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Lecture Celebrates Contributions of former Math Chair Michael Moody

D

uring his tenure at Harvey Mudd College, Michael Moody sought to make the Department of Mathematics one of the best undergraduate programs in the country. He managed to accomplish that and much more.

Shortly before Moody’s death in January after a battle with lymphoma,

Harvey Mudd College established—with his and his family’s blessing—The Michael Moody Mathematics Lecture Series, which will seek to illuminate the joy, wonder and applicability of mathematics. The fi rst speaker for the series was Lesley Ward of the University of South Australia, a former member of the HMC Mathematics Department, who spoke May 2 on “The Linear Algebra of Internet Search Algorithms.” Said current Chair Andrew Bernoff, “The department, the college and I

are enthusiastic about recognizing Michael for his achievements and his con- tributions to the college. We would like to preserve, celebrate and perpetually renew Michael’s impact by naming in his honor the long-standing Harvey Mudd College Evening Mathematics Lecture Series.” The goal is to raise a total of $250,000 to establish a new departmental endowment. During his time as department chair, from 1996 through 2002, the department hired eight new professors bringing

A lecture series will preserve, celebrate and perpetually renew Michael Moody’s impact.

the total number of mathematics faculty to 12. In response, the department revised the core curriculum, rejuvenated the senior-thesis program and tripled the number of majors. Moody founded an evening lecture series that brought speakers to the college that illuminated the joy, mystery and applicability of mathematics and that typically attracted hundreds of students. The department credits Moody as the guiding force leading to the reception of the 2006 inaugural American Mathematical Society award for an Exemplary Program or Achievement in a Mathematics Department. HMC was singled out for this honor from all of the undergraduate and graduate mathematics departments in the United States. Moody came to the college in 1994 as a visiting professor of mathematics from Washington State University, where he

was an associate professor of mathematics. In 1996, he became HMC’s fi rst Diana and Kenneth Jonsson Professor and, that same year, was named chair of the Department of Mathematics. At the time of his death, Moody was vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty and F.W. Olin Professor of Mathematics at Olin College. Moody’s research in biomathematics focused on genetic models for evolving populations. His developmental work in

teaching concentrated on designing and implementing curricular models and technological tools to improve mathemat- ics education for engineers and scientists. He was co-designer and developer of the award-winning multimedia ODE Architect software program for teaching and solving ordinary differential equations. He also published two books for integrating technology into the calculus curriculum through laboratory experiments. Much of his work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation. For more information about the Math Department Fund in honor of Michael Moody, call the Offi ce of College Advancement at 909.621.8335.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 0 H a r v e y Mu d d C o l l e g e

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