Tag Archive : Tyler Clark

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A Quick Mathematica Guide for Students

October 5, 2011 | Academics, News | No Comments

by Tyler Clark

Mathematica is a high-powered computer mathematics tool. Many universities have a student edition available for download free of charge (WKU is one of these universities). WKU also has it installed on all computers in open labs (MMTH, library, COHH computer lab, FSH computer lab, etc.).

I recommend that students take advantage of Mathematica to help with checking their answers and exploring different problems to better understand the general aspect of a certain concept. Trig students may want to graph different variations of the sine function to determine what is going out in relation to the period, phase shift, vertical shift, and altitude. Mathematica will allow you to graph several different functions on one plot.

Calculus students may want to check their understanding of differentiating the inverse trigonometric functions. They may also want to check to make sure they got the right answer to an integral problem. Mathematica can perform both of these actions.

Although Mathematica is very useful, it really does no good if you do not know how to use it. I am working on a help file for students that can be downloaded at http://www.tylerclark12.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mathematica-Help-File.pdf. It will be uploaded as I make changes. Please let me know if this file is helpful to you or not.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Graduate Assistant, Academy Alum Tyler Clark to Assist with Academic Success

September 20, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, Alumni, News, People, Staff | No Comments

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With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with a few questions that they asked each person. Each Avatar also posed unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Interview by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am 21 years old and currently pursuing my masters in mathematics. I graduated from the Honors College in May 2010. My thesis, entitled “Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set,” was directed by Dr. Tom Richmond and my second reader was Dr. Dominic Lanphier. I enjoy playing piano, reading, web design, etc. I am also senior editor of the AMS Grad Student Blog. — You can access my CV at http://tylerclark12.com/TylerClarkCV.pdf

2. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

Tim Gott offered me the position a bit ago. I met with him to discuss the position and found it a good fit. I will be able to help Gatton students learn and I will be able to do math simultaneously.

3. Are you excited for the coming year?

I am very excited for the upcoming year. I look forward to meeting all of the students and growing with them.

4. What role do you wish to play in the Gatton Academy students’ lives?

I want to be able to help mold students’ student skills to help them become more successful college students.

5. What are you looking forward to this year?

I am looking forward to getting to know the students and seeing them mature academically and emotionally.

6. How did being an Academy student affect you?

The Academy allowed for me to get a head start on college courses. Furthermore, it opened a lot of doors that provided me the opportunity to perform undergraduate research.

7. Do you think that having been through the experience of the Academy will help you to better serve the needs that students may have?

I feel that my experiences in the Academy will allow me to better understand needs of students. This will allow me to guide them to optimal learning.

8. Is there any advice that you’d like to give to students?

Students should take advantage of the resources on campus. Make sure you get involved in research you enjoy with a professor with whom you work well. Research is what will set you apart from other students.


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By Gatton Academy

Gatton Academy’s First College Graduates Plan Exciting Futures

July 22, 2010 | Academics, Alumni, News, People, Student Success, WKU | No Comments

Even though the Gatton Academy will enter its fourth year this fall, the advanced high school continues to celebrate a series of firsts.  This spring, four former students became the program’s first alumni to earn bachelor’s degrees.

Through a combination of Advanced Placement courses in high school, diligence in their time at the Gatton Academy, and hard work (including summer classes) as they continued their undergraduate studies, these individuals finished their undergraduate experience in a total of three years.  All four will enter graduate or professional programs this fall.

Ellen Boswell Duke (’08) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from WKU, where she also minored in Mathematics.  Duke will attend Case Western Law School this fall. She married fellow Academy alumnus Seth Duke this summer – the first marriage of two Gatton graduates.

Tyler Clark (’08) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from WKU.  Tyler also minored in Religious Studies.  Tyler will begin a Master’s program in Mathematics at WKU, with plans to pursue doctoral study thereafter.

Emily Peeler (’08) earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Louisville.  Emily has deferred admission to the University of Louisville’s Brandeis Law School and will complete a Master’s of Social Work at Boston University.

Christopher Obermeyer (’09) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Religious Studies from WKU.  Chris will begin work toward a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the George Washington University this fall.

The time since graduating from the Academy has been filled with a variety of academic and social pursuits.  Even amid busy academic schedules, students sought involvement in their campus communities.

Clark encouraged students to continue their involvement in research and make presentations at state and national conferences.  His work with two WKU professors prepared him to study uncommon topics for his honor’s thesis.  “My thesis, titled Counting Locally Convex Topologies on a Totally Ordered Finite Set allowed me to do different research involving point-set topology, set theory, combinatorics, and various other mathematical topics that are not normally covered at the undergraduate level,” he said.

As students begin to explore their post-Academy and undergraduate options, Obermeyer encourages them to aim high and stay off the beaten path.  “Be different!” he said. “I have no doubt that I would not have been accepted into graduate school had I just majored in Biology. Picking up a major like Religious Studies in the fine arts made me stick out. If you want to go into medicine, don’t just major in Chemistry and Biology. Everyone has those degrees, and you want to be different to avoid being looked over.”  Obermeyer’s unique experiences earned him a graduate assistantship valued at over $300,000.

Looking back on her Academy experience, Peeler noted the program provided her with a strong foundation not only for academic success but also personal growth.  “The Academy prepared me academically, in that I knew what to expect in my college classes not only content level but also the structure of them,” she said. “I also knew how far I could push myself, which after the Academy I knew was quite a bit.”

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By Corey Alderdice