Department of Mathematics
Faculty: Professor Jones, Chair; Professors Angeleska, Khanal; Associate Professors Fowler, Paneru; Assistant Professors Jin, Pfeffer, Rimal; Associate Teaching Professors Johnson, McAnally; Assistant Teaching Professors Ahmed, Dawn, Hauser; Lecturers II Bahadi, Beaudoin, Branham, Cheng, Ivanov; Lecturer I Eichler.
The mission of the mathematics department is two-fold: 1) to provide service and core courses for the University, and 2) to provide courses for mathematics, mathematics with computer science, actuarial science, and data science majors.
The mission of the program of studies leading to the major in mathematics is to provide the student with a balanced account of both the pure and applied aspects of modern mathematics. For majors in mathematics with computer science, the department offers courses that place emphasis on the development of mathematics through different branches in linear algebra, modern abstract algebra, and analysis. In addition, the applied aspect is covered in differential equations, statistics, and discrete mathematics. The intent of the actuarial science program is to prepare students for careers as actuaries, who assess risk and operate in a variety of insurance, financial and consulting environments. An actuarial science graduate at UT is required to take classes in statistics, mathematics, actuarial science, economics, and programming. Mathematics with computer science is an interdisciplinary program intended for students who are interested in pursuing careers in computer science related fields where a strong mathematical background is needed. After completing the BS in Mathematics with Computer Science program, students will be prepared for graduate school in computer science, data science, or computational mathematics. A Mathematics with Computer Science major at UT is required to take math courses that are fundamental to computing and information processing, such as Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra, and Statistics, and core computer science courses such as Data Structures and Algorithms, Software Design, and Operating Systems and Systems Programming. The data science program combines a curriculum of mathematics, statistics and computer science to provide students with a solid foundation in areas such as mathematical modeling, predictive analytics, and in programming languages R and Python. The data science program will prepare students for a career in the field by teaching them how to manage “big data,” which are large, complex sets of data that traditional data processing software can’t handle. Data science majors will learn how to acquire, analyze and present big data in creative ways that will help businesses make more informed decisions.
Faculty offer independent study courses and the opportunity to study other aspects of mathematics and its applications.
The program prepares majors in mathematics or mathematics with computer science to pursue graduate studies or to enter in the workforce.