Mathematics Excellence

Dare to Excel

Excel in mathematics both inside and outside the classroom as a student in the Department of Mathematics at East Texas A&M. Join our roaring Lion tradition and showcase your skills in mathematics competitions. The Department of Mathematics recognizes outstanding undergraduate and graduate students with four prestigious awards. Be a part of our tradition of excellence

The math department hosts an event every year during the spring semester called Adventure in Mathematics where many high schools from surrounding areas are able to learn about the university and participate in activities.

I believe that being a part of the campus community is all about promoting education and continuously sharing with others the knowledge we are privileged to have received. This event stands out for me the most because faculty members, staff, and students from different departments come together to serve as an inspiration for kids and to show that receiving a higher education is possible.

One person in particular who has gone above and beyond since day one is our department head, Dr. Wang. One semester before I transferred to East Texas A&M, I came to tour the university and spoke to him about the math program. After that day, he kept in touch through email. He made sure I had all the important information about the program and financial support; his office door was always open for me to walk in and ask any questions; he took the time to ask me what was going on with my academics; he always asked me about my plan for the upcoming semester, and he made sure I was a step ahead in preparing for the future.

I truly feel blessed to be a part of such an amazing group of professionals who care for their students' successes and make sure we are aware of our opportunities.

I am a first-generation college student and receiving a higher education was not easy, but it also was not impossible. I was and am still blessed to have influential teachers throughout my education who saw my potential and always pushed me to dream big and work hard for what I wanted.

I am grateful because, without my family's support, I would not be here. They could not support me financially, but they were always there right next to me, encouraging me to keep moving forward. 

Since high school, getting involved with organizations and staying active with my community opened many doors with people who shared their experiences and provided helpful information toward moving forward with my education.[…] knowing that some people out there also believe in me through scholarship support gives me strength to work hard every day to not let anyone down.

As a chemistry major, learning math at a higher level has helped me tremendously both in my undergraduate classes and in my research work.

Math is not just about solving algebra problems and passing classes with a long list of complicated formulas. To me, math is truly about applying the understanding of those formulas to understand chemistry equations and concepts.

I had a chance to participate in SCUDEM, a mathematical modeling competition, in Spring 2018 in which my group mates and I studied a published biology research paper and came up with a logical differential equation to model a scenario about survival mechanisms of zebra fish when living in the same environment with their predators.

It was a challenge for all of us, but we managed to pull through it and achieve an Outstanding Award.

The competition has taught me how to derive equations from research work. During my summer biochemistry research at Houston Methodist Research Institute, I applied the knowledge I learned from mathematical modeling to analyze my research data and prove the relationship between endoplasmic reticulum size change and cholesterol level in a zebra fish model.

If I did not know math, I would not have been able to continue my research in biochemistry. I believe that math is extremely crucial for developing fields such as bioinformatics, computer science, business analytics and many others. As the saying goes, “I used to hate math, but then I realized the decimals have a point!”

If I did not come to Commerce, I would have never known how wonderful my future world would be.

In 2014, I reported to East Texas A&M with my dreams and two heavy suitcases. This was my first time stepping on land in the United States. An unfamiliar city, an unfamiliar environment, and everything unfamiliar made me nervous, but the Department of Mathematics was always like my home.

When I first arrived at the Department of Mathematics, I knew financial support was most important. Sufficient funding can ensure students study and do scientific research, and this target has been achieved by the Department of Mathematics. Dr. Wang introduced how to apply in detail for the TA position as well as the relevant application requirements of the university.

After his introduction, he wrote down the key application steps on a piece of paper for me to use as a reference. For average students, it may not be necessary, but for international students like me this “cheat sheet” was really helpful!

I took 10 courses in total at East Texas A&M. I'd like to mention two: Numerical Analysis and Image Processing. They are taught by Dr. Sirakov. I have to say I was so lucky to join his classes because the reason that I was accepted by my Ph.D. program and my current company is that I have learned image processing and numerical analysis. Numerical Analysis is the base of numerical simulation, which is very popular in engineering and research fields. Image processing, no doubt, is a powerful technique to be applied in computer science, AI, and visualization. Without both of his classes, I would have had no chance to start my Ph.D. program and ensure I had a job.

My current job is doing research in petroleum engineering. My dream is to one day become a scientist like Dr Sirakov.

The Department of Mathematics is more like a big family. The teachers are enthusiastic and easy to get along with. Although Dr. Celik had fixed office hours, his office was always open, and students could get his help at any time. Dr. Webster is the boss for all graduate assistants (GAs), but she always treats GAs nicely (I was a GA, too). She organizes a big party each year. All faculty and GAs are invited to her house. If you want to drive there for the party, a map made by hand by her is provided.

Although I had already graduated from East Texas A&M, Dr. Ou still patiently taught me to solve math problems. To me, the Department of Mathematics at East Texas A&M is the location where my dreams started. It is like my home which encourages me to keep moving forward.

After my graduation in May, I will be working as an Actuary at The Standard Insurance Company. I am very excited to be entering the workforce!

I have had an excellent experience in the Math Department here at ETAMU, and am grateful for the time I have spent here. The coursework required for my degree prepared me well for actuarial work.

I also appreciated the environment of collaboration that the Math Department fosters between students and faculty. It makes a big difference when your Department feels like a supportive community! Many thanks for all you and other faculty do to support students as we learn and grow.

Student Testimonials

Alumni Network

The Math Department is proud of its graduates and where they have gone after graduation. Learn more about the exciting careers of our graduates.

AWARDS

The Department of Mathematics offers four awards recognizing outstanding undergraduate and graduate mathematics students.

• Undergraduate Mathematics
  • 2023: Bjorn J. Strottman
  • 2022: Chris Clark
  • 2021: Mary Hurtado
  • 2020: Nicholas Arsenault
  • 2019: Micalyn Rowe
  • 2018: Lauren Melcher
  • 2017: Anna Martinez
  • 2016: Bradford Garcia
• Graduate Mathematics
  • 2023: Oluwaseyi (Shey) Igbasanmi
  • 2022: Katherine Foster
  • 2021: Caleb Donnenwerth
  • 2020: Taylor Kline
  • 2019: Ana Martinez
  • 2018: Mengzhe Chen
  • 2017: Laura Beene and Janessa Beach
  • 2016: Rebecca Steward

• 2023: Jessica Rivera
• 2022: Sarah Gross
• 2021: Keynee Johnson
• 2020: Samantha Trupia
• 2019: Nicholas Arsenault
• 2018: Zach Auringer
• 2017: Dessie McFarland
• 2016: Arianna Lira

• 2023: Alexia Neely
• 2022: Trenna Gillett
• 2021: Breanna Serna
• 2020: Ronnie Taylor
• 2019: Steven Lim
• 2018: Dessie McFarland
• 2017: Aidan Corrales
• 2016: Daniel Rios

News Spotlights