Academics
Faculty
George Ashline
Department Chair
Professor of Mathematics
B.S. St. Lawrence University; M.S., Ph.D. University of Notre Dame
View Dr. Ashline's Curriculum Vitae
Courses Taught: Calculus; Elementary Statistics; Real Analysis; History of Mathematics; Mathematics Education Seminar; Number Theory
Areas of Expertise: Mathematics education and mathematics pedagogy; mathematical preparation of in-service and pre-service teachers; complex analysis
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Ashline co-wrote the article "Using Mathematically Rich Tasks to Deepen the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Primary Teachers" which has been published as a chapter in the Springer-Verlag text Tasks in Primary Mathematics Teacher Education: Purpose, Use and Exemplars (2009). He recently co-developed and co-taught the course "Geometry in the Middle Grades and Geometric Reasoning in Grades 9-12" for mathematics teachers through the Vermont Mathematics Partnership. He also created course materials and co-taught "Number Theory for Elementary Teachers" through the Vermont Mathematics Initiative.
On Teaching and Research: Dr. Ashline conducts professional work with K-12 teachers in the state of Vermont. Using his interest and expertise in mathematics teacher professional development, Dr. Ashline has designed a Mathematics Education seminar for Saint Michael's students. His teaching has led to a number of peer-reviewed publications describing projects, activities, and initiatives implemented in the classroom. He is a participant in Project NExT, a program created for new or recent Ph.D.'s in the mathematical sciences who are interested in improving the teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics.
Outside of Saint Michael's: Dr. Ashline is originally from upstate New York and grew up in Rouses Point adjacent to Canada and beautiful Lake Champlain. He enjoys biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and playing basketball. He daily commutes to work by bicycle.
Learn more about Dr. Ashline in his faculty spotlight.
Campus Office
Jeanmarie Hall 261
Phone: 802.654.2434
Box 187
E-mail: gashline@smcvt.edu
Personal Web site: http://academics.smcvt.edu/gashline/
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Jim Hefferon
Professor of Mathematics
B.S., M.S., Ph.D. University of Connecticut
Courses Taught: Theory of Computing; Numerical Methods; Calculus; Statistics
Areas of Expertise: Dr. Hefferon's background is in the theory of computation. In addition, he administers the CTAN archive of software for the TeX typesetting system at www.ctan.org.
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Hefferon co-wrote The TeX family in 2009 for the American Mathematical Society's Notices. He gave the invited address at the EuroBacho TeX 2007 conference in Tama Brodzka, Poland, on "An Experimental Upload System for CTAN."
On Teaching and Research: Some of Dr. Hefferon's summers in college were spent working at Perkin-Elmer in Danbury, Connecticut, in part on the Hubble Space Telescope (he never touched the mirror, he swears!). After going to UConn for much too long, he taught at Union College in Schenectady for three years and then had a year at the Groton branch of UConn and in industry, working on programs for submarines. He came to Saint Michael's in 1990.
Outside of Saint Michael's: Dr. Hefferon likes to jog, do ham radio (KE1AZ) and spend much time hacking around with Linux.
Learn more about Dr. Hefferon in his faculty spotlight.
Campus Office
Saint Edmund's Hall 217C
Phone: 802.654.2677
Box 285
E-mail: jhefferon@smcvt.edu
Personal Web site: http://joshua.smcvt.edu
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Zsuzsanna Kadas
Professor of Mathematics
B.S. St. John’s University; M.S., Ph.D. Rutgers University
View Dr. Kadas' Curriculum Vitae
Courses Taught: Calculus I and II; Differential Equations; Discrete Mathematics; Applied Mathematics
Areas of Expertise: Differential equations; nonlinear dynamics; chaos and fractals; reaction-diffusion systems; mathematical models in chemistry, physiology, population dynamics
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Kadas is the project director on a $70,000 grant that's used to support undergraduate research at Saint Michael's. The grant is funded by the NASA-National Space Grant and Fellowship Program.
On Teaching and Research: For Dr. Kadas, the most fascinating thing about mathematics is its power to describe nature and the physical world. Even better, the same mathematical tools can be used to analyze all sorts of different applications from swinging pendulums and bridges to the synchronized flashing of fireflies. She likes to start her Differential Equations course by pointing out that everywhere there is change or growth or motion, there is a differential equation waiting to be discovered. She wrote her Ph.D. thesis on differential equations that describe how patterns can develop in biological and chemical systems. She taught at UVM for five years before coming to Saint Michael's in 1985.
Outside of Saint Michael's: Dr. Kadas grew up in New York City enjoying museums, plays, and operas, but happily traded it in for the natural beauty of Vermont. These days she is busy keeping up with her twin teenage daughters and college student son. Dr. Kadas also enjoys photography, cross-country skiing, hiking and travel.
Learn more about Dr. Kadas in her faculty spotlight.
Campus Office
Jeanmarie Hall 259
Phone: 802.654.2435
Box 361
E-mail:zkadas@smcvt.edu
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Lloyd Simons
Professor of Mathematics
B.Sc. University of British Columbia; M.Sc., Ph.D. McGill University
Courses Taught: Calculus I,II,III; Linear Algebra; Abstract Algebra; Probability and Statistics
Areas of Expertise: Algebraic Number Theory; Algebraic K Theory
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Simons helped to host the Spring Northeast Section Mathematical Association of America meeting at Saint Michael's in May 2008. The meeting focused on "Mathematical Modeling in Biology and the Environment."
On Teaching and Research: Dr. Simons' mathematical work revolves around number theory. After discovering as a physics major that he didn't like doing error analysis of his labs, he switched to mathematics (where the concept of "acceptable error'' is unknown).
Outside of Saint Michael's: Dr. Simons enjoys backcountry skiing, softball, running, tennis, chess and playing the guitar.
Learn more about Dr. Simons in his faculty spotlight.
Campus Office
Saint Edmund's Hall 217B
Phone: 802.654.2480
Box 369
E-mail: lsimons@smcvt.edu
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Jo Ellis-Monaghan
Associate Professor of Mathematics
B.A. Bennington College; M.S. University of Vermont; Ph.D. University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill
View Dr. Ellis-Monaghan's Curriculum Vitae
Courses Taught: Calculus I, II, III
Areas of Expertise: Algebraic combinatorics, especially graph polynomials, and applied graph theory in statistical mechanics, computer chip design and bioinformatics.
Recent Scholarly Achievements: Dr. Ellis-Monaghan recently completed a visiting fellowship at the Isaac Newton Institute, Cambridge University in Cambridge, England. The fellowship was in the combinatorics and statistical mechanics program.
On Teaching and Research: During the academic year and summers, Dr. Ellis-Monaghan works with several students on collaborative research projects. She has facilitated interdisciplinary work with students doing research in mathematics and also in computer science, physics, biology, or chemistry. Dr. Ellis-Monaghan is one of three professors who earned Saint Michael's College a $578,500 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant enables Saint Michael's to provide 20 scholarships in math and computer science. Full story >>
Outside of Saint Michael's: Dr. Ellis-Monaghan paints and makes pots. She grew up on an island in Alaska, and can gut and gill a salmon in under fifteen seconds. She still lives on an island and grows lots of fruits and vegetables.
Learn more about Dr. Ellis-Monaghan in her faculty spotlight.
Campus Office
Saint Edmund's Hall 217A
Phone: 802.654.2660
Box 355
E-mail: jellis-monaghan@smcvt.edu
Personal Web site: http://academics.smcvt.edu/jellis-monaghan/
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Jane Kay
Instructor of Mathematics
M.S. University of Vermont
Phone: 802.654.2305
Box 368
E-mail: jkay@smcvt.edu