Why Study Mathematics at SBU?

	Let our alumni speak for themselves...
The mindset and abilities I have acquired from my mathematical studies at St. Bonaventure are strengths that I will carry with me for the rest of my life... ● Lindsey Besch '05, Financial Strategist, Luttner Financial Group	Although I teach at a much larger school than SBU, I try to provide my students the personal attention that I received as a student at SBU. ... I learned how to teach from the exemplary professors who took the time to care about me and my career. ● John Holcomb '89, Professor of Statistics, Cleveland State University

The remarkable effectiveness of mathematics to reveal and quantify patterns in every human discipline makes a degree in mathematics enormously valuable and versatile. The Department of Mathematics at St. Bonaventure University offers a major that prepares students for a myriad of careers, ranging from business to industry to government to secondary education, as well as for graduate school. Whether you're a recent graduate like Lindsey or a less-recent graduate like John, a degree in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University will serve you well. Discover all that our department has to offer by scrolling down this page. To go immediately to a feature that particularly interests you, click on the appropriate link below.

Careers in mathematics:  A degree in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University can lead to a career in actuarial science, applied mathematics, art, business administration, college teaching, computer science, cryptography, editing, finance, health care, law, mathematical exposition, medical research, operations research, quality control, secondary teaching, or statistics, to name just a few areas. Indeed, the traits that one acquires from a degree in mathematics---attention to detail, logical thinking, precision of language---are useful in virtually any career. Graduates of our department have found challenging and lucrative careers with employers such as Bell Laboratories, Cleveland State University, Burroughs, M&T Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citibank, Corning Glass Works, Eastman Kodak, General Electric, IBM, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Travelers Life Insurance, Royal Globe Insurance, and Xerox. Our Careers in Mathematics page has further information about the multitude of paths that are open to those with a degree in mathematics.

Preparation for graduate school:  A degree in mathematics from St. Bonaventure University provides the rigorous mathematical foundations required for continuing on to a master's degree and a doctorate. Recent SBU graduates who have majored in mathematics have received fellowships enabling them to work toward graduate degrees at Boston College, Brandeis, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, Vanderbilt, Indiana, Michigan State, Syracuse, Kentucky, Purdue, SUNY at Albany, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, SUNY at Binghamton, and Notre Dame.

Laurie Ziolkowski (`05) and Beth Hartnett (`05) present the models of the hyperbolic plane that they crocheted for Geometry (Math 312). Laurie and Beth lent their models to the Department of Mathematics for inclusion in a "Mathematics and Art" exhibit. The quilt in the background was made by Dr. Maureen Cox.

Individualized advising:  Each student who majors in mathematics has an adviser among the full-time mathematics faculty. The adviser guides the student during his or her years at St. Bonaventure. The small size of our university means that from the first semester on, the adviser knows the student as an individual and not merely as a name. The adviser and the student meet each semester to create a course schedule for the following semester. The adviser helps the student to choose mathematics electives and general electives to complement the student's interests and career goals. If a student desires a minor, a second major, or a degree with honors, the adviser helps the student to plan course schedules that accommodate such goals. In addition, the adviser offers information and resources about careers in mathematics and graduate school.

Problem solving:  Our department encourages students to work on problems posed in national mathematics journals through the Bona's Bonus Problems program. St. Bonaventure students looking for an exceptional challenge may participate in the national William Lowell Putnam Mathematics Competition. Students may also participate in the University of Rochester Mathematical Olympiad. The Problem-Solving Seminar (Math 281) is offered each fall, in which problem-solving strategies are discussed and applied to a wide range of problems. The Seminar helps to prepare students to take the Putnam Exam and the University of Rochester Math Olympiad, if they wish to do so. In 1996, St. Bonaventure made its first entry in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling. The solution submitted by one of our teams was judged as Outstanding Winner (the highest distinction). Subsequently, the SBU team was chosen by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics as one of two teams to receive the prestigious SIAM Award.

Jerome Brabant (`05) solved three Bona's Bonus Problems         in the fall of 2004---the current record for one semester. One         of his solutions was published in the April 2005 issue of         Math Horizons. Jerome is wearing the tee-shirt that he received         from the Department of Mathematics for solving his first BBP.

Student activities:  The Mathematics Department sponsors a student chapter of the MAA (Mathematical Association of America). During the years that the student attends SBU, the Department will pay for the membership of any student who wants to be a member the MAA. A student's membership includes a subscription to the superb journal Math Horizons and a subscription to one of the other excellent journals published by the MAA. The Student Chapter meets for talks, mathematically-themed movies & pizza (like The Proof and deep-dish supreme, respectively), Pi Day, Integral Day, and other occasions of mathematical import. The Department of Mathematics also sponsors the New York Omega Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. Election into Pi Mu Epsilon is based on mathematical achievement and overall scholarship. Student volunteers help our department to host two regional mathematics contests for middle school students: The Challenge 24 Competition and MATHCOUNTS.

Nicole Wysocki (`05) enlightens her classmates about Fermat's Last Theorem in History and Philosophy of Mathematics (Math 461).

Faculty:  The Mathematics faculty consists of devoted teachers, committed to excellent mathematics instruction and advising. Faculty members have distinguished themselves through research, publishing in the area of mathematics education, textbook publishing, coordinating regional mathematics competitions, and writing problems for state-wide and national competitions.

Facilities - renovations & an addition:  The Department of Mathematics is located in De La Roche Hall, the cornerstone of the University's historic core. During 2007 and 2008, De La Roche was extensively renovated. As a consequence, the Department of Mathematics moved to a new suite (301 and 303) featuring a spacious common area for students. Our facilities include the Walter J. O'Brien Mathematics Classroom, which is equipped with Gateway laptop computers featuring Maple, Derive, Geometer's Sketchpad, and other mathematics software packages.

The construction of a 46,500-square-foot addition to De La Roche Hall began in the summer of 2006 and was completed in the spring of 2008. The William F. Walsh Science Center houses state-of-the-art computer science laboratory and classroom space, biology labs, organic and general chemistry labs, a Natural World lab, a 150-seat indoor amphitheater, and faculty offices integrated with lab space for enhanced student-teacher accessibility. The Walsh Science Center has doubled the University's academic space for the natural sciences. To see the two-year construction of the Walsh Science Center compressed into three images, click on the thumbnail.

For more information... about the SBU Department of Mathematics, please contact the chair of the Department, Dr. Doug Cashing, by email at dcashing@sbu.edu or by phone at (716) 375-2472. The Mathematics Web site provides essential information about our department; see the Mathematics Index for an overview of the content in our site. We would be delighted to meet you in person; these directions will lead you to our campus. SBU Admissions can help you to plan your visit.