MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

1. MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Department Meeting September 30, 2011 9 AM – 10:55 AM CBC C114

2. CoS “Clusters of Research Excellence” Overview • Biomedical Research and Technology This cluster encompasses the vast and growing scientific areas of biomedical research and biomedical engineering. This cluster would leverage the worldwide explosion in science, engineering and technology related to decoding of the human genome, disease treatments, bio-compatible materials, radiochemistry, health therapies, and other areas of high future growth in the laboratory and marketplace. • Regenerative Biology and Tissue Engineering • Radiochemistry and Radiopharmaceuticals • Emerging Disease and Biogeography • Stem Cell Biology • Pharmacology of Synthetic and Natural Products • Infectious Disease • Diseases of Aging • Biomaterials • Anthropogenic Climate Change • Environmental Geology • Biostatistics and Biomathematics • Clean Energy Science The Clean Energy Science cluster would encompass disciplinary areas related to research and development of clean energy sources, the storage of energy from intermittent sources, and the deployment of these clean energy resources (environment). • Energy Storage Materials • Thin Film Photovoltaic Materials, Characterization and Testing • Nuclear Science and Radiochemistry • Superhard Materials • Rare-Earth Elements • Carbon Sequestration and Removal from Atmosphere • Geothermal Energy • Biofuels • Geoengineering and Nuclear Waste • Computational Simulation for Storage and Utilization • Quantum Control • Dynamic Systems • Computation and Material Science The Computation and Material Science cluster focuses on the interrelated areas of materials science and computation. This cluster would focus on new advances in exotic materials, smart materials, and other novel materials that exhibit strong economic development potential when tied to use in high technology industries and healthcare • Biomaterials • Radiochemistry of Actinides and Lanthanides • Radiopharmaceuticals • Energy Storage Materials • Mineralogy and Earth Resources • Environmental Geology • Simulation of Energy Generation and Storage Materials • Novel Industrial Materials

3. Meeting Agenda Call to Order  Announcements  Approval of the Sept. 23, 2011 Meeting Minutes  Committee Reports (Merit, Graduate, Undergraduate, Advisory, Personnel, ) P&T New Business  Adjournment

5. MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Department Meeting September 23, 2011 9:15 AM – 10:50 AM CBC C114

6. Endless Meetings • USC/WICHE Workshop • Held Friday September 16 at CSN (9am-4pm) • Largely oriented to improving retention • Complete College America • Held Wednesday September 21 in Chicago (9am-5pm) • Emphasis on remedial math and English • NSHE Remedial Math Workshop • Friday, October 7, 2011 at TMCC (Reno, NV) • Drs. Ananda, Bellomo, DuBose attending (possibly also Carl Reiber). • Put together by Jane Nichols, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs (just like last year) • “Report” sent to Jane Nichols early this morning

7. Complete College America • Dr. Uri Treisman, Professor of Mathematics and Executive Director of the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin • Building 3 major pathways: STEMway, QUANTway, STATway (replacing algebra in the last two and “fixing” how algebra is taught in the STEMway). • Hopes to develop bridges between these pathways, citing that student success in math encourages students to continue (possibly moving to STEM). • Using PeopleSoft, etc. to gather statewide information. • Believes he has evidence that placement tests such as Accuplacer provide useless information. Diagnostic testing is needed. (Involved with SAT in past) • Re-architect student support services (e.g. Advising and Learning Centers) • Productive struggle/persistence • Believes he and this group are involved in the a “joyful conspiracy” to develop the “Big bang theory of education.”

8. Complete College America Some common themes presented • Algebra is bad • Learning algebraic symbol manipulation takes years, often resulting in students quitting college (in particular community college), thus stopping upward mobility and sometimes leading to downward mobility (suggesting algebra is at the heart of the failure of economic recovery). • Few students take calculus and/or higher mathematics while algebra is oriented to prepare students towards calculus • Much of what is done is based on folklore • Long chains of remedial courses results in failure • Simply by students just stop attending, instead of “actually failing” • Example presented: (.55)(.76)(.79)(.86)(.83)=23% • Working around articulation (CA among the most difficult) • Myra Snell used that which body decides what is college algebra is not well-defined, so as to offer a “new” statistics course requiring college algebra.

9. Complete College America • To bring forward change, CCA works at the state level so that change is mandated from above. Their belief seems to include that individual instructors cannot create sufficient change. • The state of Nevada was very close to receiving a large grant from CCA and was therefore invited to participate, cost paid by CCA. • I believe the Nevada team (of 8) was put together by VC Jane Nichols. • English only had 2 faculty, one from UNLV Stephen Brown and one from UNR. • Math had 5 (UNR Christopher Herald, UNLV, two from TMCC, one from NSC). • TMCC Chair seems to be wearing down.

10. Expect to get a better idea of intent with respect to these endless meetings at the October meeting • I believe defense is important here and transforming some ideas presented into something useful • Hope to get the 30-credit rule in the Regents’ Handbook enforced • UNLV and (I believe) CSN both independently included this issue at last Friday’s meeting • Jane mentioned PeopleSoft should be helpful with respect to this at last Friday’s meeting (before it was impossible to enforce) • I kept re-directing UNLV towards Math 95/96. • Also hope to keep pushing on requiring SAT/ACT scores (possibly again citing the Regents’ Handbook) and any serious attempts at retention, improving core education, etc. require funds generated by DMS remain in DMS. • Today is the Chairs’ monthly meeting (12:30-2pm), so hopefully the President reveals more.

11. DMS Graduate Program (Skip) • Wait list exhausted • Good news: GSC had the wait list in place and we were able to cover course load • Bad news: Need more applicants to make our GAships more competitive. • Probably related: Graduate School policy started requiring International applicants to pay for their transcripts to be translated. • Maybe we need some kind of pre-application process (Nichole had a better name for this)

12. Wait list Exhausted (skip) • 2 GA’s withdrew during last few weeks • Chemistry uses own funds to cover some GAships so as to cover their courses. • We need to compete with both Chemistry and Life Sciences concerning instructional needs for GAs. • I had planned to go over budget < $10,000 • Can we locate any GAs still being used for non-instructional purposes in the other colleges???? • Some Chairs in other colleges don’t seem to understand students are being turned away because of no instructor being available • Spring 2011 external review of Graduate College

13. Meeting Agenda Call to Order  Announcements  Approval of the September 9, 2011 Meeting Minutes  Committee Reports (Merit, Personnel, Graduate, Undergraduate, Advisory) Proposed Bylaws changes  Undergraduate Catalog Revisions New Business  Adjournment

15. MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Department Meeting September 9, 2011 9:15 AM – 10:50 AM CBC C114 (14 – 2 Slides) WELCOME BACK

16. A few new items.Even if you’re on the right track track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. • Completed ad for: Assistantships and Graduate Fellowships in Mathematical Sciences (Carl Sage) • Card Readers for tutor clinic and front office • Price went from $6000-7000 down to around $3000 each. • Initial meeting with Richard Clark (Housing, Rebel Services) • Ideas as to what could be accomplished while cost effective were way off. • Hoped to be in place by start of Summer Session 3 • Partly to gather information in support of our need for AAs over other departments • More information once in place

17. Dan Asera • Under Dr. Ananda, provides more infrastructure for courses taught by GA/PTIs. • Under Dr. Ananda, helps GA/PTIs with tests, grading, appropriate rigor, etc. • All tests turned into Dan for Dr. Ananda and his review. • Sends Dr. Ananda, me, etc. corresponding reports • Online Homework, especially Math 95/96 • In charge of Online Homework Lab adjacent to our tutor center. • Emails to the GA/PTIs regarding numerous items (e.g. Syllabus Frames, percentage of students using the online homework,… • Probably a good faculty resource for issues with MyUNLV, etc. • Etc. etc. etc. etc. • Hopefully develops into duties for a requested professional position at a future time • Don’t believe the time is right though

18. Professional Positions (unverified) • English 5, English Language Center 3 • Philosophy 1, Psychology 1, Political Science 1 • Foreign Languages 7??? • Chemistry 5 • Social Work 5 • Film 2, Theatre 4, Dance 1 • Civil Engineering 1, etc. etc. etc. • Besides research, teaching, and service faculty awards, COS has a professional award. • Recall time may not be right to go after a professional position

19. Very, very bad news • Dr. Westveld has moved on from UNLV • Officially Monday August 29?? • Obviously we don’t want a professional position in exchange for a faculty position, so my view today is that the duties are not yet fully developed, etc. for any such professional position. • I believe this sets us back one year in terms of hiring, maybe worse with the President’s challenge of star hires discussed at the COS faculty meeting.

20. Some background Information • # of VSIPS is around 47-48 (??) • Physics and Life Sciences both lost one position due to VSIPs • # of lost positions is around 200 (??) • Please let me know if you hear a different number • This includes almost all open vacancies (how many COS losses here???) • Chemistry 3 years soft money, GeoSciences equipment • Presumably our contribution is the “Kern” position, which we need to get back. • Dean Taylor’s winning argument to the Provost was we should not be penalized for a faculty member being denied tenure. This argument should be resurrected at the appropriate time. She was arguing for a number of DMS positions. (A list.) • I believe the Westveld loss puts us in a very weak position in terms of the possible hires the President referred to at the COS faculty meeting, in terms of our own College (probably not the President/Provost) • Recall the President mentioned twice hiring a Fields Medalist twice. • One COS faculty has already contacted the President, as the President requested in the meeting. • Dr. Ananda is on the COS Research Council (has been down this road before).

21. My request to fill the Westveld vacancy • I am still waiting for a response (should hear something before the end of the month). • I included some faculty position number information to offset any comments to the Dean that we received six new positions in 2007. • Connected position numbers of Chen, Miel, etc. with at least some of the 2007 hires and other 2007 hires with Visiting Professor position numbers (e.g. Dr. Westveld with Dr. Panfilov). • Included “my understanding” that the Simonoff and Bowman position numbers today live in Physics (of course with names). • I am not sure if these were returned with new position numbers that led into some of the 2007 hires or the Head. • Included with dates Westveld, Kern, Aizley, Wells (though the position lives in Engineering), Acturial Vacancy (search 2007-2008, position number 3981 and not what I thought, not yet sure where this number came from). • The Westveld vacancy is the only open position “within” COS (the Dean indicated there were none following the COS faculty meeting).

22. Usual meeting s the week before classes • Graduate Orientation Thursday August 25, 2011 noon-4:30pm. • Last minute add: Had faculty say a few words about their research, etc. • I recommend this become part of the program during 12:30-1pm in following years (people can still eat). • Math 95/96 instructor meetings Wed. Aug. 24 • Math 120, 124, 126, 127, 128, 132 Friday 9-noon August 26 • Breakout meeting for GAs: Friday noon-12:45 August 26

23. DMS Graduate Program (Skip) • Wait list exhausted • Good news: GSC had the wait list in place and we were able to cover course load • Bad news: Need more applicants to make our GAships more competitive. • Probably related: Graduate School policy started requiring International applicants to pay for their transcripts to be translated. • Maybe we need some kind of pre-application process (Nichole had a better name for this)

24. Wait list Exhausted (skip) • 2 GA’s withdrew during last few weeks • Chemistry uses own funds to cover some GAships so as to cover their courses. • We need to compete with both Chemistry and Life Sciences concerning instructional needs for GAs. • I had planned to go over budget < $10,000 • Can we locate any GAs still being used for non-instructional purposes in the other colleges???? • Some Chairs in other colleges don’t seem to understand students are being turned away because of no instructor being available • Spring 2011 external review of Graduate College

25. Recall: I hoped to have Card Readers by the start of Summer Session 3.

26. Yesterday’s EC • Hiring COS Director of Development and COS Director of Communication (jobs overlap) • I raised the 35 year old question about a (new) MS building • Original Goal: I believe by 1980 • UNLV has failed for several decades, so DMS faculty need the ability to go out to at least request funds • e.g. Phanord efforts: Magic Johnson MS building • Dean said he liked the Magic Johnson MS building. • The Dean believes that we (DMS faculty) will be able to pursue, has confidence in Scot Roberts (misspelled?), and that the Foundation (and everyone) is under pressure to obtain money. (Conversation included bad experiences with the Foundations from the different departments.) • Central issue: Will we now be able to initiate conversation with possible donors, followed by contacting the appropriate COS Director, and then the Foundation? • Stay tuned (Past interviews included the Chairs).

27. New small backup Xerox Copy Machine • Erin is hero on this • N/W corner of copy room • Printers are much, much easier to buy • Boards (red new, blue last academic year) • 7 S/W: For undergraduate information board • 7 N/W: PME board • 7 N/E Flyers (2 large boards) • 7 S/E Department information (e.g. schedule) • 9 (already in place) N/E Department information • 10 S/E and S/W Department information • Paper shredders (will try to copy this) • email Eva (cc:me just in case) • Please be patient and understanding but do follow up (cc:me). • Maintaining a few additional large shredders would probably cost more than $2,000 per year, so: individual faculty shredders. • Also we have a new “monster” shredder in the front office.

28. Meeting Agenda Call to Order  Announcements  Approval of the April 8, 2011 Meeting Minutes Approval of the April 15, 2011 Meeting Minutes  Committee Reports (Merit, Personnel, Graduate, Undergraduate, Advisory) Proposed Bylaws change (to be acted on in a future meeting) New Business  Adjournment

30. Advisory Committee: Drs. Baragar, Phanord, Verma. • Personnel Committee: Drs. Bhatnagar, Salehi, Shiue. • Merit : Drs. Catlin, Dalpatadu, Ghosh, Ho, and X. Li. • Graduate Studies Committee: Drs. Cho, Tehrani, and Sun, Bellomo, Burke • Undergraduate Studies Committee: Drs. Neda, Robinette, Bellomo

31. AMS meeting: Sat. April 30 & Sunday May 1, 2011 (Possibly the spring bbq should be Friday April 29.) Please apply to the AMS by September 30 to organize a special session 2011 AMS Spring Western Section Meeting @ UNLV

32. Second largest resource Faculty salaries: over $2.5 million GA salaries: almost $.5 million, funding 45 GAs PTI salaries: $84,000 (excludes 95/96) Graduate Assistantships

33. DMS Graduate Program • 28 PhD Students (6 new) • 38 MS Students (6 new) • 45 Graduate Assistantships • GA Funding: $494,000 Note: During summer 2010, four GAships became available (not additional funding!!) for those on the waiting list. It seems that we need a waiting list of approximately 9-10 students each summer.

34. GS Summer Teaching • GA salaries are often supplemented through summer teaching. • $4,500 for one summer 3 credit class • PTI’s receive approximately $2,769 for a 3 credit class during the academic year ($923 per credit).

35. Summer Teaching GS Summer Teaching • In order to be considered for summer teaching, graduate students must be: • in good standing with respect to their academic program, • follow department & university policies with respect to teaching (online homework, holding class, university policy concerning incompletes, etc.) • attend the graduate orientation, course meetings, etc. • receive favorable evaluations concerning their teaching assignments (grading assignments, discussion session assignments, etc.) • No grade inflation. Grades must accurately reflect the students academic performance. • Returning students need to email Erin information as to which courses they anticipate taking four weeks before the start of each semester • Etc.

36. $376,114.41was contracted to 46 GSs for 2010 summer teaching. With total first day enrollments of 1,570, with SIS final enrollment of 1,367, and with with average first day enrollment of 17.64 students (15.52 average SIS final enrollment). Erin and I used a number of different strategies to maximize GS summer funding (see GS Orientation powerpoint). Total faculty summer salaries?? Summer 2010 GS Teaching

37. Recent DMS activities? Placement test at every summer SOARS Dean Porter met with Dr. Ananda and myself for a one hour meeting (lasting about 3 hours) during the second week in August to view our facilities, discuss the department needs (e.g. more faculty and staff lines), etc. Standard meetings during the week before fall instruction: Wed: Semester Math 95/96 Meeting around 1:30-4:30 Thursday: Annual DMS Graduate Orientation around noon-4:30 noon-1pm for food, faculty, graduate students, Dean, etc. See last year’s powerpoint for some details, e.g. Graduate Orientation Booklet. Please make sure to attend noon-1pm next fall. Friday: Semester Math 120, 124, 126, 127, 132 Meetings around 1:30-4:30. ADS Meeting Wed. Sept. 1 Lotus Notes Emails will be archived (Information to appear through unlvofficial on September 15, archiving starts October 15)

38. Annual Enrollment – over 12,000 students Spring with Math 95/96– 4538 (last year: 3,940) Spring without 95/96 - 3631 (last year: 3431) Summer with Math 95/96– 2400 (last year: 2,517) Summer without Math 95/96 - 1733 Fall with 95/96 – 5,914 (last year: 5,738) Fall without 95/96 – 4,533 (last year: 4,744) The fall numbers are misleading (see next slide). In-state Fall 2009 (last year) Tuition estimate $3,164,925.75 Need to calculate this year’s. Enrollments

39. Fall Enrollment Fall with 95/96 – 5,914 (last year: 5,738) Fall without 95/96 – 4533 (last year: 4,744) The fall numbers are completely misleading: Fall 95/96 are up to due to additional instructors. 100-level classes down due to our not being provided access to make timely changes during last two weeks before instruction (e.g. lack of access to room availability, inability to split classes). Fall enrollment actually increased by 110 from 8/23 to 8/31 and would have increased by more if …. It normally decreases during the first week. Final enrollment surge was partly due to SOARS registration hold being released near at the end of July and students having difficulty with MyUNLV. I have already indicated how to solve this final enrollment surge problem for DMS classes, but … Not fixing this creates the need for more DMS resources (GA and faculty lines). Some of the Lab Sciences experienced huge problems with meeting the fall enrollment demands. The likely fallout is that some SEB labs may become teaching labs!! Exact opposite of past policy, etc.

40. 4,533(5,914 with M95/96)DMS students (29 fac at 2.6 million)4,332 COE students (lectures)

41. Special thanks to Dean Taylor for an unknown sum of funds to the Department at the end of academic year. Please apply to the AMS by September 30 to organize a special session at …

42. Call to Order  Announcements  Approval of April 30, 2010 Meeting Minutes  Committee Reports (Merit, Personnel, Graduate, Undergraduate, Advisory)  Election of three hiring committee members (5.5 bylaws) Vacancy Announcement (5.6.1d) New Business  Adjournment 9/10/10 Meeting Agenda

43. Department Bylaws (from page 8) 5.5. Hiring committees. Hiring committees are composed of three elected members and two members appointed by the chair, one of which may be a faculty member from outside the department.The hiring committee will be formed no later than when the final vacancy ad is endorsed by the department. They will: Evaluate the completed files of qualified applicants and select finalists for interviews. Submit their recommendation to the Department for their approval. (This could be a ranked list, or to not hire, etc. As with all motions, the recommendation can be amended – see 5.10.) 5.5.1 When a candidate is invited for an interview, their complete file (including unredacted letters of recommendation) will promptly be made available for inspection by the regular members. The chairperson’s report on each search to the Dean of the College of Sciences shall contain the recommendation of the Search Committee and the result of the faculty vote. 5.5.2 During an academic year, a person cannot be appointed to more than one hiring committee and a person cannot serve (appointed and elected) on more than two hiring committees. This last provision may be suspended, as outlined in Section 1.7.

44. Vacancy Schedule (1) The vacancy announcement is approved in September. (2) Roughly two weeks anticipated for the university to approve, etc. the vacancy announcements and for the announcements to be posted.    (3) Roughly six weeks (last part of October and all of November) for the vacancy announcements to be posted and for applicants to submit application documents. With a due date of December 1, 2010 for all materials, there is probably a little more than six weeks. (4) The Hiring Committee will have the month of December to evaluate the completed files and select those they recommend to be interviewed. Please note that most of this period is during the break with the fall semester ending early, so that faculty should take this into account.   (5) The week of January 1-7 is to request and hopefully obtain the Dean's (and all needed) approval(s) for the interviews. (6) During January 8-17, the hiring committee sets up the interviews, etc. probably from 1-2:15 on TR (January 18, 20, 25, 27 of 2011) since there will be no DMS classes taught by faculty in that time slot. January 8-17 includes only five working days, so it is desirable if items (4) and/or (5) can be completed earlier. However, these five working days are during the week before instruction, which is technically not part of the December/January break. (7) The interviews hopefully start the first day and/or week of instruction. I believe that the first day of instruction for spring 2011 is January 18.