Colloquia, Seminars & Events
Joint Math Colloquium
Millersville University and Franklin & Marshall College co-host a Joint Math Colloquium. Talks will be on selected Thursdays either at Millersville University or at Franklin & Marshall College. These colloquium talks may be by visiting speakers, MU/F&M faculty or students, and are open to all interested students and faculty.
Spring 2025 Joint Math Colloquium Schedule
Fall 2024 Joint Math Colloquium Schedule
Spring 2024 Joint Math Colloquium ScheduleTetrahedral Geometry and Topology Seminar
TGTS is a regional mathematics seminar/colloquium, broadly based on the disciplines of geometry and topology, that is sponsored by Millersville University, West Chester University, Elizabethtown College, Franklin and Marshall College and Lebanon Valley College. They typically meet at 4:30 PM on the first or second Friday of each month during the regular semester and rotate through the locations of the five sponsoring institutions. The public is cordially invited to attend.
The seminar for November is the 2nd Friday and will be held at Millersville University.
Date/Time: November 14, 2025, 4:30pm ET
Location: Millersville University Wickersham Hall Room 200, 34 Dilworth Rd., Millersville, PA 17551.
Parking: Free parking is available after 4pm
Zoom: N/A
Speaker: Dr. Nick Brubaker, California State University
Title: On the Space of Shapes of a Prototypical Capillary Origami Model
Abtract: Capillary origami, like traditional origami, involves folding a flat, two-dimensional sheet into a prescribed three-dimensional structure; however, instead of being driven by human hands, the folding process is driven by the surface tension of a liquid drop that is put in contact with the sheet. In particular, the liquid-air interface of the drop, which energetically prefers to minimize its surface area, creates a tangential capillary force that pulls on the flexible sheet around the liquid. With this strictly passive control, the possibility of achieving a desired final shape depends on the balance between the surface tension of the drop and the rigidity of the sheet, e.g., if the sheet is extremely rigid, then it will only undergo small deflections and return to its flat state after the liquid evaporates. In this talk, we examine the space of possible shapes in a prototypical capillary origami model. A key mathematical component is that the liquid-air interface forms a constant mean curvature surface with a boundary, so the exploration requires calculating families of such surfaces that change as the sheet deforms.
Fall 2024 Mathematics Convocation
Alumni Speakers included the following:
Emily Dunn ‘21 Digital Product Analyst Affiliated Distributors (AD)
Thomas Fishel ‘19 Data and Analytics Team Leader Clark National Accounts
Rebecca Greway ‘12 Manager Biostatistics Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. (PPD)
Madison Martin ‘20 Actuary Independence Blue Cross
Kyle Hissner ‘18 Mathematics Teacher Red Land High School
Isaiah Miller ‘11 Mathematics Teacher Eastern York High School
Maria Nguyen ‘24 Mathematics Teacher Smith Middle School
2023 Mathematics Association of America Careers in Mathematics Conference
Millersville University hosted this event for MAA and the EPaDel section where leading professionals share about their careers and the path they took to get there.
The Careers in Mathematics conference is a unique platform that brings together professionals from diverse fields, including actuarial science, finance, industry, government, education, and other prominent STEM career paths. Panelists shared their invaluable experiences and insights in a lively discussion, followed by an interactive Q&A session with the attendees. During break-out sessions individual panelists delivered presentations and offered valuable insights into their professional journeys and highlighted the pivotal role that mathematics played in shaping their careers.
In addition to the core program, there were two dedicated sessions focused on experiences from graduate schools and Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, along with guidance on application preparation. The conference was a comprehensive and enriching experience for those in attendance from the EPaDel region.
Panelists presenting included:
Andrew Bigelow, Actuarial Analyst
Alanna Clark Thompson*, Mathematics Teacher
Steve Forsythe*, Actuarial Analyst
Brian Habecker, Agency Cyber Officer
Kim Johnson*, EHS Specialist
Steve McClure*, Senior Test Engineer
Michael Motyka*, Product Line Manager
Brooke Ogrodnik, Research Scientist
Ellen Panofsky*, Associate Professor of Instruction
David Perry, Cryptologic Mathematician
Margo Sassaman, Career Services
Patrick Stewart, Assistant Professor of Statistics
Sean Walsh, Senior Consultant
Christina Weaver, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Jay Wenger*, Senior Professor of Psychology
REU/Grad School session presenters included:
Zachary Barnhart* - REU Intern at NC State
Colin Myers* - REU Intern at National Inst. of Standards and Technology
Noe Oberholtzer Hess* - REU Intern at Montana State University
Susan Lloyd* - Graduate Student at Penn State
Sara Stinchcomb* - Graduate Student at Case Western Reserve
* Denotes Millersville University Alumni or Student