News & Events

In collaboration with the Academy of Inquiry Based Learning, this summer the Department of Mathematical Sciences will host a four-day workshop on Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) in mathematics. The PRODUCT IBL workshop series offers professional development for college math instructors from across the United States and Canada, and is funded by a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Participants in the workshop will learn new skills from experienced IBL instructors, will reflect on current teaching practices, and will prepare to teach their own IBL math course during the next academic year. The workshop will be held June 19-22 at DePaul's Lincoln Park campus. For more information, go to the workshop website​​​.​​

Professor Jeffrey Bergen died on March 14 at the age of 62, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, three children, and five grandchildren.

Jeff earned his B.S. from Brooklyn College and his S.M. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. After his arrival at DePaul University in 1981, Jeff became an internationally recognized scholar in the area of non-commutative algebra, published over 50 articles in research journals, and was the sole author of an abstract algebra textbook in 2010. He was the director of the Masters of Arts in Mathematics Education Program at DePaul, and his excellence in teaching was acknowledged by his reception of the Cortelyou-Lowery Award in 2007. Jeff continued to inspire his students through his passion for mathematics and education until his passing.​

Each year, the College of Science and Health recognizes faculty who have made significant scientific contributions in their area of research by bestowing the Excellence in Research Award and Mid-Career Excellence in Research Award upon deserving faculty. This year's recipient of the Mid-Career Excellence in Research Award is Dr. Kyle Petersen​​.

Dr. Petersen joined DePaul in 2009 and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2013. Dr. Petersen’s research focuses on algebraic, enumerative, and topological combinatorics. He has published 30 peer-reviewed research articles in journals such as Advances in Mathematics, SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics, and the American Mathematical Monthly, and has delivered 52 research presentations. Dr. Petersen is also the author of a book, Eulerian Numbers, in which he explains how Eulerian numbers arise in the study of hyperplane arrangements, polytopes, and simplicial complexes. In his time at DePaul, Dr. Petersen has received external funding for his research from the Simons Foundation, the National Security Agency, and the Educational Advancement Foundation. Dr. Petersen is also the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award and has been involved with the Academy of Inquiry-Based Learning, a community which seeks to promote a more student-centered approach to teaching.​​​​​

​In Autumn 2017, the department will welcome its newest tenure-track Assistant Professor, statistician Philip Yates. But this won't be Philip's first time working in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, so to speak: DePaul is Philip's alma mater!

Philip graduated from DePaul University in 1997 with a BS in Mathematical Sciences (concentration in Applied Mathematics) and a minor in Economics. Philip then earned an MS in Biostatistics from the University of Vermont in 1999 before earning his PhD in Statistics from the University of South Carolina in 2006. After earning his PhD, Philip briefly worked as an analyst for the Nielson Group before joining the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona in 2007, and then joining the faculty at Saint Michael's College in 2010. In 2014, Philip was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure at Saint Michael's College.

We are excited to have Philip back at DePaul.​​

Effective July 1, 2017, Department of Mathematical Sciences faculty member Bridget Tenner​ has been promoted to the rank of Professor. This is the highest academic rank that tenured faculty at DePaul University can earn.

Bridget earned her PhD in Mathematics in 2006 at MIT before joining the faculty at DePaul University in 2007. Bridget was then promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure in 2011. Bridget's research is in the area of algebraic, enumerative, and topological combinatorics.​

Beginning in Autumn 2017, DePaul University will be one of 12 case study sites for the Mathematical Association of America's Progress through Calculus study. The Progress through Calculus study is designed to investigate the impact that various structural, curricular, and pedagogical decisions in the Precalculus and Calculus course sequences have on student success. The Progress through Calculus study is funded by the National Science Foundation, and is led by David Bressoud (Macalester College), Linda Braddy (MAA), Jessica Ellis (Colorado State University), Sean Larsen (Portland State University), and Chris Rasmussen (San Diego State University). For more information about the study, visit the Progress through Calculus website​.​

​Graduating math major Lucas Estelle is one of three students featured in the recent DePaul Newsline feature "Stories from the Class of 2017". You can read more about Lucas in the official press release​.

The department's brand new newsletter is now available. Check it out!​