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Kappa Mu Epsilon
Mathematics
Honor Society
Three students, Tamela Bolen, Alexandria Jeannin and Brandy Mann, prepared and presented papers at the KME Regional Convention hosted at Pittsburg State University, April 4 – 5, 2008. Brandy won a “top 4” prize for her presentation. Tamela's paper was titled, "Where Math Meets Music," Alex's paper was titled, "The Road Not Taken: Explorations in Urban Geometry," and Brandy's paper was titled, "Where Do We Hunt for Ichabods? - A Study Using Time Series Forecasting Methods." Faculty Kevin Charlwood, Sarah Cook, Bill Gahnstrom, Hwa Chi Liang, Gaspar Porta, Jennifer Wagner and students Sarah Butler, Riley Harrington, Richard Nelson, and Sean VanDyke also attended the Regional Convention. Click here for pictures from our trip.
Faculty members Kevin Charlwood, Donna LaLonde, Allan Riveland and Ron Wasserstein took students Tamela Bolen, Emily Huelskamp, Alexandria Jeannin, Clint Kendrick, Brandy Mann, Richard Nelson II, and Kristin Ranum to the National KME Convention at MO Alpha (Missouri State University) in Springfield in April of 2007. Kristin presented the paper, “Who Dun It? Investigations in the Mathematics of Forensic Science” at the meeting, winning a “top three” placement prize in the judging of both written and oral presentations of her paper. Professor Allan Riveland was recognized at the KME banquet at the convention with the distinguished George R. Mach Service Award. Professor Riveland served in numerous capacities for KME for over 32 years, including 8 years as national Treasurer from 1995 - 2003. Here are some pictures of our trip.
The KME North Central Regional Convention was held April 21-22, 2006 at University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 66 people attended from 9 different chapters in 3 states. The host chapter was Iowa Alpha. Six student papers were presented, with awards going to the top two papers. The award winners were Fai Ng from the Kansas Delta Chapter (Washburn) and Justin Peters from Iowa Delta Chapter. Dr. Joel Haack of University of Northern Iowa gave an after-lunch talk titled, "Counting and Clapping: A Number Theoretic Question from Music." Washburn sent a contingent that included two faculty (Dr. Ron Wasserstein and Dr. Michael Mosier), along with students Tammy Bolen, Carolyn Cole, Emily Huelskamp, Alexandria Jeannin, Jeff Kingman, Brandy Mann, Richard Nelson, Fai Ng, and Kristin Ranum. Here are some pictures of our trip.
Kappa Mu Epsilon is a specialized honor society in Mathematics. Its chapters are located in colleges and universities of recognized standing which offer a strong mathematics major. The chapters’ members are selected from students of mathematics and other closely related fields who have maintained standards of scholarship, have professional merit, and have attained academic distinction.
The society is more than a group of chapters devoted solely to the election of honor students membership. Each chapter is encouraged to be a working organization throughout the academic year, functioning as an integral part of the mathematics department.
Kappa Mu Epsilon was founded and continues to exist as a student’s mathematics honor society. The society has grown steadily since its founding in 1931. It has over one hundred chapters and approximately sixty-seven thousand members nationwide.
Click on the links below to learn more.
Brief History of Kappa Mu Epsilon
KME Regional Convention Photo ---- Pittsburg State University (2008)
KME National Convention Photo ---- Missouri State University (2007)
KME Regional Convention Photo ---- University of Northern Iowa (2006)
KME National Convention Photo ---- Schreiner University (2005)
KME Regional Convention Photo – Emporia State University (2004)
KME National Convention Photo – Oral Roberts (2003)
Brief History of Kappa Mu Epsilon
The rapid growth of universities and colleges in the United States during the latter part of the 19th Century led to the development of professional societies in every field. Local clubs were formed in educational institutions to promote professional interests and the desire for affiliation with other groups of similar ideals led to the organization of the local clubs into national and state societies. Various fields, such as law, medicine, science, engineering and teaching, eventually developed societies with large memberships.
In mathematics, Pi Mu Epsilon became the national fraternity for instructors and advanced students in educational institutions offering graduate work. Since the first fraternities open to mathematics students at the undergraduate level were organized by science departments, the need for a national society that would attract such students throughout their mathematics departments was recognized. Kappa Mu Epsilon was organized to fill this need, and Dr. Emily Kathryn Wyant is considered to be its founder.
Dr. Wyant was a graduate of the University of Missouri and a member of Pi Mu Epsilon. In 1930, she went to Northeastern Oklahoma State Teachers College as a professor of mathematics. Her vigor and enthusiasm helped to transform the mathematics club, which had been in existence since 1927, into the first chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon. Professor L.P. Woods, who was head of the Department of Mathematics and Dean of Men at the time, became a valuable co-worker concerned with many details pertaining to the project, including the first rituals used for the initiation of members and installation of officers.
Together Dr. Wyant and Professor Woods, along with twenty-two other faculty and students became charter members of Oklahoma Alpha, Northeastern Oklahoma State Teachers College, Tahlequah, April 18, 1931. Since Dr. Wyant maintained an extensive correspondence with faculty members at other institutions, the second chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, Iowa Alpha, was installed at Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, May 27, 1931. Kansas Alpha, the third chapter, was installed January 30, 1932 at Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg. Then came Missouri Alpha, Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, May 20, 1932.
Today, Kappa Mu Epsilon has become a specialized honor society with one hundred fifteen or more active chapters, located in colleges and universities of recognized standing, which offer a strong mathematics major, in thirty-four states. The chapters’ members are selected from students of mathematics or closely related fields, who have professional merit and attain academic distinction. Approximately sixty-seven thousand have been initiated thus far, and since Kappa Mu Epsilon was founded, they have helped it to become more than a group of isolated chapters devoted solely to the election of honor students to membership. Indeed, each chapter is encouraged to be a working organization throughout the academic year, functioning as an integral part of the mathematics department through worthwhile extra-curricular activities.
The Association of College Honor Societies, which serves as a general coordinating agency, maintains high standards for the recognition and promotion of academic excellence in higher education. Kappa Mu Epsilon became a member of this Association in 1968 and is pleased to be counted among the sixty cooperating societies, representing many different areas of knowledge, that have joined so far. Dr. J.A.G. Shirk of the Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg, now Pittsburg State University, who succeeded Dr. Wyant as the second president of Kappa Mu Epsilon, aptly said, "History renders the ultimate verdict as to the value of any movement, and the growth and the influence of Kappa Mu Epsilon in a little over a decade give a portent of its greater contributions in the decades yet to come."
Delegates from each chapter and members of the National Council that includes the National President, National President-Elect, National Secretary, National Treasurer and the National Historian transact official business of Kappa Mu Epsilon at national conventions. A national convention is held during odd numbered years for the purpose of receiving student papers, electing officers, voting on motions to amend the constitution or by-laws, voting on motions relating to establishment of new chapters and deciding matters concerning the society. Since 1972, regional conventions are also held during even numbered years under the sponsorship of a regional director in cooperation with the national council. When a chapter decides to host a regional convention, the chapters in the region as well as those from surrounding states are invited to attend.
Student papers are featured at regional as well as national conventions, and by the time a paper reaches a convention its academic level is sufficiently good to be considered for publication in The Pentagon. The Pentagon, which is published twice each year, is the official journal of KME, and it may have been named after the mathematics club that eventually became the first chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon. In addition to student papers, it contains news items about various chapters and their activities, as well as interesting problems and book reviews that help to promote the following five-fold objectives of the society:
1. to further the
interests of mathematics in those schools which place their primary emphasis
on undergraduate programs,
2. to help undergraduate students realize the important role that mathematics
has played in the development of civilization,
3. to develop an appreciation of the power and beauty possessed by mathematics,
due, mainly, to its demand for logical and rigorous modes of thought,
4. to provide a society for the recognition of outstanding achievement in
the study of mathematics at the undergraduate level, and
5. to disseminate the knowledge of mathematics and familiarize its members
with current progress in this important area of human interest.
The Pentagon is the student-oriented journal of Kappa Mu Epsilon. The journal is published semiannually in May and December by the Society. Papers written by undergraduate mathematics students for their peers are solicited. Papers written by graduate students or faculty will be considered on a space-available basis. Individual domestic subscriptions to The Pentagon are $5 for one year, or $10 for two years. For further details on The Pentagon, and how to submit an article for publication or to subscribe, visit the KME national website.
Kansas Delta Chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon
The Kansas Delta Chapter of KME was established at Washburn University on March 29, 1947. Since then, more than 650 students and faculty have become members of the local chapter. Terry McAdam was elected the first president of Kansas Delta KME. Terry went on to become a long-time faculty member in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at Washburn. Laura Greene was the first faculty sponsor and Francis Breneman was the first corresponding secretary of the local chapter. Laura Greene became very active in the national organization, serving eight years as National Secretary of KME. She was the first recipient of the (national) Mach Award that is given in alternate years at the National KME Convention to honor members who have performed extraordinary service to KME.
Throughout the years, student members of Kansas Delta have regularly prepared mathematics papers and presented them at Regional and National Conventions of KME. In these competitions, Kansas Delta students have done very well. Since 1973, close to 20 papers have been presented. Almost all of these presentations have ranked in the top four of all the papers presented at the respective conventions.
Some
of the current and former Kansas Delta members (from the left): Dr. Kevin
Charlwood (Corresponding Secretary),
Jan Misak, Fred Hollingshead, Carolyn Cole, Jo Marie Rozzelle, Matt Hamilton.
A member:
1. must be or have
been a faculty member or a regularly enrolled student at an institution where
a Kappa Mu Epsilon chapter is installed,
2. must have at least a 3.00 overall GPA,
3. must have at least 3 courses that count towards some WU math major,
4. must have at least a 3.00 GPA in ALL math courses that count towards some
math major. Transfers must have at least one course with at least a B grade
taken at WU,
5. must be enrolled at WU the semester of initiation, and have at least 20
hours completed at WU.
Election to membership in Kappa Mu Epsilon is independent of membership in any other organization, and no one shall be disqualified on the basis of sex, race, creed, or color. Members may transfer their affiliation from one chapter to another by presenting credentials of membership in good standing.
* President: Brandy Mann
* Vice President: Jackson Waechter
* Secretary/Treasurer: Sarah Butler
* Corresponding Secretary: Dr. Michael Mosier
* Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Kevin Charlwood
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