Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics
Whether working one-on-one with our award-winning faculty, creating your own research program, or chatting with students and faculty at our weekly departmental tea, MCSP students are active, developing essential skills for industry and graduate school, and having fun! Our disciplines include:
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Computer Science |
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Physics |
Prospective students: please contact Department Chair Roland Minton (minton@roanoke.edu) for more information and to arrange to talk to our students and faculty and sit in on classes.
Department News
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Professor Jan Minton is co-coordinator of the Roanoke Valley Reef. This project is a collaboration with Olin Hall Galleries and people in the Roanoke Valley. The Roanoke Valley Reef is a satellite reef of the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, launched by the Institute for Figuring. If you can crochet, you can contribute. If you have taken Calculus 2, you have seen hyperbolic paraboloids, which many of the crocheted surfaces form. |
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Dr. Matt Fleenor is quoted in the Roanoke Times. An unusual viewing of the Northern Lights in Virginia got the newspaper's attention, and sent reporters to Dr. Fleenor for expert analysis. Link to the article here. |
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Rama Balasubramanian and nanotechnology |
Jake Bennett and Rossing Award Hanan Dahche on Capitol Hill Alan Moore and baseball Sarah Witt track Academic All-American |
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| Chris Lee and technology Roland Minton and textbooks; Faculty award; Elvis Anil Shende and travel to Italy Frank Munley and global warming research |
Timmy Balint and the CAVE Charlotte Fraser and Miss Virginia Jimmy Riggs and service abroad Scotty Smith and wireless networking |
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Sarah Witt '12, a mathematics major, presented "Graph Theory and Social Networking" at MathFest, a national mathematics meeting in Lexington, Kentucky. Sarah worked with Dr. Saoub during the summer, funded by a William Carroll research grant. They looked at various graph statistics to characterize differences in friendship networks and to identify critical hubs in the network. Sarah plans to continue the research in her senior year as an Honors in Mathematics project. 
MCSP is on the air! Dr. Roland Minton is quoted in an NPR piece on mathematics and sports. Only a Game, from NPR's WBUR in Boston, reported on the mathematics and sports sessions at the Joint Mathematics Meetings held in Boston January 4-7. 
Paul Vines '12, a computer science and biology major, participated in a prestigious REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at Virginia Tech in the summer of 2011. Paul worked with a group in the Modeling and Simulation in Systems Biology summer program on a simulation of iron metabolism in breast epithelial cells. Their work suggests that disruptions of the iron regulatory system may play a role in cancer development. Paul presented his work in a poster session at the Joint Mathematics Meeting in Boston.
Dr. Richard Grant has been named Director of Experiential Learning, heading up the innovative Pathways program at Roanoke College. Pathways will enhance student activities in all areas of the college. The resources being committed to student achievement help make this a great time to be at Roanoke College! 
Our Pi Day (March 14) celebration featured a Pi-athlon contest and a Pie-ing Professors and Students melee. The Pi-athlon is a team event where competitors earn points by performing tasks such as Sudoku and reciting digits of pi. Winning teams were Sarah Witt / Jimmy Riggs / Peyton Lambert and Heather Cook / Shannon Kelley / Allison True. Cool Whip "pies" were purchased, with proceeds going to charity. You can 
Dr. Adam Childers, a statistics professor at Roanoke College, has written about his love of mathematics and running in a newsletter published by the Mathematical Association of America. Dr. Childers finds important similarities in the challenging simplicity of both running and mathematics in his essay. His insight is borne out at Roanoke College, where top runners are often found in the MCSP department.
Roanoke College hosted FEMMES (Females Excelling More at Mathematics, Engineering and Science) on February 18. Mathematics major Lindsay Van Leir and mathematics minor Charlotte Fraser founded the organization, and mathematics major Colleen Hayes organized this year's event. The 4th grade girls attended workshops in the sciences and math, networked, and had a great time.
The MCSP Conversation Series is in its seventh year! The Conversation Series features popular talks from current faculty in mathematics, computer science and physics as well as talks by current students, alumni and special speakers from outside the college. Come join us for more interesting conversations about our favorite topics!
Link to Conversation Series schedule; Link to descriptions of past talks
Check us out on Facebook: join the group Roanoke College Math/CS/Physics Alumni and like the page Roanoke College Math/CS/Physics Dept. And read our departmental newsletters:
Link to 2011 MCSP Newsletter Link to 2012 MCSP Newsletter
Prestigious Physics Scholarship Awarded to Maroon
The research opportunities Roanoke College offers its students helped Bennett win the scholarship through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
