The Department of Mathematics launched its annual alumni newsletter, the Mackinac Gazette, in 2002.  Since then, we’ve published an issue every year but one – 2020, the spring of COVID – and this year is no exception.

We recently spent some time reading through the archives; every issue from 2004 forward can be found in the site index found on the left side of this page.  While not as comprehensive as Professor Emeritus Ted Sundstrom’s History of GVSU Mathematics site, which is accurate through 2009, the Gazette archives provides a history of the exciting work of the GVSU Department of Mathematics.

Among the many fun reminders we found:

• The department has long been engaged in community outreach.  From the early days of Family Math Night in 2005 to an update a decade later, GVSU faculty and aspiring teachers were spending time in area public schools.  In 2017, we published an article about our many Community-Based Learning learning courses – classes for future teachers that actually meet regularly in public schools, and in 2022 we learned about how department faculty were supporting the Battle Creek Public Schools in a large curriculum initiative.
• Our students and faculty have traveled the world.  Through a wide range of study abroad programs in places such as Mexico, Egypt, England, and Hungary, our students have broadened their horizons and been far from Allendale.  Through the department’s own study abroad program in Tanzania for future teachers, founded by Professor Emerita Lisa Kasmer, we’ve heard testimonies from many different students whose lives were impacted by the program.  We even published an article about how faculty sometimes travel abroad without students.
• Research conducted by our students has been a vibrant and ongoing part of our department’s history.  From exciting successes in the early days of the department’s REU to the 10th anniversary of the REU to a clean sweep of the student awards at MathFest by the 2022 REU students, there has been exciting work done collaboratively by our students and faculty.  We’ve heard about why research is valuable and important, and have seen many students participate in conferences such as the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women and the Joint Mathematics Meetings.  Many of our alumni have continued to pursue research in graduate school, including a large group of 2010 alumni who went to a wide range of grad programs.
• The Department of Mathematics has thrived because of the people who are involved in its work.  The long-standing faculty who’ve retired (such as Karen Novotny and Char Beckman), the many new faculty we’ve hired (24 since 2004, nearly all of whom have been profiled in the Gazette), the many superb students (such as those highlighted in the 2025 student awards article), and our talented alumni all contribute to making GVSU Math a wonderful place to learn, work, and grow.
• Articles in the Gazette have also documented important work in the life of the department:  a new Tutoring Center in 2012, the new Peer Collaboration Space in 2016, the development of the Applied Math Major in 2019, and the national influence of our faculty in such endeavors as writing textbooks and changing how grading is conducted.

But most of all, scrolling the archives reminds us of our amazing students and alumni and the joy they’ve been to work with all of these years.  We look forward to continuing to tell the story of the GVSU Department of Mathematics through this annual newsletter and we encourage you to browse the archives to learn even more about our people and their work.