Academics > Majors and Areas of Study > Mathematics and Computer Science > Past Commendations > 2003



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2003
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January 2003 Putnam Team has High Hopes Saturday, December 7, 2002, was a grueling day for nine Thiel students who participated in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. As usual, there were twelve horrendous problems to work on over the six-hour examination time. The lunch-time discussions showed that several were hopeful of scoring some points this year. Late March is when the results of the exam will be known. The nine participants were (back row left to right) Tony Ross and Nicholas Lias, (middle row left to right) Sean Weaver, Amanda McKeehan, and Dan Hemme and (front row left to right) Melanie Henthorn, John Erickson, Nicole Demski, and Rebekah Williams. Top

February 2003 Two More Successes This month we salute our two December 2002 graduates, Scott Gerow (left) and Jonathan McElhaney (right). Scott earned his degree in Management Information Systems. He is the son of Evelyn van Zandt and Ellis Gerow. His home is in Cambridge Springs, PA and he is a graduate of Cambridge Springs High School. Scott has accepted a position in the records department of the Jackson County School System in Oregon. Jonathan earned his degree in Mathematics with Secondary Certification. He graduated with Departmental Honors from the Department of Education. He is the son of Mike and Barbra McElhaney of Eldred, New York. Jon will start his career as a long term substitute math teacher in the Delaware Valley School District in Milford, PA, with the expectation that this will become a regular full time position in September. We are very proud of what these students have accomplished during their time a Thiel and in the positions they were able to find. They leave us with our best wishes for their futures. Top

March 2003 Lightning Strikes Twice This month the department recognizes Professor Judith Newton (top photo) and Professor Ruth Leone (lower photo) for their many talents and hard work. Last year on Founder's Day, Professor Judith Newton was recognized with the Distinguished Teacher Award (See Past Commendations, March 2002). On February 6th 2003, she made a repeat appearance at the Founder's Day awards podium, but this time for the Distinguished Service Award. Also on Founder's Day this year, Professor Leone received the Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Award. Professor Newton has worked tirelessly on behalf of the College community. Her recent service include participation in the Freshman Year Experience program, assistance at Scholarship Day activities, participation in the departmental faculty search process, as well as her critical leadership as chairperson of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Just recently, she stepped forward to act as an advisor to a student interest group that is attempting to form a chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the computer science honorary society, on campus. Professor Leone was appointed to the Thiel faculty in 1997 and has taught courses in mathematics, computer science and education. She is also responsible for supervising the student teaching activities of mathematics majors seeking secondary certification. She has done an excellent job in all of these capacities and has proven to be an extremely valuable resource to her students, to the departments in which she serves, and to the college. The department is thrilled that Thiel College chose to recognize the excellent service that Professor Newton and Professor Leone have provided to the institution. Top

April 2003 Great Problem Solvers The Commendation of the Month for April goes to four great problem solvers in two categories. First our congratulations go to mathematics major Daniel Hemme (top photo) who scored 10 points on the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition in December 2002. This put him in the top half of the 3349 most gifted mathematics majors throughout the United States and Canada who participated in the contest. (See Past Commendation, January 2003.) Daniel is from Painesville, Ohio and is a graduate of Harvey High School. He credits his high school teachers Mr. Dayton and Mrs. Peters for his success as a student of mathematics. He is the son of Hal Hemme and Judy Churchill. We are very proud of Daniel's accomplishment this year, and since he is only a freshman, we expect great things from him on the Putnam in the next three years. This month we also honor the winners of the Fall, 2002 Problem of the Week contest. Congratulations to Rebekah Williams, Greg Allison and Nicholas Lias. (Left to right in the lower photo.) Greg and Rebekah finished tied for first and Nicholas finished one solution behind them. All of us in the Math & Computer Science Department extend our congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who participated in the contest. Top

May 2003 Congratulations Scholarship Winners! We in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science have the privilege each year of choosing two students to receive scholarships. The George and Magdalene Skegas Scholarship for Mathematics was established by Karolyn Skegas Krial '43 in memory of her parents. The winner of this $1000+ award for 2003-2004 is junior Melanie Henthorn (on the left in the above photo). Melanie is a mathematics major, she is working to earn secondary certification, and she is enrolled in the Thiel College Horn ors Program. The Nathan Warren Harter and Besse Roseberry Harter Scholarship was established as a memorial to Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Harter to encourage Thiel students in the study of mathematics or Latin. The amount of this scholarship varies from year to year depending on the prevailing interest rates, but this year an award of about $250 was made to junior Amanda McKeehan (on the right in the above photo). Mandy is a mathematics major and is also enrolled in the Thiel College Honors Program. She is looking forward to a career in applied mathematics. Top

June 2003 Congratulations Graduates! This month we commend the sixteen students who earned degrees from this department on May 10, 2003. Steven Dedrick (top row left) graduated with BA's in Actuarial Studies and Mathematics and a minor in Business Administration. Ivan Grimm (top row center) graduated Magna Cum Laude from Thiel's Honors program with a BA in Computer Science with Departmental Honors and a minor in Mathematics. Sonja Heard (not pictured) earned a BA in Business Administration and an AA in Management Information Systems. Aaron Hughes (top row right) graduated Cum Laude with BA's in Business Administration with Departmental Honors and Management Information Systems. Erin Kelly (second row left) graduated Summa Cum Laude with three majors, Accounting, Actuarial Studies, and Business Administration with Departmental Honors in all three areas. Daniel Krupitzer (not pictured) earned an AA in Management Information Systems. Sara Laslow (not pictured) graduated with a BA in Psychology with Departmental Honors and an AA in Management Information Systems. Gregory Liszka (second row center) graduated Cum Laude having earned BA's in Accounting and Business Administration with Departmental Honors and an AA in Management Information Systems. Jason Miklacic (second row right) graduated with a BA in Management Information Systems. Hellen Oduho (third row left) graduated with a BA in Sociology and an AA in Management Information Systems. Paul Persic (third row center) graduated Magna Cum Laude having earned BA's in Business Administration with Departmental Honors and in Management Information Systems. Jessica O'Shea Peterson (third row right) graduated Cum Laude having earned BA's in Business Administration with Departmental Honors and in Management Information Systems. Stephen Rimko (forth row left) earned a BA in Computer Science with a minor in Political Science. Leo Smigel (forth row center) graduated with a BA in Management Information Systems. Casey Stafford (not pictured) earned a BA in Computer Science. Nathan Tarquinio (forth row right) graduated with a BA in Computer Science. We are proud of all of our graduates and wish them well in the future. NOTE: Photos courtesy of Chappell Graduation Images. Click on a picture to enlarge it. Top

July 2003 Great Job! This month we congratulate May 2003 graduate Ivan Grimm for successfully getting a wonderful job with FNIS Empower. Ivan graduated with a B.A. in computer science and a minor in mathematics. He was a participant in Thiel's honors program and graduated Magna Cum Laude and with departmental honors in computer science. His hard work and excellent education at Thiel not only earned him this position, but it enabled him to start a Level 2 instead of the entry level where new hires are usually placed. Ivan is the son of Abraham and Virginia Grimm of Scottdale, PA and is a graduate of Southmorland High School. His parents and his high school faculty are to be congratulated for preparing him well for his success at Thiel College and beyond. We are very proud of what Ivan has accomplished and wish him well in the future. Top

August 2003 Great Job! This month we congratulate May 2003 graduate Erin Kelly for her success in landing a wonderful job with Erie Insurance as a rate analyst. Erin obtained this position despite not having yet passed an actuarial exam. In today's competitive job market for actuaries, this speaks volumes about Erin's work ethic, abilities, and character. The company's faith was well founded however. Shortly after starting her new position, Erin learned that she passed the actuarial exam she had taken last May with a quality score of 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. Erin graduated with three majors; Actuarial Studies, Accounting, and Business Administration. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and with departmental honors in all three majors. Her hard work and excellent education at Thiel not only earned her this position with a nice salary, but also an impressive signing bonus. Erin is the daughter of Timothy and Valerie Kelly of Ridgeway, PA and is a graduate of Ridgeway Area High School. She credits her high school calculus teacher, Mr. Allenbough, for her success as a student of mathematics. Her parents and all of her high school faculty are to be congratulated for preparing her well for her success at Thiel College and beyond. We are very proud of what Erin has accomplished and wish her well in the future. Top

September 2003 Welcome New Professor This month we welcome Professor Ken Stitt, a new addition to the Mathematics Department at Thiel College. In addition to his duties as an Adjunct Professor, he is a Mathematics Teacher at Greenville High School. Mr. Stitt teaches AP Calculus, Trigonometry, and Statistics at Greenville High School. He also serves as the Head Tennis Coach at Greenville High School. Mr. Stitt has earned a M.Ed in Secondary Mathematics and Science from Slippery Rock University of PA, a M.A. in Economics from West Virginia University, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Grove City College. Mr. Stitt has taught a wide range of economics courses over the years at Grove City College, Edinboro University of PA, Clarion University of PA, and West Virginia University. Prior to teaching economics and mathematics, he was employed as an Electrical Engineer. Mr. Stitt is married and he has two very spoiled dogs (Bart and Princess). Bart was named after Bart Starr, the Hall of Fame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. Top

October 2003 Outstanding Scholarship Winners This month we honor five freshmen who entered Thiel to pursue majors in the Department of Mathematics and Computer science. Each was the winner of an impressive scholarship ranging from several thousand dollars to full tuition. They are Nicholas Rhodes (top left), Alexander Miller ( top right), Gerren Bazier (middle left), Keith Williams (middle right) and Jose Soto (bottom). Nicholas Rhodes is a computer science major who received the E. Frank and Dorothy V. Brosius Scholarship and a Thiel Merit Award. Nick is from Andover, OH and a graduate of Pymatuning Valley High School. He credits his principal, Mr. Meadock, as being his most important mentor. He is the son of Dane and Irene Rhodes. Alexander Miller is an actuarial studies major who received a Presidential Award. His home is in Jeannette, PA where he graduated from Hempfield Area High School. Alex tell us that Mr. Scheuermann, his AP Calculus teacher, provided him with the inspiration to succeed. His parents are Beth and Howard Miller. Top

November 2003 Great Problem Solvers The Commendation of the Month for November goes to the winners of the Spring, 2003 Problem of the Week contest. Congratulations to Rebekah Williams (left), Nicholas Lias (right), Amanda McKeehan (second from left) and Robert Weiland (second from right). Rebekah won the contest with Nicholas finishing a close second. Amanda and Robert tied for third. All of us in the Math & Computer Science Department extend our congratulations to the winners and t hanks to all who participated in the contest. Top

December 2003 Programming Success On November 7, 2003, seven intrepid travelers-six students comprising two teams and one coach-made their way in a BIG Thiel van to Carnegie Mellon University to compete in the East Central North America Regional contest as part of the 2003-2004 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest. It was a clear day and the group had high spirits as they left Thiel's campus. Once they arrived in Pittsburgh, checked into the beautiful Best Western hotel, ate dinner, found out that the BIG van was too BIG to fit into the designated parking garage, parked in an area with signs that warned that no parking would be allowed the next day, were given a quick tour of a robotics lab at CMU by Greg Armstrong, the group competed in the trial competition. Initially there were some bugs in the system, but eventually the teams got going and became familiar with the system. Afterwards the participants were treated to pizza and soft drinks. The next day dawned early and again clear. The group headed off to CMU, and with an optimistic attitude began driving to the same parking spot used the previous night. They then realized that the warning signs observed the previous night were accurate and not mere figments of their imagination. After finding a parking spot that allowed the group to get some aerobic exercise before the contest, they ate breakfast. Then the contest began! While the coach-Professor J. Newton-was busy grading papers, checking occasionally on the teams' progress and doing other fun stuff, the two teams spent the next five hours trying to solve the eight problems posed in the contest. What were the results? The Thiel Gold team comprised of Dan Heckert (second from left), Luke Rose (third from left) and Ben Wheeler (left) solved two problems and came in 49th place out of a total of 126 teams! This meant that they beat teams from a variety of schools including Notre Dame, University of Pittsburgh, Clarion University, Grove City College, Susquehanna University, Westminster College, and Hiram College. The Thiel Blue team comprised of Matt Beacher (third from right), Scott Free (right), and Adam Moeller (second from right) didn't solve any problems and so tied for 97th place with a host of other schools. They resolved to do better next year. After the group had a good dinner, the very successful trip ended when the BIG van pulled back onto Thiel's campus. Top