Clearing the Math Hurdle—Strategies for Success in Engineering Mathematics
Thursday, March 23 8:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Dial in phone number: 1-877-228-3600; participant passcode:  226054

Many bright, inquiring students who would find engineering a rewarding career forgo the field or change majors because of the rigorous math requirements. Even top high school math students can fail to clear the hurdle if they don’t have solid study skills behind them and a strategy to adjust to the different environment of college math and physics. This session addresses one of the most challenging questions in engineering education today: How can more students excel in math so they can confidently pursue an engineering or related technical degree?  Learn how both high school and college students can empower themselves to excel in math and what teachers at all levels can do to truly engage students in math and increase their levels of success.

Speakers:
Moderator, Janet Scheren, JETS
Marsha Tufft, P.E., Ph.D., Aerospace Engineer, GE Aircraft Engines
Joy Moore, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Education, Division of Teacher Education
Suzanne L. Weekes, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Assoc. Director of CIMS (www.wpi.edu/+CIMS), Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Donna Kelly, Engineering Academic Advisor, Sam Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University

Donna Kelly is an academic advisory to engineering students at Auburn University. In this capacity, she meets with students for academic advising; maintains academic records of engineering students; consults with students and makes any necessary referrals, serves as chair of the University Advisors Caucus and works with the prestigious scholars program.

Joy Moore received her Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences and Education from the University of Cincinnati in 2000. She has a M.S. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati. She has a unique joint appointment between the Division of Teacher Education in the College of Education and the Department of Mathematical Sciences in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences. She teaches the undergraduate calculus and analytical geometry series as well as mathematics content courses for teachers in the department of Mathematical Sciences. She teaches graduate level courses in Mathematics Education in the College of Education. Her research agenda includes the development and practice of culturally relevant mathematics pedagogy.

Marsha Tufft, PE, PhD., earned a BS Mechanical Engineering 1981 from Purdue University.  She joined GE Aircraft Engines where she also earned a MS Aerospace Engineering from University of Cincinnati in 1984.  She has worked in critical rotating parts life management and also had a three-year assignment as Manager-Technical Education programs where she worked with Ted Fowler and Glenn Markle from the University of Cincinnati Teachers College to improve the instructional effectiveness of GE's Advanced Course in Engineering.  After that assignment she returned to life management and obtained her Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the University of Dayton in 1997.

Suzanne Weekes is Assoc. Professor of Mathematical Sciences and Assoc. Director of the Center for Industrial Mathematics and Statistics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics and Scientific Computing from The University of Michigan. She holds an M.S, Applied Mathematics from The University of Michigan, and a B.S, Mathematics from Indiana University. Her research interests include numerical analysis, computational fluid dynamics, porous media flow, hyperbolic conservation laws, and shock capturing schemes.