Una Bray

Associate Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Dana 292
PHONE: 518-580-5283
email
Prof. Bray's Home Page

Professor Bray teaches mathematics courses in the department.She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. When she came to Skidmore in the early 1980s Prof. Bray oversaw the design and implementation of the then new Quantitative Reasoning Program. More recently Prof. Bray has been involved in incorporating writing into the mathematics curriculum, and she has taught sections of calculus that satisfy the college writing requirement. Prof. Bray teaches two popular liberal studies courses, one on epidemics and another on the history of food. While her research area is abstract algebra, Prof. Bray is also interested in mathematical modeling of diseases. Because of a shared interest in mathematics teaching in elementary school, Prof. Hurwitz and she organized a special session of talks on "Mathematicians in the K-8 Classroom," at the AMS-MAA MathFest in Seattle, WA. Additionally, Prof. Bray serves as a mathematics consultant to a local school district.

Alice Dean

Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder Hall 218
PHONE: 518-580-5286
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Prof. Dean's Home page

Professor Dean teaches computer science and mathematics courses in the department. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and completed a masters level computer science program at the Institute for Retraining in Computer Science at Clarkson University. Prof. Dean shares her position in the department with her husband, Gove Effinger. Prof. Dean's teaching is influenced by her research interests, which include graph theory and theoretical computer science; she teaches 300-level courses in graph theory and theory of computation. Prof. Dean has incorporated computer laboratories in many of her courses as a way of enriching the learning experience. She and Prof. Effinger co-authored a text that was used for several years in CS 103 Structured Programming in BASIC. Prof. Dean enjoys working with a number of co-authors on research papers in graph theory; a recent publication was co-authored with a mathematician from Minnesota and two computer scientists from Canada. Prof. Dean coordinates the department's speaker program, scheduling talks by speakers from inside and outside the Skidmore community; she has also played a major role in coordinating two mathematics conferences that have taken place at Skidmore in recent years.

Bob DeSieno

Professor Emeritus

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Prof. DeSieno's Home Page

Professor DeSieno taught computer science courses in the department. He received a Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of California, Davis. His work on experimental and computational aspects of spectroscopy led him to an increasing interest in the development of computing technology that serves national security policy. In addition to teaching departmental computer science courses, Prof. DeSieno offered interdisciplinary courses (both liberal studies and capstone courses) that considered the effect of computer technology on society and national and international security. Professor DeSieno served in the office of the Dean of the Faculty where he assisted faculty and departments as they developed new programs, pursued external funding in support of teaching, learning, and research, and assured proper stewardship for grants received from federal and private foundations.

Michael Eckmann

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

OFFICE: Harder Hall 221
PHONE: 518-580-5294

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Mr. Eckmann's Home page

Mr. Eckmann joined the department in Fall 2004 as a lecturer of computer science. He is an A.B.D. Ph.D. candidate in computer science from Lehigh University, dissertation title "Augmented Remote Reality." He holds a Masters degree in computer science and Bachelors degrees in mathematics and computer engineering all from Lehigh University. Prior to joining Skidmore, he has taught courses at both Lehigh and Wilkes Universities. His research interests are in computer vision and graphics and he has authored/co-authored a number of papers in the area, most recently in the Image and Vision Computing Journal in a special issue on surveillance entitled "Omni-directional Visual Surveillance," Spring 2004. He teaches both lower level and 300-level computer science courses.

Gove Effinger

Professor of Mathematics
Director of Quantitative Reasoning

OFFICE: Harder Hall 223
PHONE: 518-580-5287
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Prof. Effinger's Home page

Professor Effinger teaches mathematics and computer science courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, specializing in number theory. Prof. Effinger shares his position in the department with his wife, Alice Dean, with whom he co-authored a text that was used for several years in CS 103 Structured Programming in BASIC. His research interests include prime numbers and computational number theory. He was co-author, with Dr. David Hayes of U. Mass., of the book Additive Number Theory of Polynomials over a Finite Field, published by Oxford University Press. Recently, Prof. Effinger introduced the computer language Visual BASIC into CS 103 Structured Programming in BASIC, permitting students to learn programming concepts in the context of writing Windows applications. As of Fall 2000, he has become the Director of Quantitative Reasoning.

Mark Hofmann

Professor of Mathematics
Associate Dean of the Faculty

OFFICE: Palamountain 416
PHONE: 518-580-5705
email

Professor Hofmann teaches mathematics courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of New Hampshire, specializing in abstract algebra. Prof. Hofmann maintains an active research program focusing on finite group theory, and he has published a number of papers in this area. Prof. Hofmann was instrumental in the development of the course MA 215 Bridge to Advanced Mathematics, (changed to MC215, Mathematical Reasoning and Discrete Structures) which introduces students to concepts of abstract mathematics and proof techniques. He also taught a course in the first year experience program that examined the mathematical ideas inherent in the art of M.C. Escher. Prof. Hofmann took the helm as department chair in Fall 2000 through 2005. Professor Hofmann is currently the Associate Dean of the Faculty until 2008.

Mark Huibregtse

Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder Hall 216
PHONE: 518-580-5289
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Prof. Huibregtse's Home page

Professor Huibregtse teaches mathematics and computer science courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a masters level program at the Institute for Retraining in Computer Science at Clarkson University. His research specialty is algebraic geometry, an area in which he has published a number of papers. Prof. Huibregtse teaches a wide variety of courses at the college, and he has been active, along with other colleagues in the department, in trying to improve pedagogy through appropriate use of technology and alternative modes of learning and teaching. In the liberal studies program, Prof. Huibregtse has offered a course entitled, "Parallel Universes: The Rise and Fall of Euclidean Geometry." In 1996, Prof. Huibregtse completed five years of service as chair of the department. Outside Skidmore, Prof. Huibregtse is a member of both the tenor section and the Board of Directors of the Saratoga Chamber Singers, a semi-professional chorus, and a member of the Methodist Church's chancel choir.

Dan Hurwitz

Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder Hall 220
PHONE: 518-580-5282
email

Professor Hurwitz teaches mathematics courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, and his research area is combinatorial group theory. While continuing his study in this area, Prof. Hurwitz has also developed a scholarly interest in mathematics education. He has served as a consultant for several area school systems, is involved at several levels of the State Systemic Initiative in Mathematics, Science, and Technology, and he regularly helps organize a math and science fair at the Lake Avenue School here in Saratoga Springs. In 1996 Profs. Hurwitz and Bray organized a special session of talks on "Mathematicians in the K-8 Classroom," at the AMS-MAA MathFest in Seattle, WA. In the department, Prof. Hurwitz recently introduced a course on introductory statistics for use in a wide variety of disciplines; he also has several liberal studies courses, including courses on symmetry and on the history of computation.

Joshua Lesperance

Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder Hall 219
PHONE: 518-580-5288
email

Professor Lesperance has joined our department for a two-year appointment in mathematics. He received his Ph.D. and masters degree from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to coming to Skidmore, Prof. Lesperance taught at Franklin and Marshall College, Hamilton College and University of Notre Dame. His research interests include algebraic geometry, algebraic curves and liaison theory. He has published papers in these areas, among them a paper in Advances in Geometry and a paper in Collectanea Mathematica. Prof. Lesperance teaches calculus and statistics courses.

Kim Newsom

Administrative Assistant

OFFICE: Harder Hall 213
PHONE: 518-580-5280
FAX: 518-580-5295

email

Ms. Newsom serves as the administrative and personal center of the department, serving faculty and students in a wide variety of ways. She provides essential support for the quantitative reasoning requirement, and she assists with registration in department courses. She is generally the first person to ask when anyone has a question about curricular or departmental matters.

Thomas O'Connell

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

OFFICE: Harder Hall 224
PHONE: 518-580-5293
email
Prof. O'Connell's Home page

Professor O'Connell joined the department in Fall 2002. He received his Masters and Ph.D. in computer science from SUNY Albany. Prof. O'Connell has worked as a software developer at IBM and, most recently, was a visiting professor at Dartmouth College. Prof. O'Connell's current research on computational issues in game theory focuses on using approximation algorithms in mechanism design. He has also done research in neural nets and machine learning. Prof. O'Connell teaches computer science courses at all levels, including, in Fall 2002, an advanced topics course on artificial intelligence.

Rachel Roe-Dale

Assistant Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder 223
PHONE: 518-580-5290
email

Professor Roe-Dale first joined our department as a lecturer for the 2005-2006 academic year. She now has a tenure track position in our department beginning with the 2006-2007 academic year. She was awarded a Ph.D. in mathematics in December 2005 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her dissertation investigates mathematical models of cancer treatment and the optimization of these regimens. She holds a masters degree in Applied Mathematics from RPI and a bachelors degree in chemistry with minors in mathematics and physics from Maryville College, Maryville, TN. Prior to joining Skidmore, Professor Roe-Dale taught at Canterbury School, a private high school in New Milford, CT as well as Calculus I at RPI during the summer of 2004. She teaches calculus, statistics and differential equations courses at Skidmore.

Lisa Schermerhorn

Systems Administrator

OFFICE: Harder Hall 208
PHONE: 518-580-5284
email

Lisa Schermerhorn joined the department in June 2002, in the newly created position of systems administrator. Previously, she was a senior computing consultant in Skidmore's Center for Information Technology (CITS). Ms. Schermerhorn has a bachelor's degree in computer science and applied mathematics, and she has over 15 years experience as a computer professional. As systems administrator, Ms. Schermerhorn will provide support for the hardware and software used in the mathematics and computer science curricula. In addition to ensuring that our department's computing resources operate in a dependable and efficient manner, Ms. Schermerhorn will provide technical support to students and faculty, and she will serve as a departmental liaison to CITS.

Richard Speers

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Prof. Speers taught mathematics courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas, specializing in abstract algebra. In recent years, Prof. Speers was very active in exploring alternative modes of teaching mathematics at the college level. He pioneered the use of Mathematica software for laboratories in the calculus sequence, and, along with Prof. Bray, he incorporated writing into the mathematics curriculum, and offered sections of calculus that satisfied the quantitative reasoning requirement. Prof. Speers also offered workshops on using Mathematica for faculty and students. Prof. Speers was very active in the Saratoga Springs musical community. He was an accomplished pianist who taught piano, and who accompanied musical productions on and off campus.

David Vella

Associate Professor of Mathematics

OFFICE: Harder Hall 217
PHONE: 518-580-5291
email
Prof. Vella's Home page

Professor Vella teaches mathematics courses for the department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. His mathematical interests include algebra, algebraic geometry, and combinatorics. He has published a number of papers in these areas, among them a book on algebraic groups in the Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society series, and a paper on combinatorics jointly authored with Julia Varbalow '92. Prof. Vella teaches a wide variety of courses for the department, ranging from MA 101 Elementary Mathematical Modeling, for non-majors, to MA 376 Senior Seminar, in which he recently taught Algebraic Geometry. In addition to his teaching, Prof. Vella serves the department and the mathematical community in a number of ways. He directs a student problem-solving group, leading to participation in the nationwide Putnam mathematical competition; he participates in the Capital Region Algebra and Number Theory Seminar; and he is one of the primary organizers of the very successful Hudson River Undergraduate Mathematics Conference, which brings together mathematics students from all over the Northeast.

Pierre von Kaenel

Department Chair

Professor of Computer Science

OFFICE: Harder Hall 215
PHONE: 518-580-5292
email
Prof. von Kaenel's Home page

Prof. von Kaenel teaches computer science courses in the department. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Syracuse University (although his thesis topic and advisor were in computer science). Before graduate school, Prof. von Kaenel worked for the Department of Defense, doing research in patttern recognition and writing computer simulations of missile guidance systems.

Prof. von Kaenel's current interests include object-oriented programming, design patterns, and writing software simulators of computer systems and other pedagogical software.