From L to R:

Dr. Kyle Golenbiewski, Mr. Jay Jackson, Ms. Jaimie Koopman, Dr. Cynthia Stenger, Dr. Lee Raney, Dr. Ashley Johnson, Ms. Marlow McCullough, Ms. Karen Driskell, and Dr. Miranda Bowie

Galileo once said, “If I were again beginning my studies, I would follow the advice of Plato and start with mathematics.” The Department of Mathematics helps all UNA students follow the advice of Plato by teaching math in the general studies program. In the fall of 2016, over 3000 students were enrolled in the service courses offered by the Department. However, did you know there is much more to the Department of Mathematics than the gen ed courses?

Currently, there are almost 100 majors in the department. Those majors learn their field of study, conduct research, and present at conferences each year. In a typical year, students will have the opportunity to travel to and present for at least one conference, including the National Conference on Undergraduate Research and Mathfest. The success of the Department relies on the efforts of the 15 faculty in the department, who work to keep the curriculum current and provide for the needs of their majors. “We have revised the math major to include Undergraduate Research,” said Dr. Cynthia Stenger, Chair. “Our faculty have also added several new independent study courses for students, including financial math, complex analysis, and industrial math.”

The efforts of the department pay off and can be seen in their alumni. Currently, Math grads are graduate teaching or research assistants at Auburn, USA, MTSU, and JNIT. UNA has alumni in positions as high school math, computer science, and engineering teachers.  Mathematics alumni also work for consulting firms in Huntsville, including Logix, Canvas, Hexagon, KBRWyle, and S3. 

Following the advice of Plato, UNA students will find the Department of Mathematics is a great beginning. Their majors know it is a great second step, too, as it prepares them for success after their time at UNA.