Mathematics News and Publications
Department of Mathematical Sciences 2022 Fall Newsletter
Dr. Khaliq is gained another title
Dr. Abdul Q.M. Khaliq was recently named as an associate editor of a very prestigious
specialized journal, Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, in addition to the editorial positions in three other publications.
MTSU graduate math program boasts top-tier staff, outstanding alumni
The Mathematical Sciences Department has made the MTSU News!! Stephanie Wagner with
MTSU News talks with Dr. Don Hong, the coordinator of the Actuarial and Financial
Mathematics program, and discusses what he views as the key to helping students succeed
in their course of study. MTSU Alumni, Zoe Zhang and David Matthews, share how Dr.
Hong and other faculty in the Mathematical Science Department helped them to achieve
their goals and prepare them for the amazing careers they have now. Read more...
Ding helps to lead the SIMIODE Expo in February 2023
Using Mathematics in the TSA
A journal article that Dr. Lu Xiong wrote titled “Predictive Modeling for Transportation
Security Administration Claims Data” was accepted and will be published in the upcoming
issue of ANWESH: International Journal of Management & Information Technology.
Congratulations to the Actuarial Science Program at Middle Tennessee State University
Achieves Gold Level of New Casualty Actuarial Society University Recognition Program
for 2023. To read more...
Fall 2023 Newsletter for the Actuarial Science Program
MTSU Actuarial Science Program Newsletter Spring 2022
MTSU Actuarial Science program received recognition by the Casualty Actuarial Society
(CAS) and won the 2020 CAS University Award! Article can be found here.
In 2022 six alumni from MTSU's Actuarial Program achieved ASA/FSA designation from
the Society of Actuaries (SOA). Click here to read more on the MTSU Actuarial website.
“Generalized Linear Model for Predicting the Credit Card Default Payment Risk”
Dr. Lu Xiong and S.D. Williams published “Generalized Linear Model for Predicting the Credit Card Default Payment Risk” in Advances in Science, Technology and Engineering Systems Journal. It is a special
issue on Innovation in Computing, Engineering Science & Technology (May 2022). It
discusses how lenders calculate interest rates and the likelihood of someone defaulting
on a payment using mathematical models.
Workshop on Undergraduate Teaching with Mathematics and Statistics Action Technologies
With funding from NSF, Dr. Jennifer Lovett and Dr. Jeremy Strayer developed, implemented,
and facilitated a six-day professional development workshop for 70 mathematics and
mathematics educators across the nation to learn to use mathematical and statistical
action technologies. PI: A. McCulloch, Co-PI: J. Lovett. (Total - $99,801, MTSU - $21,432)
Advancing Gender Equity in Mathematics and Science
Dr. Wandi Ding is the Co-President of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) Tennessee Chapter and has been working with other mathematicians and scientists to
encourage girls and women to study math and science and is working to improve math
and science communication with the public (with J. Iriarte-Gross and S. Lenhart). Ding
is currently the secretary (2022-2024) of MTSU’s Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP)
chapter as well.
“Health Across Disciplines”
Dr. Yeqian Liu was on the panel of the "Health Across Disciplines" event and gave
a talk "Generalized Propensity Score Methods for Comparing Combination Therapy in
a Phase I Trial with Single-Agent Therapy in a Phase III Trial" on March 20, 2019.
Dr. Liu promoted interdisciplinary research collaborations by participating in this
event. During this event, a large conversation was held with the audience about how
to connect MTSU researchers and scholars across disciplines. Dr. Liu talked to professors
from several departments and made them realize that they can always find statistical
help for their projects from the Math department. Please see the attached flyer of
the event. Scholars Week Panel
Scholars Day 2019
Dr. Lu Xiong supervised Jie Long and Wenwen Qin in a poster presentation at the MTSU 2019 university wide scholar week on March 22, 2019, and the College of Basic and Applied Sciences Scholar’s Day on
March 19. The poster was titled “A RegTech Research: Better the Insurance Information
Regulation System Using Machine Learning and Web Technologies”.
Dr. Jim Hart given the Outstanding Teaching Award
Dr. James Hart was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award at the Fall Faculty Meeting
held August 23, 2018. Dr. Hart joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences at
MTSU in 1991. He has taught courses ranging from college algebra to graduate seminars,
including the calculus sequence, linear and abstract algebra, Boolean algebra, and
topology. He has directed six master's theses and currently serves as the department's
graduate program coordinator. Hart helped pioneer the use of Pathways to Calculus
precalculus materials at MTSU in 2014, assisted in editing and refining those materials
in 2015, and remains active in the ongoing mentoring and professional development
of precalculus instructors.
Dr. Huang speaks in Front of the International Congress of Mathematicians
Dr. Rongjin Huang was invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians
(ICM) Conference 2018. The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) is the largest
conference for the topic of mathematics. It meets once every four years, hosted by
the International Mathematical Union (IMU). Being invited to speak at the ICM has been called "the equivalent, in this
community, of an induction to a hall of fame." Professor Huang, Department of Mathematical
Science, MTSU has been invited to participate in the panel discussion on “Use of Lesson Study to support quality mathematics teaching: practical and theoretical
issues raised within the community of mathematics educators and mathematicians” in the SECTION 18: Mathematics Education and Popularization of Mathematics. The
twenty-eighth ICM was held in Rio, Brazil from August 1-9, 2018. Professor Huang and
other three panelists: Professor Stéphane Clivaz from Switzerland, Professor Mercy
Kazima from Malawi, and Professor Maitree Inprasitha from Thailand, moderated by Professor
Akihito Takahashi from USA. successfully organized the Panel Discussion at the congress.
Professor Huang’ significant contribution to lesson study has been well recognized
internationally. He has published 10 peer-reviewed articles, edited two Journal Special
Issues (ZDM- Mathematics Education, 48 (4), July 2016; International Journal for Lesson and
Learning Studies, 6 (4), October 2017) and one theme book (Theory and Practices of Lesson Study in Mathematics: An International Perspective. Springer, 2018).
Dr. Qiang Wu was awarded the Distinguished Research Award
Dr. Wu was given this award at the Fall Faculty Meeting held August 23, 2018. Dr.
Wu joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences at MTSU in 2011. His research interests
include computational learning theory and high-dimensional data mining. His research
has focused on the mathematical foundations of support vector machines, regularization
kernel methods, indefinite kernel machines, information theoretical learning, and
distributed learning for big data. Wu has published 50 peer-reviewed journal/conference
papers, 21 published since joining MTSU. His publications can be found in highly
ranked applied mathematics and machine learning journals such as Applied and Computational Harmonic Analysis.
