Increase professional development opportunities for mathematics and statistics majors!

Many kinds of educational experiences deepen our students' learning. Students who actively engage in these opportunities, either within traditional classroom settings or beyond the campus, enable themselves to experience their course of study with a different focus. This professional focus can assist in a successful pursuit of their future career goals.

It is known that students who have the opportunity to travel and present at conferences, tend to build a professional network during their college experience. These traveling students gain many benefits, including:

• Fostering critical thinking and analytical skills through hands-on studies.
• Refining academic, career, and personal interests.
• Expanding knowledge and understanding of a chosen field.
• Developing one-on-one connections with distinguished faculty in their field.
• Building a community with peers, faculty, and organizations on- and off-campus.

There is importance and value in our students' membership in professional associations.  The networking aspect of a professional association membership as well as the attendance at conferences is essential to boosting our students' professional development and setting them on a path to success within their career. While attending events, conferences, or workshops, students meet a diverse array of people. Building these networks can be incredibly helpful in assisting them with job searches. A network is also a repository of knowledge and experience that can be instrumental in helping students to succeed in their careers. 

*** A generous donor has offered a $500 bonus gift when we reach 25 donors to the fund! ***

This year, with the support of this fund, four Radford University students attended the Shenandoah Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics (SUMS) Conference at James Madison University, and three students attended the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) MD-DC-VA Sectional Conference at Virginia State University. Radford University was well represented by our students in the Math Jeopardy and Radical Dash events at the MAA Sectional Conference. We can expand on these rich learning experiences through support of this travel fund.  

Our students attending the SUMS Conference 

Team participating in the Radical Dash at the MAA Sectional Conference

 

Dr. Juergen Gerlach

To honor the legacy of the late Dr. Juergen Gerlach - a Mathematics Professor at Radford University for over 30 years who passed away in 2019 - please support the fund set up in his memory that will enable students to gain access to professional conferences through travel grants.