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Georgia Tech has selected Plamen Iliev as a recipient of the 2019 Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award, administered by the Center for Teaching and Learning. A professor in the School of Mathematics, Iliev has taught mathematics courses at all levels, from large lecture service courses to core graduate courses.
The award recognizes faculty who provide outstanding teaching to students in core and general undergraduate courses and help students establish a solid foundation for their education at Georgia Tech. Colleagues say he cares about his students, has high expectations of them, and is an effective and engaging teacher.
Among the large lecture classes Iliev has taught are Calculus I, II, and III; Differential Equations; and Multivariable Calculus.
In addition, he has taught Abstract Vector Spaces, Applied Combinatorics, Probability and Statistics, Real Analysis I and II, Complex Analysis, and Classical Mathematical Methods in Engineering.
“An amazing lecturer. Comes to class with no notes and somehow delivers extremely relevant examples. I always leave class with a clear understanding of what I just learned.”
Whatever the subject, accolades from students are profuse about Iliev’s effectiveness as a teacher:
“Best math teacher I’ve ever had....Ten thumbs up!”
“If I could have him for as a teacher for all my courses, it would be great.”
“He always made his expectations very clear and always announced what he planned to teach us next. He cared very much whether or not students learned material.”
“He is very approachable and welcoming.”
“He knows his stuff backwards and forward.”
“He was very funny and kind and made the class interesting. He communicated well with students.”
“An amazing lecturer. Comes to class with no notes and somehow delivers extremely relevant examples. I always leave class with a clear understanding of what I just learned.”
Since joining Georgia Tech in 2003, Iliev has taught more than 3,000 students. His effective teaching has made a broad impact on undergraduate education and has provided solid foundational training for graduate students.
“It has been a privilege to teach at Georgia Tech for the past 16 years,” Iliev says. “We are fortunate to have very bright and hardworking students, which makes teaching every class an enjoyable and rewarding experience.”
The William A. “gus” Baird Faculty Teaching Award
This award for Associate and Full Professors is named after "gus" Baird. He was known as gus with a small "g". He had many memorable sayings that his students called, "gus-isms". Nominees should possess qualities that make them stand out just as "gus" Baird had.
- Must have taught at least two courses for a minimum of six credits during the previous calendar year, with at least one being an undergraduate course.
- An individual may receive this award not more than once every four years.
- Award Amount: $500
- Who is Eligible: Associate and Full Professors
- Who Can Nominate: Faculty, Students, Staff
Christine Heitsch was recently awarded the UIUC Alumni Achievement Award.
The UIUC Alumni Achievement Award is given to alumni who, by outstanding achievement, have demonstrated the value derived from a mathematics education (BS, MS, or PhD). Nominees may qualify for outstanding professional achievement; cumulative performance through the years; or recent acknowledgement by community or professional peers.
From the award website:
Christine Heitsch
BS Mathematics (with Highest Distinction and Magna Cum Laude) 1994
Christine Heitsch is a Professor in the School of Mathematics at Georgia Institute of Technology and is Director of the Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology (SCMB), an NSF-Simons Research Center for Mathematics of Complex Biological Systems. She received her PhD from University of California Berkeley in 2000. During her trail-blazing career she has leveraged mathematics, especially combinatorics, to understand the role and function of RNA in biological systems. Read more about Christine Heitsch.
Plamen Iliev has recently been awarded the Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award.
This award was established in 2005 through a gift from School of Mechanical Engineering's Regents’ Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Eichholz. It was created to reward senior faculty members who made a long-term contribution to introductory undergraduate education and were outstanding teachers for students taking freshman and sophomore core courses. Recently, the award has broadened to recognize faculty at any point in their careers who excel in teaching core and general education courses, and who help students establish a solid foundation for their education at Georgia Tech.
Plamen is recognized for his care for his students, his high expectations of them, and his effective and engaging teaching. His expertise includes large lecture classes at 1000- and 2000-levels, as well as an impressive range of courses at other levels that are taken by students across the university. Whatever the subject, accolades from students are profuse about his effectiveness as a teacher.
Professor Iliev is the 5th SoM professor to recieve this award. Previous winners were:
- Ronghua Pan, 2016,
- Doron Lubinsky, 2010,
- Evans Harrell, 2007,
- Michael Loss, 2006.
A Frontiers in Science Lecture to celebrate 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table
Why do atoms behave the way they do? Why do electrons form “shells,” as seen in the periodic table?
Why does the first shell hold 2 electrons, the second 8, and the third 18: twice the square numbers 1, 4, and 9?
It took many years to solve these mysteries, and a lot of detective work in chemistry, physics, and ultimately – once the relevant laws of physics were known – mathematics.
Other mysteries remain unsolved, like the mass of the heaviest possible element. This talk will give a quick tour of these puzzles and some of the answers.
About the Speaker
John Baez is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Riverside, who also works at the Centre for Quantum Technologies, in Singapore. His Internet column “This Week’s Finds” dates back to 1993 and is sometimes called the world’s first blog.
Baez used to work on quantum gravity and pure mathematics. In 2010, concerned about climate change and the future of the planet, he switched to working on a general theory of networks that appear in human-engineered and biological systems.
About Frontiers in Science Lectures
Lectures in this series are intended to inform, engage, and inspire students, faculty, staff, and the public on developments, breakthroughs, and topics of general interest in the sciences and mathematics. Lecturers tailor their talks for nonexpert audiences.
About the Periodic Table Frontiers in Science Lecture Series
Throughout 2019, the College of Sciences will bring prominent researchers from Georgia Tech and beyond to expound on little-discussed aspects of chemical elements:
- Feb. 6, James Sowell, How the Universe Made the Elements in the Periodic Table
- March 5, Michael Filler, Celebrating Silicon: Its Success, Hidden History, and Next Act
- April 2, John Baez, University of California, Riverside, Mathematical Mysteries of the Periodic Table
- April 18, Sam Kean, Author, The Periodic Table: A Treasure Trove of Passion, Adventure, Betrayal, and Obsession
- Sept. 12, Monica Halka, The Elusive End of the Periodic Table: Why Chase It
- October 31, Taka Ito, Turning Sour, Bloated, and Out of Breath: Ocean Chemistry under Global Warming
- Nov. 12, Margaret Kosal, The Geopolitics of Rare and Not-So-Rare Elements
Closest public parking for the April 2 lecture is Visitors Area 4, Ferst Street and Atlantic Drive, http://pts.gatech.edu/visitors#l3
Refreshments are served, and periodic table t-shirts are given away, after every lecture
Event Details
Date/Time:
The Georgia Tech School of Mathematics welcomes hundreds of high school students to attend our annual High School Math Competition, a day-long event featuring several different mathematics exams. The competition covers a wide range of high school math topics, including algebra, Euclidean geometry, combinatorics, number theory, and basic calculus. Schools from any state are welcome to compete. A school may register up to five teams with up to five contestants per team.
The competition's website (http://hsmc.gatech.edu/) has detailed information about the event, including past competition problems, registration, and a schedule for this year.
Event Details
Date/Time:
Ryan Hynd, a graduate in the B.S. Applied Mathematics program at Georgia Tech, was in the news recently for his work with University of Pennsylvania's Bridge to Ph.D program.
Ryan Hynd's Homepage at Penn
A Frontiers in Science Lecture to celebrate 2019, the International Year of the Periodic Table
Why do atoms behave the way they do? Why do electrons form “shells,” as seen in the periodic table?
Why does the first shell hold 2 electrons, the second 8, and the third 18: twice the square numbers 1, 4, and 9?
It took many years to solve these mysteries, and a lot of detective work in chemistry, physics, and ultimately – once the relevant laws of physics were known – mathematics.
Other mysteries remain unsolved, like the mass of the heaviest possible element. This talk will give a quick tour of these puzzles and some of the answers.
About the Speaker
John Baez is a professor of mathematics at the University of California, Riverside, who also works at the Centre for Quantum Technologies, in Singapore. His Internet column “This Week’s Finds” dates back to 1993 and is sometimes called the world’s first blog.
Baez used to work on quantum gravity and pure mathematics. In 2010, concerned about climate change and the future of the planet, he switched to working on a general theory of networks that appear in human-engineered and biological systems.
About Frontiers in Science Lectures
Lectures in this series are intended to inform, engage, and inspire students, faculty, staff, and the public on developments, breakthroughs, and topics of general interest in the sciences and mathematics. Lecturers tailor their talks for nonexpert audiences.
About the Periodic Table Frontiers in Science Lecture Series
Throughout 2019, the College of Sciences will bring prominent researchers from Georgia Tech and beyond to expound on little-discussed aspects of chemical elements:
- Feb. 6, James Sowell, How the Universe Made the Elements in the Periodic Table
- March 5, Michael Filler, Celebrating Silicon: Its Success, Hidden History, and Next Act
- April 2, John Baez, University of California, Riverside, Mathematical Mysteries of the Periodic Table
- April 18, Sam Kean, Author, The Periodic Table: A Treasure Trove of Passion, Adventure, Betrayal, and Obsession
- Sept. 12, Monica Halka, The Elusive End of the Periodic Table: Why Chase It
- October 31, Taka Ito, Turning Sour, Bloated, and Out of Breath: Ocean Chemistry under Global Warming
- Nov. 12, Margaret Kosal, The Geopolitics of Rare and Not-So-Rare Elements
Closest public parking for the April 2 lecture is Visitors Area 4, Ferst Street and Atlantic Drive, http://pts.gatech.edu/visitors#l3
Refreshments are served, and periodic table t-shirts are given away, after every lecture
Event Details
Date/Time:
Sal Barone, an academic professional in the School of Mathematics at Georgia Tech, was recently in the news for helping to organize a suprise meeting between several local American Ninja Warriors and Nathan Bywaters, an eight-year-old aspiring Ninja who had recently gone through a life-saving open heart surgery.
The meeting took place at the 2019 Georgia Tech for the Kids - Dance Marathon. The annual at Georgia Tech raises money for sick kids in our local community to get the care they need.
"Georgia Tech for the Kids has raised more than $322,000 for the Sibley Heart Center and warriors like Nathan. You can follow his story on Instagram at @nathantheheartwarrior." -NBC News
Nathan got to meeet Nick Patel, Joey DeSocio, Michael "Greatness" Johnson, Calle Alexander, and Sal Barone, all of whom have participated in the NBC TV show American Ninja Warrior.
"One of my old students, Emily Bly, came into my office and told me about Nathan. Of course, I had to help in any way I could. Clearly Nathan is a very very strong kid, in more ways than one." -Sal Barone
At the event, Nathan was presented with a signed American Ninja Warrior t-shirt, He was also interviewed for the NBC news story, which appeared online and on TV.
"Today was most definitely the best day of my life!!! @gtftk arranged a surprise meeting for me today with some real life ninjas!!!!!! You guys have no idea how much this means to me!" -Nathan Bywaters via Instagram
Dr. Barone also appeared in a feature made by Georgia Tech when he competed in American Ninja Warrior, and says he may try to go back to being a Ninja someday.
"It's a lot like doing research mathematics [being a ninja], or anything else that's really hard: you have to devote yourself completely and be passionate and work incredibly hard, every day. There are no half-ninjas." -Sal Barone
Even if there are no half-ninjas, Nathan has shown us that great things really can come in half-sized packages and that there is no limit to what you can overcome if you really set your mind to it.
"He really is one of the strongest kids I've met. Just a few hours after his surgery he told a friend of mine who was there that his new heart is going to change the world and I really believe that he is going to do huge things to support kids just like him when he gets older." -Emily Bly
Konstantin Tikhomirov is an assistant professor in the School of Mathematics whose work is at the intersection of asymptotic geometric analysis and random matrix theory. He studies the geometry of high-dimensional convex sets with the help of probabilistic tools and using random linear operators, and the spectral distribution of random matrices by applying methods from discrete geometry. He holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Alberta.
His research directions have multiple connections with applied science, in particular, for numerical analysis of large systems of linear equations, modeling communication networks and studying certain physical systems with large numbers of particles.
Valued not only for their prestige, Sloan Research Fellowships are a highly flexible source of research support. Funds may be spent in any way a fellow deems will best advance his or her work. Drawn this year from 57 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, the 2019 Sloan Research Fellows represent a diverse array of research interests.
Open to scholars in eight scientific and technical fields — chemistry, computer science, economics, mathematics, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, neuroscience, ocean sciences and physics — the Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded in close coordination with the scientific community. Candidates must be nominated by their fellow scientists, and winning fellows are selected by independent panels of senior scholars on the basis of a candidate’s research accomplishments, creativity and potential to become a leader in his or her field. Winners receive a two-year, $70,000 fellowship to further their research.
Professor Tikhomirov is one of four faculty members along with Eva Dyer, Matthew McDowell, and Chethan Pandarinath, including two from the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering operated jointly by Georgia Tech and Emory University, that has recently been awarded research fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The fellowships, awarded yearly since 1955, honor early-career scholars whose achievements mark them as among the most promising researchers in their fields.
“Sloan Research Fellows are the best young scientists working today,” says Adam F. Falk, president of the Sloan Foundation. “Sloan Fellows stand out for their creativity, for their hard work, for the importance of the issues they tackle and the energy and innovation with which they tackle them. To be a Sloan Fellow is to be in the vanguard of 21st-century science.”
Past Sloan Research Fellows include many towering figures in the history of science, including physicists Richard Feynman and Murray Gell-Mann, and game theorist John Nash. Forty-seven fellows have received a Nobel Prize in their respective field, 17 have won the Fields Medal in mathematics, 69 have received the National Medal of Science and 18 have won the John Bates Clark Medal in economics, including every winner since 2007.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit grant making institution based in New York City. Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then-president and CEO of the General Motors Corporation, the Foundation makes grants in support of original research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economics.
Previous SoM Sloan Fellowship Awards
- 1989 Jeff Xia
- 1994 Oscar Bruno
- 2001 Dana Randall
- 2003 Saugata Basu
- 2004 Chongchun Zeng
- 2009 Dan Margalit
- 2010 Maria Westdickenberg
- 2011 Silas Alben
- 2012 Greg Blekherman
- 2015 Jennifer Hom
- 2016 Zaher Hani
- 2018 Lutz Warnke
- 2019 Konstantin Tikhomirov
This story was adapted from a story posted Feb 19th, 2019, written by John Toon for Research News at the Georgia Institute of Technology (see the full story here)
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