NZSTM Teaching Fellow at SMSOR

Throughout 2009 the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Operations research will be hosting one of this year's New Zealand Science, Technology and Mathematics Teaching Fellows. Frank Kane, Head of Mathematics at Wellington's Onslow College was awarded one of the prestigious fellowships in order answer the question "Where is this stuff used?". He will explore ways in which the calculus component of higher secondary mathematics is used in applications in the wider world and how its study builds at university level.

Frank has already attended the Mathematics in Industry Study Group in Wollongong, Australia, where he was part of a team looking at modelling the slumping of steel rolls. During the year he will attend courses in applied mathematics and operations research at Victoria, talk to applied mathematicians and scientists here and at other institutions in the Wellington region and pursue some case studies. Frank's primary contact in MSOR is Peter Donelan. If you would like to find out how the project is progressing then read Frank's blog.