San Diego

USD Mathematics Department Receives $1 Million Grant

A $1 million grant will soon completely change the face of the Mathematics Department at the University of San Diego (USD).

The Fletcher Jones Foundation - an organization devoted to the support of private, independent non-profit colleges and universities - recently awarded $1 million to USD for the renewal of its Math Department.

"We are thrilled and grateful that The Fletcher Jones Foundation shares our vision to reimagine and engage students in mathematics," said USD President James T. Harris. "The plan also aligns well with our Envisioning 2024 strategic goals of serving as an anchor institution, accelerating our outreach to K-12 teachers and students in the San Diego and Baja region, and promoting advanced research and scholarship across many disciplines."

With glass walls, open space, and easy navigation, the new math studio promises to offer a unique, physical experience in mathematics research.

"Our goal with this re-design is to use space effectively and allow the beauty of mathematics to shine through unhindered," said Satyan L. Devadoss, USD Fletcher Jones endowed chair in applied mathematics.

"Through the glass walls of the math studio, students will see some seriously cool, playful investigations, and constructed models, illustrating what mathematics looks like when it’s embodied beyond a textbook or chalkboard. The work happening throughout our department will highlight mathematics as something that is exciting and alive, constantly being created and molded through experimentation," he said.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has given USD more than $5 million in recent years, providing funds for the mathematics chair and the Donald P. Shiley Center for Science and Technology.

Construction will begin in May and is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of the fall semester in September.

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