Math Club Advisors & Officers

Charles Parry
parry@calvin.math.vt.edu

Dr. Brown
brown@math.vt.edu

Ezra (Bud) Brown grew up in New Orleans, has degrees from Rice and LSU, and has been at Virginia Tech since 1969, with sabbatical visits to Washington, DC and Munich. His research interests include number theory, graph theory, and combinatorics, and he once wrote a paper with University Honors Director Jack Dudley. His favorite mathematical object is the (7,3,1) block design. He has received a number of teaching and writing awards, and in March 2005 he was selected to be an Alumni Distinguished Professor. His PhD advisor Gordon Pall encouraged him to "write your mathematics as if you wanted someone to read it." Mighty good advice!He enjoys singing in operas, playing jazz piano, gardening, and baking an occasional biscuit for his students. Ask him about his granddaughter Phoebe Rose, and about the karaoke contest he won.

President

Tara Jeanne Martin
tjmartin@vt.edu

Hi, I'm in my senior year at Virginia Tech with graduation quickly approaching. I've been in Math Club for three years, and hope to make this year one of the most active and exciting yet. Along with Math Club I'm a dual major in Applied Discrete Mathematics and Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science, am on the Design Build Fly team, and work at the Math Emporium. Between work, activities, and homework, very little spare time is left over. However, with the short time I do squeeze in for myself, I enjoy going to Hokie Sports game, playing various intramurals, and reading. I am horribly addicted to AIM and am one of those rare early morning college students. Come out to one of the Math Club meetings and meet some of the great characters we have and have some fun.

Vice President

Melissa Harnist
mharnist@vt.edu

Hello! I’m a senior in the math education program and am also studying psychology. My family currently lives in Virginia, but I have lived a number of places in my life with the most exotic being Guam. After this year, I plan to go to graduate school for education and then teach at a high school somewhere in Virginia. This past summer, I worked with a school system by helping run some of its summer math programs for elementary and middle school students. I loved working with the kids and am now even more excited about teaching. Besides math, I love music, swing dancing, and like any true Hokie, Hokie football!

Secretary

Giselle Slye
slychica@vt.edu

Hi! I'm a Math major in the discipline of Education with a minor in Leadership. I'm in Air Force ROTC and serving as Regimental Public Informations Officer in the Corps of Cadets. I love sports... watching or playing... and especially HOKIE FOOTBALL! I love the outdoors, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and rock climbing. I work for Boys and Girls Club for the Christiansburg Area, and it's the highlight of my day. I love meeting new people, so if you have any questions about the math club or possible career paths, don't hesitate to contact me!

Treasurer

Mason Shea
masons@vt.edu

My name is Mason Shea, and I’m a junior here at Tech majoring in Math and Music with a focus in Vocal Performance. I like to do math, sing, play, read, throw the Frisbee, and play racquetball, though not necessarily in that order. I’d like to give a shout-out to the Frobenius inner product, because it’s fun to say, and integration by parts, because it’s fun to do. Well, that’s it for me, hope to see you around, especially at the Math Club meetings!

Co-Grad Rep

Kelly Hogan
kmhogan@vt.edu

My name is Kelly Hogan, and I am currently dual-enrolled as an undergraduate in Math Education, and a graduate student in Teaching and Learning. I am originally from Springfield, Virginia, and I plan to move back there to teach when I finish up my Master's degree next summer. This is my fourth year as a Math Club officer, and I have loved every minute... well, except for hanging posters at 7am haha. Besides math, I love music and sports. I love to sing, and play the guitar (or try to play, I should say). My favorite times of year are baseball season (love my Nationals and Cubbies!!) and Hokie football season. I work at the Math Emporium during the school year, but in the summers I work at a park doing camps for little kids and playing with animals.

Co-Grad Rep

Cornelius (Cory) Brunson
jabrunso@math.vt.edu

Greetings, fellow mathusiasts. This is my second year in the Ph.D. program, having hailed all the way from Blacksburg, where i did my undergrad at Virginia Tech. When i'm not doing research, attending Math Club meetings, and otherwise living in McBryde, i perform in the Tolls of Madness "Rocky Horror" cast, volunteer for the Environmental Coalition and the Lyric Theatre, play wallyball and 4-square, and hang out at various coffee shops downtown. Current favorite math quote: "What could be more natural than the solution set of a family of polynomials?" ~ Dr. Shimozono.

Senior Representive

Melissa Knuteson
maknut@vt.edu

Hi everyone! My name is Melissa Knuteson and I am the senior class representative for the Math Club. I am the Education option of Math. My hometown is Gloucester, VA. During the summer I worked as an intern in a school system, and volunteered at a sailing camp. I LOVE to sail! It’s why summer is my favorite season. I am addicted to Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Friends, SATC and HOUSE! I am also a sister of Kappa Kappa Gamma. I decided to be a Math teacher after I had a very inspirational teacher in high school. After graduation I plan to teach in a public high school in Morristown, NJ.

Junior Representative

Nicole Huret
ndhuret@vt.edu

Hello! I’m Nicole Huret, proud to be your junior class representative for the 2006-2007 Math Club. I grew up in Fairfax County, moved once – less than one mile down the street – before I turned 18, and still consider Burke to be my home. I have wanted to be a secondary level math teacher since I was in tenth grade, and I can’t wait to get out in the classroom and start! Personally, I really enjoy Calculus and Physics, but also really have a heart for middle school students. Maybe I will be able to teach all of these areas in my career. My goal for my classes when I become a teacher is to make sure my students think it is REALLY fun!!

Sophomore Representative

Jeremy Henry
juish@vt.edu

I am from Maryland, I enjoy playing frisbee, and I like numbers.

Freshman Representative

Colleen Ackermann
cackerm@vt.edu

This is my first year at Tech and I'm very happy to be here. I choose to major in math, because I got what my family calls "the disease." They're all math majors. I deceided to come to Tech because the math professor whom I talked to at UVA tried to convince me that men are better than women at math. Besides math I enjoy running, playing my oboe and dancing. I've done tap, jazz and ballet since I was 5 and now I'm trying swing and ballroom. My favorite number is 13 because I was born on Friday the 13th.

Webmaster

Jess Kline
jmkline2@vt.edu

Hey, my name is Jess and I'm from Marlton, New Jersey. I'm a junior with an Applied and Discrete Math major and Computer Science minor. Obviously I love math and its wonderful nerdiness, but aside from math club I'm also captain of the Va Tech Latin Dance Team. I love to listen to all kinds of music but I especially like accoustic and country. Oh yeah, and I love long walks on the beach and stargazing :)