2002 Trjitzinsky Awards Presented

September 6, 2002

Providence, RI: The AMS has made awards to eight undergraduate students through the Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky Memorial Fund. The fund is made possible by a bequest from the estate of Waldemar J., Barbara G., and Juliette Trjitzinsky. The will of Barbara Trjitzinsky stipulates that the income from the bequest should be used to establish a fund in honor of the memory of her husband, to assist needy students in mathematics.

For the 2002 Trjitzinsky awards, the AMS chose eight geographically distributed schools to receive one-time awards of $4,000 each. The mathematics departments at those schools then chose students to receive the funds to assist them in pursuit of careers in mathematics. The schools are selected in a random drawing from the pool of AMS institutional members.

What follows are the names of the selected schools for 2002, the names of the students receiving Trjitzinsky awards, and brief biographical sketches of the students:

Stephen F. Austin State University. Marcus A. Arreguin. Marcus, a resident of rural East Texas, is majoring in mathematics and geography. He has completed many mathematics courses while maintaining an A average, is a member of the Honor’s School, and has completed several courses with additional projects and/or papers for honor’s credit. Arreguin is also active in musical and literary circles in East Texas. He has published several original poems and musical arrangements. In addition, he has been a member of several community and church choirs. After completion of his bachelor’s degree, he’s interested in a challenging career full of new things to learn and experiences that apply to his interests in mathematics, geography, and computer science.

University of Hartford. Aimee Groudas. Aimee is a math major at the University with a 4.0 GPA. She received unanimous support from the faculty in recommending her for the Trjitzinsky Scholarship. Aimee grew up in Chatham, a small town in upstate New York, and graduated with honors from Chatham High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society, competed on the varsity track and field team for four years, and was chosen for Who’s Who Among High School Students for four consecutive years. Aimee plans to pursue a career that utilizes mathematical skills, "perhaps in the field of business."

University of Southern California. Peter Kirkpatrick. Peter graduated from Vashon Island High School, near Seattle, where he received the highest score on the American High School Mathematics Exam in his freshman, sophomore and senior years. He says that by taking the exam, he "learned to appreciate the thought and logic behind mathematics, and learned to enjoy the process of solving a problem." At USC Peter has served on various committees of his residence hall government, participated for one year in the Army ROTC program as a ranger challenge team member, and now works at the USC Joint Educational Project, helping to design a curriculum in which USC physics students team-teach science at local middle and high schools. Peter says this about his experience at USC: "I have been taught by engaging professors, encouraged by friends, and supported by the university and by my mother. I’ve really been surrounded by an environment that has helped to make my education thus far a most positive learning experience."

Furman University. Kevin Lynn Smith. Professor Douglas Rall of the department of mathematics describes Kevin as "an outstanding mathematics major" and "an ideal student to receive the award." Professor Rall adds that "As a first year student he has been one of the highest achieving students in classes usually taken by sophomore mathematics majors. Mathematics department faculty members are already encouraging him to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics." Kevin is planning to double major in mathematics and computer science, and holds a Wylie Mathematics Scholarship that pays part of his tuition. Kevin was born and raised in Lexington, South Carolina. He finished high school with the highest average in his graduating class in mathematics and in science. After graduating from Furman Kevin plans to pursue a graduate degree.

University of Texas at Dallas. Kevin Ray Pond. Kevin attended high school in Boyd, Texas where he received the Mathematics Award upon graduation. While in college he has taken a job as a math tutor which "helped me realize my interest in teaching and lead me to take a job as an undergraduate assistant in the UTD Calculus Program." Areas of mathematics that Kevin is interested in include number theory and logic. Outside of mathematics he is interested in foreign languages, classical music and computer science.

Bates College. Challis Kinnucan. Peter Wong, Chair of the Mathematics Department, describes Challis as "one of the best mathematics students in recent years at Bates." Last January, Challis presented a paper, 'Lotteries and Poisson approximation,' at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego. While spending a semester in Budapest, Challis took a graduate level course in abstract algebra. She also participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates in the summer of 2001. Along with her interest in mathematics, she loves to travel and spend her extra time "doing art, charcoal drawing especially. I also like working with children, whether it is teaching or just hanging out."

College of William & Mary. Suzanne Lora Robertson. Suzanne was the valedictorian at Mt. Sinai High School in Mt. Sinai, New York, was elected class treasurer, and served as president of the honor society. Since arriving at the College of William & Mary as a Monroe scholar, she has become a mathematics major, served as secretary of the mathematics club and publicity chair of the University Centers Activity Board. She has volunteered as a tutor at Matthew Whaley elementary school, conducted research during the summer of 2001 on nonlinear population dynamics, and has attended the National Youth Science Camp. Professor Lawrence Leemis of the mathematics department describes Suzanne as "one of the top rising seniors," wholeheartedly nominated by the mathematics department for the scholarship.

Brigham Young University. Julie Brinton. Julie was raised in Wenatchee, Washington as one of seven children. She graduated valedictorian from Wenatchee High School. She decided to pursue math in the fifth grade, after competing in the Washington State Math Olympiad. Her most inspiring math teachers include Mr. Bill Eagle, Wenatchee High School, and Brigham Young University Mathematics Department faculty Dr. Tyler Jarvis and Dr. William E. Lang.

Waldemar J. Trjitzinsky was born in Russia in 1901 and received his doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1926. He taught at a number of institutions before taking a position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he remained for the rest of his professional life. He showed particular concern for students of mathematics and in some cases made personal efforts to insure that financial considerations would not hinder their studies. Trjitzinsky was the author of about 60 mathematics papers, primarily on quasi-analytic functions and partial differential equations. A member of the AMS for 46 years, he died in 1973.

For further information contact:
Annette Emerson or Mike Breen
Public Awareness Office
American Mathematical Society
201 Charles St.
Providence, RI 02904
Email: paoffice@ams.org
Telephone: 401-455-4000

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.