James ‘catches the wave’ as an undergrad at IPFW

Such has been the case with Alex James and his mentors, Peter Hamburger, associate professor of mathematics, and Carl Drummond, associate professor of geosciences. James is a brilliant mathematics student who could gain admission to virtually any college or university in the country (he has already been invited to apply to Dartmouth for graduate study). He is one of those rare math students whose interest goes beyond solving equations to creating his own proofs for the solutions. A young man who cherishes his family, Alex chose IPFW because he could receive a quality undergraduate education while continuing to live with his parents and siblings.

As a first-semester freshman, James took part in an innovative honors-calculus seminar, “Catch the Waves to Calculus,” designed by Hamburger. This class has been partially funded by Mathematics Throughout the Curriculum, a National Science Foundation grant. Paired with professors in various fields of interest, students apply calculus to research in those fields, thus learning practical applications for their math knowledge and gaining invaluable exposure to other academic areas.

Hamburger asked Drummond to work with James in the geosciences. Specifically, he wanted Drummond to show James how to apply to geoscience problems the Fourier mathematical data-analysis methods Alex had already mastered. Drummond agreed, and another mentoring relationship was formed. Alex quickly became intrigued with the work and spent time reading about the geology of sedimentary rocks. Now, more than a year after the formal seminar ended, Drummond and James continue to collaborate. They’ve co-published research results, and James has presented their research findings at professional conferences.

All of this has been good for James, but Drummond has benefitted as well.

“Alex is my math tutor,” he said. “He’s taught me advanced mathematical techniques that I was unfamiliar with. It’s been a very interactive relationship.”

Meanwhile, the mentoring relationship between James and Hamburger continues, with Hamburger serving as Alex’s adviser and math guru. In addition to guiding James through problem-solving techniques to apply in his research, Hamburger has helped James secure financial aid from various sources. He has also taken pleasure in introducing James to mathematics professors from numerous universities and enjoys the intellectual stimulation of a young mind that is always ready for more.

“From my freshman year, IPFW has exposed me to lots of things I’ll do in graduate school,” James said. “I’ve seen how the material I’m learning applies to the world of work. I’ve found that the most important thing about going to college is deciding how much you want to get out of it.”

He has learned at an early age that the approach to life and learning yields either a sense of expanse or a sense of limitation, and that the choice is all his.