These are equations that students, faculty and graduates of the College of Science and Mathematics come into contact with. They are beautifully simple. They are memorable. They are useful. They explain our world.
E = mc2
F = ma
a2 + b2 = c2
V = IR
We show students these equations. We provide students with problems and worksheets to teach them how to use these equations. While that is important, education can be much more—each equation has a unique story behind how it was first imagined and then how it was modified to reach its full potential, and those stories should be shared with students. This will give students the tools to 1) recognize the power of science and mathematics to make our lives better; 2) apply the equations in the appropriate situation to solve problems in their careers; and 3) make the next leap forward with a new, beautiful equation that explains some aspect of the natural world not currently understood.
Yes, at a minimum it is our responsibility to prepare students for success in their chosen employment path. But as a research institution and an institution of higher learning, we also have a responsibility not to limit our students to only that. Of course, these two goals are not mutually exclusive. Teach students how to think, treat them as our colleagues, and we all win—students get life-changing experiences in the classroom, the lab, and via internships, and they become energetic, curious partners who look at things with new eyes and provide opportunities for new discoveries. This is the ideal we are aiming for in the College of Science and Mathematics, as you can see from the stories in the current edition of the College of Science and Mathematics Newsletter.
Just a few of the highlights: stories about alumni Whit Alley and Julie Bonsall, and faculty Sherif Elbasiouny, that show when you find what you love and make that your career goal, great things come of it; a summer program born of a collaboration between the College and Latino Affairs, that is just one step in our goal to establish a pathway of enrichment experiences to propel students towards being college ready and fully prepared to enter a STEMM major on the day they arrive at Wright State (or another college of their choice); a visit by alumni Mary and Peter Tung, who are not only extraordinarily successful in their careers, but they are coming back to Wright State and the College of Science and Mathematics to share the lessons they learned along the way, to the benefit of our faculty and students; finally, alumnus Dale True is providing life-changing opportunities to our students through scholarships that support them in undergraduate research so they do not have to take other jobs unrelated to their career goals.
Please share your story! And never forget that you have the potential to play an important role in someone else’s story.
Best Regards,
Kathrin Engisch, Ph.D.
Interim Dean, College of Science and Mathematics
