Chair’s Message, Spring 2026

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Welcome to another edition of Math Matters, the newsletter of Iowa State University’s Department of Mathematics. I’m excited to share recent developments in the department with you as well as our featured stories about current students, repurposed space in Carver Hall, and an invitation to join (virtually or in-real-life) our end-of-year celebration!

Transformative Initiatives Funding
Regular readers of our newsletter know that student success is a recurring theme in departmental activities, and this semester will advance those activities further. Jason Keith, Senior Vice President and Provost, announced in January a call for proposals requesting funding under the “Transforming Initiatives in Academic Affairs”. The funding aims to support new initiatives across campus that align and advance the university’s strategic plan. A team of 8 faculty within the department, led by Heather Bolles and Steve Butler, drafted a proposal that we entitled “Contemporizing Calculus Course Content”. I’m pleased to share that our proposal was selected for funding. Those 8 faculty as well as several teaching assistants will implement our proposed activities.

The objective of our project is to improve student experiences and outcomes in our sequence of calculus courses, with the anticipated benefit of ultimately improving student retention and degree completion. Since the majority of ISU students take at least one course in Math, even a small increase in retention and completion could positively impact numerous students across campus. We know from both data analysis and conversations with university leaders in other units that student success in mathematics courses translates into success in their program. The department is excited to undertake this update to our calculus courses, and results will be shared in future Math Matters Issues.

Supporting the Department
Thank you for your support of the department—our students and faculty benefit from your partnership! Consider a gift to our Mathematics Fund for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (which funds our teaching development activities), our Mathematics Lecture Series (for bringing high profile speakers to Iowa State), or the Mathematics Development Fund (which supports all our faculty and students in research, teaching, and outreach). The funding we received to “Contemporize Calculus” involved matching funds from the department, so please consider a gift to support that effort.

Visit https://isu.foundation/math to give.