Ms. Mary Majerus, Associate Professor
Mary Majerus, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, joined the faculty of Westminster College in 1996. She brings eight years of public school education experience with a lifetime teaching certification, as well as teaching experience at the university level. Her experiences at Westminster College include courses in beginning and Tier One mathematics, computer applications, mathematics education and Westminster Seminars with a service-learning component. She has published in the area of collaborative mathematics and science pedagogy, and presented nationally and regionally in the areas of mathematics pedagogy and engaging students in mathematics. She is the past recipient of Westminster College’s Alphi Chi Faculty of the Year Award, Kappa Kappa Gamma Outstanding Faculty Award, and Junior Faculty Award.
Dr. Christopher Saunders, Chair, Assistant Professor
Dr. Christopher Saunders joined the Westminster mathematics department in 2005, after completing a Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University. He is currently serving as Department Chair. During his time here, he has taught courses ranging from Elementary Statistics to Calculus to culminating undergraduate math courses such as Modern Algebra and Topology/Geometry. His research interests lie in the broad area of Differential Geometry, focusing specifically on Symplectic Geometry. He attended a small, liberal arts undergraduate, and was excited to return to that environment.
Outside of work, Dr. Saunders enjoys, camping and hiking, as well as playing guitar, poker, chess and table tennis. (The students in the math department include some of the best ping pong players on campus!)
Dr. Erin Martin, Assistant Professor
I joined the Westminster faculty in August 2008 after completing my Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville. At WC, I have had the pleasure of teaching Calculus I (MAT 124), Elementary Statistics (MAT 114), and Differential Equations (MAT 312). In all of my courses, I expect my students to be challenged, work hard, and succeed in learning new math. My responsibility, then, is to help them along the way by providing them with the necessary mathematical tools through lectures, discussions, and assignments as well as offering help and guidance by being easily reached during office hours and via email.
Besides teaching, I also conduct research in geometric analysis and partial differential equations. My passion for these areas has stemmed from a desire to study pure mathematics that can be readily applied to the real world. Currently, the focus of my research is on modeling the evolution of surfaces in time. Examples include modeling the shape of an ice cube as it melts or of a river stone as it is worn away by water and friction with the river bottom. In particular, I focus on a specific case in which some constraints, which may change from one point to the next, are added to the system. A standard example of this is the parallel-parking problem. Because our cars cannot slide to the left or right, we are forced to take a special curved path to park. Numerous applications of constrained motion can be found in scientific disciplines ranging from robotic control and planning problems to digital image reconstruction and new models of neurobiological visual processing.
Outside of Westminster, I enjoy reading (mostly science-fiction/fantasy novels), cooking/baking, swing dancing, and spending time with friends and family. My husband, Josh, and I moved to Columbia in August 2008 and couldn’t be happier living here.
Dr. Angela Bowzer, Assistant Professor
Education: Dr. Bowzer earned a B.A. in mathematics and a B.A. in music from Bluffton University (1996), a M.S. in mathematics from Ohio University (2000), and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Missouri (2008).
Background: Following six years of high school mathematics teaching, Dr. Bowzer was offered a fellowship to study at the University of Missouri, where she was a graduate research assistant for the NSF-funded Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum. Here she worked on a range of projects, including an analysis of state K-8 mathematics curriculum standards and teacher use of/ student learning from mathematics curriculum materials. Additionally, she assisted in the development of a two-course sequence of mathematics content and methods for future elementary teachers.
Current work: Dr. Bowzer has taught Intermediate Algebra, Business Calculus, Mathematics for Elementary Teachers, and Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics at Westminster College. She looks forward to teaching new courses next year, including History of Mathematics.
Personal Life: Dr. Bowzer resides in Columbia with her husband , Eric, and two step-daughters, Clorissa and Ella. In her spare time she participates in community theater and enjoys music and movies.
Mr. Micah James, Instructor
Biographical Information:
Hometown: Waverly, IA
B.A. Mathematics (Minor in Spanish, Physics) from Wartburg College
M.S. Teaching of Mathematics from University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
Areas of Interest in Mathematics:
Algebra, Number Theory, Combinatorics, Computer Algebra Systems, Undergraduate Mathematics Education
Personal Information:
Married to Jennifer James with a son, Isaiah. Hobbies include cooking, digital art, and typography. Enjoys travelling to visit family in Iowa and Kentucky.