History of
the
In the early
1970’s, mathematics faculty from two-year colleges across the state met annually
at the Kentucky Association of Junior Colleges Conference. Mathematics faculty
members felt the need for more time as they found the brief meetings very
helpful. Since they had the largest discipline meeting at KAJC, they decided to
investigate the feasibility of starting a new organization. Jacqueline Moss,
Trudy Cunningham, and Sarah Pendry attended a national meeting of the National
Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and discussed two-year college
organizations with participants from other states there. Martin Brown attended
the national Mathematics at Two-Year Colleges (MATYC) conference at
On November 2,
1973, at the KACJS Conference, a group of mathematics instructors from across
the state met at
The following
officers were selected at the organizational meeting:
President:
Jacqueline Moss
President-elect: Martin Brown
Secretary-Treasurer: Trudy
Cunningham
Member-at-large: George
Livingston
Member-at-large: Ed
Curtis
Objectives of
KYMATYC as stated in the original constitution were as follows:
1. To establish and maintain
consistency in course content and placement;
2. To share opinions of
particular library holdings and systems of grading;
3. To report the success
and/or failure of innovations;
4. To expose the members to
new material through "hands-on" workshops;
5. To exchange information
about available positions and applicants;
6. To become acquainted with
teachers of mathematics in all two-year colleges in Kentucky; and
7. To establish and maintain
articulation with four-year colleges.
KYMATYC held its
first annual meeting in conjunction with the MAA-Kentucky Section in March
1974. Beginning in 1975, the organization began meeting separately at
Shakertown in early March. The organization became a sounding board for issues
of interest to faculty from two-year colleges and four-year colleges in the
state.
Faculty from
four-year institutions have contributed greatly to KYMATYC. Carroll Wells of
WKU developed summer graduate courses in mathematics for our members. The
yearly courses were often supported by Summer Teaching Improvement Fellowships
from UKCCS. These provided a means for faculty to improve their credentials as
well as another opportunity to discuss issues with one another. Brauch Fugate,
Cliff Swauger, and Chris Vancil kept KYMATYC informed about course and
curriculum issues at UK.
Dr. Stanley Wall,
then Dean of the Community College System, was a big supporter of KYMATYC in
the early years. He attended the Friday Keynote Speech and dinner during the
first years the group met at Shakertown. Dr. Wall promised financial support if
the organization found itself unable to meet its financial obligations.
However, the meetings were well attended and the organization was
self-supporting from the beginning. George Livingston, one of the founding
members, was the social leader in the early years. He took personal
responsibility for the AfterMath social hour on Friday night. Sister Ann
Frederick Leonard, another founding member, was instrumental in ensuring that
KYMATYC addressed the needs of private as well as public two-year colleges. She
served two terms as secretary/treasurer of the organization.
One of the early
projects of KYMATYC was a state-wide mathematics contest for two-year college
math students. Catherine Williams, Don Brashear, and Mary Catherine Brown
developed the first such contest. Fred Watkins of
In 1986, KYMATYC
became an American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC)
affiliate, and Sandy Spears was elected the first affiliate delegate to the
AMATYC Delegate Assembly. KYMATYC has since had a strong relationship with
AMATYC. Sandy Spears and Kathy Mowers have served as Regional Vice-Presidents.
Darrell H. Abney served on the AMATYC Standards Committee and also was a Co-PI
on the AMATYC Standards Workshop Project.
In the
1990’s, the organization has encouraged presentations on the appropriate
use of technology and alternate teaching methods. Members and guests made
presentations on the use of computer algebra systems and graphing calculators
in the teaching of mathematics. New efforts like the Math Excel program at UK
and the NKATE Project were showcased at meetings. KYMATYC took a leadership
role in addressing curriculum issues such as the development of the alternative
Intermediate Algebra course for community colleges and changes in the
mathematics curriculum for prospective elementary teachers. Lillie Crowley and
Darrell H. Abney led the NKATE effort to get all of the community colleges
connected to the Internet. KYMATYC information became available on the web in
1995 thanks to Kathy Mowers, who established our web page. In 1996, Rebecca
Isaac-Fahey developed an email list. This allowed members to communicate
electronically with each other. Several members are experimenting with offering
courses on the net. That will be a hot topic for programs in the next few
years.
As we approach
our 25th annual meeting, KYMATYC is recognized as a leader among the
educational organizations in
Revised
March 3, 1999
Darrell H.
Abney, Historian
Featured
Speakers throughout the Years
1976 Alan
Shorb, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Understanding Change
– Implications for Mathematics Teaching
1979 Conley
Powell, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Mathematics of
Interstellar Flight
1980 Austin
French, Georgetown College, Students Can Be Taught to Do Proofs: The Idea
in Theory and the Idea Put into
Practice
1981 Michael
Jacobson, University of Louisville, Instant Insanity: A Sane Approach
1987 Franklin
Demana, Ohio State University, School-College Interface
1988 David
Roselle, University of Kentucky, Building a Campus Computational
Environment
1989 Jerry
King, Lehigh University, The Magical Art of Mathematics
1991 Elizabeth
Teles, National Science Foundation, Writing a Successful Grant Proposal
1992 Philip
Crooke, Vanderbilt University, Using a Symbolic Algebra System in
Teaching Calculus and other Basic Courses
1993 Nancy
Zumoff, Kennesaw State College, Earth Algebra: College Algebra with
Applications to Environmental Issues
1994 Kathleen
Heid, Penn State University, Curriculum Issues & Collaborative
Learning
1995
Ruth
Casey, Franklin County Schools, CBL and 82: Tools for Today
1995
Lucy Davis, Kentucky State
Police Laboratory, Forensic DNA Analysis
1995 Bill
Thomas, University of Toledo, Implementing the AMATYC Standards
1996 Ron
Crouch, Director, State Data Center, New Rules for a New Demographic
Ballgame
1997 Frank
Morgan, Williams College, The Soap Bubble Geometry Contest
1998
Daniel Curtin, Northern
Kentucky University, Solving the Cubic Equation: A Story of Renaissance
Genius and Renaissance
Spleen
2006 John
Martin, Santa Rosa (CA) Junior College, The Cycloid: Helen of Geometry
2007 Gary
K. Rockswold, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Just How Much Power
Does Math Have?
2008 Tom
Carson, Columbia State Community College, Who are We Now?
2009 Dan
Kennedy, Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tennessee, My Year with Num3ers:
Mathematics Goes to Hollywood
Past Presidents
1973-1974 Jacqueline
Moss Paducah
CC
1974-1976 Martin
Brown
1976-1978 Ed
Curtis
1978-1980 Hugh
Duguid Hopkinsville
CC
1980-1982 Joe
Jeffries Somerset
CC
1982-1984 Powell
Livesay
1984-1986 Bill
Parker
1986-1988 Linda
Mayhew Elizabethtown
CC
1988-1990 Carrie
Parker
1990-1991 Lillie
Crowley Lexington
CC
1991-1994 Darrell
H. Abney Maysville
CC
1994-1996 Kathy
Mowers Owensboro
CC
1996-1998 Brita
Dockstader Jefferson
CC-Downtown
1998-2000 Dana
T. Calland Maysville
CC
2000-2002 Joseph
Mahoney Paducah
CC
2002-2003 Barbara
Lott Maysville
CC (moved to Florida midterm)
2003-2006 Gerald
Johnson Jefferson
CC-DT
2006-2008 Gail
Stringer Somerset
Community College
2008-2010 Jason
Taylor West
Kentucky Community and Technical College
2010-2012 Virginia
Metcalf Somerset
Community College
2012-2014 Don
Barnes Hazard
Community and Technical College
2014-2016 Pat
Riley Hopkinsville
Community College
2016-2018 Scott
McClendon Somerset
Community College
2018-2020 Brandon
Bartley Jefferson
Community and Technical College
2020-2022 Jeff
Herrin Bluegrass
Community and Technical College
2022-2024 Sherry
McCormack Hopkinsville
Community College
2024-2026 Brandon
Elmes Jefferson
Community and Technical College
Last updated: October 28, 2024