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Mathematics Faculty and Brief Biography

Ronald Merrit

Ronald L. Merritt, Jr., Ph.D., Assistant Professor Mathematics, graduated magna cum laude from Greensboro College with a B.S. in Mathematics and Secondary Education in 1989.  He began his career in academics by teaching middle grades and high school mathematics through AP Calculus.  Dr. Merritt graduated summa cum laude with an M.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Education at North Carolina Central University in 1996.  For several years Dr. Merritt served as an adjunct member of the Department of Developmental Education teaching mathematics at Durham Technical Community College.  Upon graduating from NCCU, he served full-time at Guilford Technical and Durham Technical Community Colleges from 1997-2002 teaching Basic Mathematics, Intermediate Algebra, Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry, Statistics, Calculus I and II and presenting research on effective mathematics classroom strategies at statewide NCMATYC conferences. In 2002, Dr. Merritt was awarded a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education and Mathematics by North Carolina State University.  Dr. Merritt joined the mathematics faculty at Lee University (Cleveland, TN) in 2002 where he taught College Algebra, Contemporary Math, Calculus I, Precalculus Algebra/Trig, Logic and Sets, Number Theory, Abstract Algebra and Senior Math Seminar.
He served as thesis advisor for several Master’s in Education students.  He was the Math Club advisor, and while its advisor raised funds for several undergraduates to attend the NCTM International Conference in Atlanta, GA.  In addition, he served as a university supervisor for the College of Education.  In the Fall of 2008, Dr. Merritt joined the Athens State Mathematics Faculty.  While at ASU, Dr. Merritt has had the privilege of teaching ASU students in MA 302, MA 303, MA 304, MA 308, MA 310, MA 314, MA 320, MA 401, and MA 452.  He has served two years as Director of the ASU Mathematics Lab.  In September, 2010, Dr. Merritt became Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and Mathematics Coordinator.  Dr. Merritt serves on a variety of university committees.  He holds memberships or has held memberships with KME, Alpha Chi, ALAMATYC, NCTM, MAA, NCMATYC, TMATYC and AMATYC.  He is married to Mrs. Jennifer F. Merritt, a native of Muscle Shoals and adjunct university supervisor for the College of Education at ASU. Dr. and Mrs. Merritt have two small boys and an infant girl.  Feel free to contact Dr. Merritt at ronald.merritt@athens.edu.

 

Professor Dave Fitzsimmons

Patricia E. Glaze, M.A.Ed., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, graduated summa cum laude from Athens State University in May 2002 with a B.S.Ed. in Mathematics.  She earned several honors, including “Outstanding Mathematics Major”, “Highest Scholastic Achievement in the School of Education”, the ACTM Scholarship and membership in Kappa Mu Epsilon.  Professor Glaze earned her M.A.Ed. in Secondary Mathematics Education in May 2006. She has 8 years experience teaching middle and high school mathematics for the Madison City School System.Prior to joining the mathematics faculty at ASU in the Fall of 2010,
 Mrs. Glaze taught as an adjunct instructor at ASU for several years.  She is the lead instructor for MA 301 Precalculus Algebra, MA 309 Business Calculus, MA 311 Advanced Math for Teachers, and MA 454 Methods and Materials for Teaching Middle/High School Mathematics. 

In addition to her normal teaching duties, Professor Glaze collaborates with College of Education with respect to the Teacher Education Program on behalf of ASU Track II secondary mathematics licensure students.  In the near future she hopes to establish a continuous relationship among the Mathematics Department, the College of Education, the Alabama State Department of Public Instruction and AMSTI (Alabama Mathematics, Science and Technology Initiative) so that students may earn at least one AMSTI certificate before students enter the classroom as full-time teachers.  Very few students graduating from any mathematics licensure program in the state will have this distinction.

Professor Glaze is active on a variety of university committees and serves as the advisor to ASU’s mathematics honor society, Kappa Mu Epsilon (KME).  She is a member of NCTM, ACTM and KME.  Professor Glaze states, “I love Athens State and am glad to be home!”  You may contact Professor Glaze at patricia.glaze@athens.edu.

 

Dr. Brady Rimes

Derek B. Newland, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Mathematics, graduated magna cum laude from the University of California at Davis in 1999 with a B.S. in Mathematics.  Dr. Newland graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 2005 with a Ph.D. in Mathematics.  While at UCSD, Dr. Newland won a special teaching award while serving as a teacher assistant for the Calculus and Differential Equations.  During his last year there, he served as the Head TA for Mathematics and co-authored The Contest Between the Kernels in the Selberg Trace Formula for the (q + 1)—regular tree.  After graduating, Dr. Newland spent 4 years teaching mathematics at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio as a Visiting Professor of Mathematics. While there he taught Transitions to Advanced Mathematics, Number Theory, Linear Algebra, Complex Analysis, and Calculus I and II. In 2009, Dr. Newland spent a year at Columbia State Community College in Columbia, Tennessee,teaching Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Precalculus Algebra and Precalculus Trigonometry.
Dr. Newland joined the ASU Mathematics Faculty in the Fall of 2010.  He teaches the Calculus sequence, MA 421 Differential Equations, MA 330 Advanced Mathematics Software, MA 331 Applied Probability and Statistics, MA 470 Senior Mathematics Seminar, MA 401 Complex Variables and MA 320 Introduction to Abstract Algebra.  Dr. Newland is one of the advisors of the MACS (Math and Computer Science) Club and serves on the Elections Committee.  He is a member of Pi Mu Epsilon, MAA and AMS.  You may contact Dr. Newland at derek.newland@athens.edu.

 

Ms. Mary W. Simpson

Ms. Mary W. Simpson is the secretary for the departments of Mathematics and Computers Science, Natural Sciences and Behavioral Sciences, all of which belong to the College of Arts and Sciences.  Mary has been an employee of Athens State University for 30 years. She actively serves on several committees.  In 2005, The Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention honored her with The Mary Wiley Simpson Endowed Scholarship in recognition of her years of performance in and her dedication to the Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention. You may contact Ms. Simpson at mary.simpson@athens.edu.

 

 

 

 

 


 
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