited Teacher & Sloan Research Fellow By Stacie Carnley
PHOTO: Mark Philbrick
Mathematics professor Jessica Purcell is using knots and numbers to make her mark. She recently received the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship—making her the second faculty member in BYU history to receive this national recognition and $50,000 grant.
obstacles that always develop when one tries to do something worthwhile, especially when it is new and different.” As this award proves, Purcell has such a spirit. One Tangled Research Area Purcell will use the grant to fund her research in the branch of mathematics called topology. One of the problems she is researching is how to use mathematics to untie knots. “If you take a shoelace, tie it in a knot, and glue the ends together, then an old question is when can you untie that without breaking the shoelace again,” Purcell said. “If you think about not only the knot but all the space around the knot, it becomes a three-dimensional problem, but it usually takes more dimensions to describe what they are.”
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t would take a lot of fingers and toes if you wanted to count out the 136 years since the beginning of BYU. But if you’re counting the number of professors who’ve received the Sloan Research Fellowship while teaching at BYU, you’ll need only two. Jessica Purcell, a BYU math professor since 2008, received the impressive fifty thousand dollar grant from the Sloan Foundation on September 1, 2011, making her the second faculty member in BYU history to win this celebrated recognition. According to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation website (sloan.org), 118 fellowships are awarded each year, with only 20 available for mathematicians. Of the fellowship candidates, Alfred P. Sloan Jr. said, “Too often we fail to recognize and pay tribute to the creative spirit. It is that spirit that creates our jobs. . . . There has to be this pioneer, the individual who has the courage, the ambition to overcome the
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The Beauty of Math Purcell’s research could potentially be useful to physicists looking at the shape of the universe or biologists researching DNA folding. But for her, math is not merely useful; it’s something more. “To me, it’s like poetry,” she said. “It is beautiful for its own sake. You do it to appreciate the world a little bit more.” Jim Kaiser, a senior studying math and one of Purcell’s student research assistants, said creativity is imperative to studying math. “You need to have an inquisitive mind,” he said. “Math requires a lot of creativity, especially because all of the easy questions have already been answered.” Kaiser said Purcell’s creativity is obvious in her role as a teacher and researcher. “She’s a really creative individual . . . who’s very enthusiastic about her research,” he said. “I definitely saw that in her as a teacher. She can talk about a subject energetically and make it interesting because she really likes what she does.” According to Kaiser, Purcell isn’t your stereotypical math professor. “A lot of times professors are so detached, but she, on the other hand, can form connections with other people,” he said. Research vs. Teaching Purcell—whose academic background includes the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at Austin, Stanford, and Oxford—chose to accept a position at BYU because of the university’s emphasis on both teaching and research. “BYU sees the importance of both research and teaching,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to a
PHOTO: Mark Philbrick
“To me, [mathematics] it’s like poetry,” she said. “It is beautiful for its own sake. You do it to appreciate the world a little bit more.” university that was teaching only, because then I wouldn’t get to do my research. I didn’t want to go to a university that focused only on research and didn’t count teaching for anything, because I really like both.” During her time here so far, Purcell has worked with five undergraduate students and one master’s student on research projects. Clint Rollins, a senior studying math recently completed a two-year research project with Purcell. Even though he didn’t understand the material at first, Purcell’s patience and experience helped him to learn. “She did a really good job of explaining difficult concepts in a simple way,” he said. “We had to work at it, but it really helped that she’s so nice and patient with us.” Rollins said although it’s clear Purcell loves research, it isn’t the only thing she focuses on in her career. “It wasn’t just the research she cared about,” he said. “She cared about our learning, and also, about teaching in general. I’m sure she could have done a lot of what we did, a lot quicker than we did, but instead, she wanted to give us a learning experience.” Dr. James Cannon, of BYU’s Department of Mathematics, nominated Purcell for the award. In his letter, he described Purcell as “an outstanding young mathematics researcher and teacher,” listing her exceptional research, teaching, and university service as qualifications for the fellowship. “Jessica is one of the premier young topologists studying hyperbolic manifolds and knot theory in dimension three,” he wrote. “Jessica is in full bloom as a mathematician.” Many people who receive the Sloan Research Fellowship use the money to take a yearlong sabbatical and study at another university. However, for the time being, Purcell has decided to stay at BYU to continue her research and teaching.
Purcell’s love for both teaching and researching mathematics has made an impact on the students she mentors and fellow faculty alike.
SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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STUDENT TEACHING SHIFTING THE FOCUS By Chris Scheitinger
PHOTO: Erik Westesen
Math Education professors Blake Peterson and Keith Leatham shifted the focus of student Mathematics education professors Blake Peterson stuteaching to better prepare education Math professors Blakemath Peterson and Keith and Education Keith Leatham are redefining student teachdents for future teaching careers. Student teachers Leatham shifted the focus of student teaching to lesbeting by shifting the focus toward question-driven now focus on crafting quality lessons centered tersons prepare math for future teaching on rather thaneducation classroomstudents management —helpthe specific needs of their students. By redefincareers. Student teachers focussurvival on crafting ing future teachers movenow beyond mode.quality lesing the student teaching model and emphasizing sons centered on the specific needs of their students. By the role of education redefining the cooperating student teachingteachers, model andmath emphasizing students now experience a valuable student teachthe role of cooperating teachers, math education students ing now program. experience a valuable student teaching program.
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aper airplanes. Spit wads. Rotten tomatoes. If you’re student teaching in a junior high, life can be rough. Simply surviving the student teaching experience might seem like a reasonable goal. After observing this phenomenon with numerous student teachers, professors Keith Leatham and Blake Peterson, of the Department of Mathematics Education, felt it was time to move beyond survival mode. Hoping to create a perspective shift for their teachers-in-training, the two professors began discussing options that would help student teachers do more than just keep their heads above water. Five years into their ongoing research project, Leatham and Peterson are starting to see their work put into practice for students of mathematics education. Now, student teachers learn more about teaching students than about surviving them.
Students work together to construct lesson plans for their upcoming student teaching experience.
Shifting the Focus For Peterson, the idea of changing the structure of student teaching first came about when he began reading a book called The Teaching Gap. The authors of the book argue that a focus on student learning in Japan makes teachers in Japan more effective than teachers in America.
Peterson took a sabbatical to Japan to study mathematics student teaching and how Japanese teachers develop their teaching skills. There he discovered several differences between the student teaching experience in Japan and the typical student teaching experience in the United States. In observing the Japanese system, Peterson found that student teachers there focused on creating quality lessons—built on key, driving questions that direct the entire lesson. Despite the fact that he observed off-task student behavior in their classrooms, student teachers continued to focus on question-driven lessons instead of giving priority to classroom management. “They’re focused a lot more on the lesson and how do you help develop that lesson. . . . And we’re a lot more worried about how do you manage the kids,” Peterson said. Instead of worrying about keeping students quiet and under control, teachers in Japan concentrate on teaching. “I thought it was really interesting that they had no word for ‘classroom management’ in Japan, and yet that’s the main focus of conversations between student teachers and cooperating teachers in the United States,” he said. Leatham observed a similar focus on behavior management while supervising student teachers at Utah State University and the University of Georgia. As he and Peterson reviewed research done by other scholars, they discovered similar findings. “The research says that people tend to focus on classroom management rather than talking about the content that they’re teaching,” Leatham said. From this starting point, Leatham and Peterson began to contemplate ways they could help student teachers focus less on controlling their students and more on the mathematical needs of those students. Redefining the Student Teaching Model Using their findings, Peterson and Leatham restructured the student teaching model used in BYU’s Department of Mathematics Education. In the past, one student teacher was paired with one cooperating teacher in a local classroom. But now, two student teachers are paired with each cooperating teacher, and they only teach once a week during the first five weeks of student teaching. This setup allows the student teacher to spend more time crafting quality lessons for the students, observing lessons being taught, and collaborating with other student teachers. “Eventually they take on half the teacher’s
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Professors Keith Leatham and Blake Peterson work closely with students who are preparing to become teachers themselves.
load, but what it does is it frees up some time when they aren’t teaching for them to think about what they’re doing, to spend more time crafting their lessons, and to spend more time talking with the teacher or with their partner,” Leatham said. During these early lessons, student teachers are observed by their cooperating teacher, a BYU faculty advisor, their partner student teacher, and other student teachers from a nearby school. Having all these adults in the classroom eliminates many management issues and allows the student teacher to focus on addressing the students’ mathematical needs.
Student teachers [in Japan] focused on creating quality lessons—built on key, driving questions that direct the entire lesson.
PHOTOS: Erik Westesen
For Jared Bukarau, a recent graduate who completed his student teaching experience at Lehi High School, this approach was very helpful. “When I’d have . . . one-on-one sessions with my advisor, he would give me ideas of how I could focus more on the math,” he said. “The feedback that I got was centered around the math lessons that I was teaching, not so much how the students were acting.” Cooperating Teachers In a related study, Leatham and Peterson found that many cooperating teachers do not see themselves as instructors of their student teachers. Often, they feel their roles are limited to merely providing a location for student teachers to practice teaching. In an effort to improve this relationship, cooperating teachers receive more training and information regarding the role they can play in facilitating important learning-to-teach experiences for their student teachers.
“The system that [Leatham and Peterson] put into place for student teaching facilitates a much higher level of focus on student learning,” said Travis Lemon, a cooperating teacher at American Fork Junior High School. “The cooperating teacher has much more of an opportunity . . . to actually provide learning experiences for the student teachers, which I think is significant.” With these changes in place, Leatham and Peterson will continue launching great mathematics teachers into their careers at schools across the country, improving mathematics education one lesson at a time. SPRING / SUMMER 2012
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BYU College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences
Brigham Young University, N-181 ESC, Provo, UT 84602
why this bright star decided to shine in our space. Jared Price could have gone to any graduate school. After all, he of which is funded in part by gifts to the College of Physical and had been a 4.0 student in neuroscience at BYU and had accepted a Mathematical Sciences Annual Fund. Explaining his decision, Jared said, “It was a scholarship that paid medical research position at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Instead, he chose to study computer made it possible for me to attend BYU. Having the support of donors allowed me to pursue my dream.” science at his alma mater. We invite you to help us catch shining stars like Jared. Make your The choice was easy once Jared learned he would receive a fulltuition scholarship and paid employment in a research lab, each gift online at give.byu.edu/cpms.
To discuss helping the college with a special gift, contact Brent Hall at 801-422-4501 or email brenth@byu.edu
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