Mathematics
Students
Between research and internship opportunities and honor societies, Dominican's Math Department
offers a variety of opportunities for students.
The Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) is a consortium of 15 private local liberal arts colleges. Each spring, ACCA sponsors an annual calculus competition at the campus of one of its member schools. Many Dominican math students look forward to the competition as a rewarding challenge each year.
ACCA member schools usually send a total of 25-30 teams. Each team consists of three students, and non-majors are welcome. The competition lasts for 90 minutes and usually consists of approximately 10 short-answer questions and 15 multiple choice questions (there is a penalty for an incorrect guess on a multiple choice).
As with all Dominican majors and programs, mathematics majors can complete their degree with distinction. Qualified students apply in the fall of their junior year to Dominican’s Degree with Distinction program.
Degree with Distinction students work with faculty mentors to produce an original creative or critical work, which is reviewed by a university-wide committee. Students who successfully complete the requirements earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Mathematics.
For 2010, the following graduates completed Degree with Distinction projects:
Dominican is proud to host a chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. The Zeta Chapter has been part of Dominican’s campus life since 1967.
Kappa Mu Epsilon chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing that offer a strong mathematics major. The chapters' members are selected from mathematics students and other closely related fields who have maintained standards of scholarship, have professional merit and have attained academic distinction.
Membership is open to students majoring in mathematics or double majoring in mathematics and another field who:
New members are inducted each spring.
Dominican students in mathematics and other science disciplines should investigate the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. This program funds undergraduate research participation in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation.
REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. An REU site consists of a group of 10 or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he or she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel.
Students apply directly to the sponsoring institution, usually in February or March for the following summer. REU programs can be found all over the country; two popular math REUs in the Midwest are at Hope College in Holland, Mich., and the University of Illinois-Urbana.
REU Summer Programs for 2012 can be viewed following this page.
The NSF maintains a directory of active REU Sites.
In keeping with Dominican’s motto, Caritas et Veritas (Compassion and Love), all mathematics majors are required to complete MATH 299, Service Learning, during their junior or senior years.
During this one-credit course, students provide community service using their mathematical skills for a total of 30 hours during the semester. Many students earn their hours by tutoring at local schools.
My DU
Blackboard
American Mathematical Society
AMS resource page for undergraduates includes information on REUs, applying to graduate school in mathematics and occupational outlook information in mathematics
National Science Foundation
Calculus Competition
The Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) is a consortium of 15 private local liberal arts colleges. Each spring, ACCA sponsors an annual calculus competition at the campus of one of its member schools. Many Dominican math students look forward to the competition as a rewarding challenge each year.
ACCA member schools usually send a total of 25-30 teams. Each team consists of three students, and non-majors are welcome. The competition lasts for 90 minutes and usually consists of approximately 10 short-answer questions and 15 multiple choice questions (there is a penalty for an incorrect guess on a multiple choice).
Degree with Distinction
As with all Dominican majors and programs, mathematics majors can complete their degree with distinction. Qualified students apply in the fall of their junior year to Dominican’s Degree with Distinction program.
Degree with Distinction students work with faculty mentors to produce an original creative or critical work, which is reviewed by a university-wide committee. Students who successfully complete the requirements earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Mathematics.
For 2010, the following graduates completed Degree with Distinction projects:
- Nancy Gullo, "Exploring Semigroups." (Readers: Aliza Steurer and Marion Weedermann)
- Angelina Myers, "Exploring Fractal Dimension Through the Analysis of Common Fractals." (Readers: Aliza Steurer and Marion Weedermann)
- Monika Vidmar, "Confidence Intervals for the Difference of Two Proportions." (Readers: Paul Coe and Cyrus Grant)
- Kim Plesnicar ‘11 is working on a project towards degree with distinction titled "Optimal Strategy for Playing ‘Pass the Pigs’." (Readers: Paul Coe and Marion Weedermann)
Honor Society
Dominican is proud to host a chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. The Zeta Chapter has been part of Dominican’s campus life since 1967.
Kappa Mu Epsilon chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing that offer a strong mathematics major. The chapters' members are selected from mathematics students and other closely related fields who have maintained standards of scholarship, have professional merit and have attained academic distinction.
Membership is open to students majoring in mathematics or double majoring in mathematics and another field who:
- Have completed at least three semesters of college study;
- Rank in the upper 35 percent of his/her class; and
- Have completed at least three college courses in mathematics including at least one semester of calculus and attained an average of B or better in all mathematics courses.
New members are inducted each spring.
Research Experiences
Dominican students in mathematics and other science disciplines should investigate the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. This program funds undergraduate research participation in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation.
REU projects involve students in meaningful ways in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. An REU site consists of a group of 10 or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he or she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel.
Students apply directly to the sponsoring institution, usually in February or March for the following summer. REU programs can be found all over the country; two popular math REUs in the Midwest are at Hope College in Holland, Mich., and the University of Illinois-Urbana.
REU Summer Programs for 2012 can be viewed following this page.
The NSF maintains a directory of active REU Sites.
Service Learning
In keeping with Dominican’s motto, Caritas et Veritas (Compassion and Love), all mathematics majors are required to complete MATH 299, Service Learning, during their junior or senior years.
During this one-credit course, students provide community service using their mathematical skills for a total of 30 hours during the semester. Many students earn their hours by tutoring at local schools.
Resources
My DU
Blackboard
American Mathematical Society
AMS resource page for undergraduates includes information on REUs, applying to graduate school in mathematics and occupational outlook information in mathematics
National Science Foundation
Dominican University
7900 West Division St.,
River Forest, IL 60305
708-524-6800 | webmaster@dom.edu
