Section NexT

Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) is an MAA professional development program which provides support to those in the beginning stages of an academic career in the mathematical sciences. Participants are given access to resources to help them adjust to institutional expectations with regard to teaching, scholarship, and service. One of the primary strengths of the program is the establishment of a peer support group providing important contacts for beginning faculty.

The Allegheny Mountain Section NExT was established in Spring 2000. Its goals are similar to those of the national program, supporting new faculty in the Section in their teaching, and in integrating into the profession. Other objectives include establishing links between the different types of institutions in the Allegheny Mountain Section. Topics of interest include effective teaching, reform, pedagogy, and professional development, especially achieving tenure, balancing work and life, and securing grants.

Allegheny Mountain Section NExT workshops occur twice annually: at the Spring Section Meeting of the Allegheny Mountain Section of the MAA, and in a special fall workshop (typically in September).

To join the mailing list, please email one of the two current co-coordinators: Dr. Kuei-Nuan Lin - Penn State Greater Allegheny (linkn@psu.edu) or Dr. Whitney Liske - St. Vincent College (whitney.liske@stvincent.edu).

Fall 2026 SECTION NEXT workshop

The Fall 2026 Section NExT workshop will be held at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA on October 10, 2026. This year's invited speakers are Dr. Joshua Sasmor of Seton Hill University and Dr. Jeffrey Musyt of Slippery Rock University.

Saturday, October 10, 9:30am-5:00pm, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA

Registration: link [Registration closed on October 1, 2026]
Note: All attendance registration is completed through a national MAA website. If you do not yet have an account with the MAA, you will need to create one. You do NOT need to be an MAA member to do this, and account creation is FREE.

Location Information:

A map of the SRU campus is here: link

All talks will be held in Vincent Science Center, Room 102 (building 37 on the map). Lunch will be held in Boozel Dining Hall (building 39 on the map). Please park in the lot shared by buildings 37&35. Parking is open to guests: no permits are required on Saturdays.

Enter Vincent Science Center through its main entrance, which faces the open, grassy Quadrangle and should be somewhat obvious from the parking lot. Room 102 will be to the right after you pass through the foyer. (However, it is a circular building, so mathematicians entering through a different doorway can definitely circumnavigate to find Room 102!)

Schedule
9:30-10:00 Breakfast
10:00–11:00 Communi-Mathematics, Jeffrey Musyt, Slippery Rock University
11:15-12:00 Lightning Round 1
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:30-2:30 Open Doors, Open Spaces, and Opening Minds, Joshua Sasmor, Seton Hill University
2:45-3:30 Lightning Round 2
4:00–5:00 Social Hour

Communi-Mathematics, Jeffrey Musyt, Slippery Rock University
In this interactive talk, we'll discuss different ways that we can use mathematics to create community in our classes, within our departments, and at large.  We'll explore different ways mathematics (and adjacent topics) can create a sense of belonging including using puzzles and problem solving in freshman seminar, having student driven initiatives for Math Club, and incorporating upper-level mathematics into school outreach events. We'll also have some time to brainstorm ways your favorite pieces of mathematics can be used to strengthen the connections between students and faculty at your own institutions.

Open Doors, Open Spaces, and Opening Minds, Joshua Sasmor, Seton Hill University
How do we create communities?  At many different levels, this is a matter of making personal connections and building them out from there.  This workshop will examine what you can do to try to encourage this in your schools.  We’ll discuss faculty practices, office hours, communal spaces (for students and faculty), student cohorts, and group assignments.  Please, bring your current class schedule and next semester’s schedule if you have them already, and all of the experiences you had as a student to contribute.