Volume 8, Issue 4

Springfield College

April/May 2015

Math, Physics, & Computer Science

Departmental Newsletter
Spring 2015 Final Exam Schedule
FACULTY
Dr. Peter Polito,
Schoo-Bemis 118
Ext. 3313
Professor Nina Dini
Schoo-Bemis 125
Ext. 3267
Professor Jeff Gagnon
Schoo-Bemis 114
Ext. 3648
Dr. Zenobia Lojewska
Schoo-Bemis 106
Ext. 3192
Dr. Tyler Markkanen
Schoo-Bemis 121
Ext. 3228
Dr. Eileen McGowan
Schoo-Bemis 104
Ext. 3343
Dr. Andrew Perry
Schoo-Bemis 125
Ext. 3193

Class Starting Days / Times

M, W, F
8:00 a.m.

Thur. 5/7 10:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

Fri. 5/8 10:15 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

Mon. 5/11 12:30 p.m.

11:00 a.m.

Thur. 5/7 12:30 p.m.

12:00 p.m.

Mon. 5/11 2:45 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Thur. 5/7 2:45 p.m.

2:00 p.m.

Thur. 5/7 8:00 a.m.

3:00 p.m.

Mon. 5/11 8:00 a.m.

T, R
7:30 a.m.

Mon. 5/11 10:15 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

Tues. 5/12 8:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

Fri. 5/8 2:45 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Fri. 5/8 8:00 a.m.

2:30 p.m.

Fri. 5/8 12:30 p.m.

Final exams for evening classes will be scheduled as follows: Classes normally scheduled at 4:00 pm on
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will take their final exams on the regularly scheduled days in their regularly assigned classrooms at 5:00 pm on the dates May 7, 11, and 12. Classes normally scheduled at or after
6:30 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays will take the exams during regularly assigned class times in

Dr. Fides Ushe

Schoo-Bemis 116
Ext. 3668
Donna Wisniowski
Dept. Admin. Assist.
Schoo-Bemis 109
Ext. 3117

Exam Dates / Times

regularly assigned classrooms on the dates May 7, 11, and 12. The final exams for Wednesday evening classes
(those scheduled at 4pm and later) will be Thursday, 5/7/15 during regular class time.Specific information
regarding location/time of Wednesday evening exams will be available in April.

Classes with nonstandard time periods will follow the exam schedule of the pattern to which the starting time and day most closely conforms.

On Tuesday, May 12, 2015, final exam make-up times are available. If students have verifiable time
conflicts for any exam schedule, they may arrange for a make-up period through their course instructor.
Students can also arrange for a make up time if they have three or more exams scheduled on the same day.
Make-up exam times:
Tuesday, May 12, 2015, 10:15 a.m. & 12:30 pm
Locations to be determined.

Math, Physics, & Computer Science Departmental Newsletter

CHAIRS CHAT BY DR. PETER POLITO

Best wishes to all, as we conclude the 2014-2015 academic year. Special
best wishes and good luck to all of our graduating seniors ! I know that you
must all be very excited about embarking upon your next journey through
life, but we hope that you will always keep Springfield College as your home
away from home. Remember that you will soon be an alumnus or alumna of
Springfield College.

Page 2

Congratulations to our
Graduates!!!
Computer Science Majors

Rondal Archer
Marck Bashaw
Robert Martin
It is hard to believe that we only have a few more weeks of classes! On
April 30th we will be holding our departments annual recognition and awards Matt Milner
dinner It should be a great evening. We have a special program planned
Robert Sullivan
including departmental awards and recognitions, congratulations to our grad- Courtney Trevena
uating seniors, a few special guest appearances, and entertainment! A speJospeh Whitt
cial thank you to Donna Wisniowski for all of her hard work throughout the
year and for having survived us, particularly the faculty, another year! Also,
a special thank you to all of our adjunct faculty and graduate associates for
their fine teaching and support. And finally, but not least, a big thank you
to our student tutors.
Thank you everyone! You will always be with me and remain in my heart and
in my memories as " I retire" ( or prefer to think of being as a "free
agent") with my 'Class of 2015'. Thank you Springfield College and my
"Springfield College Family" for always being there for me and will always
take you with me as I make the next bend in the horizon.

Math & Computer Technology

Majors

Michelle Dorsey

Mathematics Majors

Ryan Carrabine
Tim Johansmeyer
Brian Piquette
Hayley Thomas
Courtney Trevena

Love you all!

With
Math & Computer Science
the

Peter Polito

Possibilities are

Infinite!

Congratulations to the Math,

Physics, and Computer Science

Commencement Schedule

Departments 2015

Award Winners!

Graduate Commencement
Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
Graduate commencement exercises will be
held on Naismith Green on the Springfield
College campus.

Dr. Stanley P. Brown

Mathematics Award

Clayton Sleator

Baccalaureate Ceremony

Graduating Senior Award

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 1:30 p.m.

Baccalaureate ceremony exercises will be
held on Naismith Green for bachelor's degree
graduates and their families.

MPCS Faculty L to R:

Undergraduate Commencement
Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
Undergraduate commencement exercises will be
held at the MassMutual Center in
Springfield, Mass.

Andrew Perry, Jeff Gagnon ,Zenobia Lojewska,

Fides Ushe, Peter Polito,
Nina Dini (Missing from
picture: Tyler Markkanen
& Eileen McGowan)

Courtney Trevena

CISC Achievement Award

Megan M. Baildon
Clayton Sleator

MACT Achievement Award

Rachel M. London

MATH Achievement Award

Thomas W. Ketley
Clayton Sleator

Page 3

volume 8, Issue 4

Dr. Peter PolitoTestimony to a Life Dedicated to

Education & Community Service
By Donna Wisniowski

On May 31, 2015, Dr. Peter Polito will leave Schoo-Bemis Hall for the last time as a fulltime Professor and MPCS Dept. Chair and enter the happy world of retirement, or as he
says, he will become a free agent. To say that Springfield College is forever changed
because of his tenure here, is a major understatement. Dr. Polito started at SC in the
fall of 1970 as a Physics professor after completing his studies at Northeastern and at
MIT. Because his research required computer use, he became quite adept at the computer and in the late 70s and 80s he developed courses for SCs new environmental science program and later was asked to develop a program in computer science. To enrich
his own knowledge, he took a sabbatical and enrolled in graduate-level computer science
classes, beginning a pattern of continuous learning in that field. His computer science
majors usually find jobs before graduation and enjoy being leaders in their field; directly due to the diligence of Dr. Polito seeing them through their studies and coursework.
Dr. Polito was honored as the Humanics Professor of 1998-1999
and was the Cheney Award Recipient in 1999-2000. Dr. Polito was
the creator of Humanics in Action Day. On this day in the fall,
students, faculty, support staff, and administrators volunteer to
help the surrounding community by doing various projects in the
area such as cleaning up neighborhood properties, assisting elderly
neighbors, going to local schools, etc. Peter, along with his fellow
Humanics professors also spearhead the annual fundraising events
on campus - the Humanics Scholarship Chili Event in the spring,
and the Humanics Scholarship Wine Tasting in the fall. Both
events raise money for the Humanics Scholarship given to nominated SC students who are in financial need. Peter and his wife
Claire have created an endowment to the Scholarship so future SC
students can benefit from Dr. and Mrs. Politos generosity.
Following are some quotes from faculty, students, and alums regarding what Dr. Polito means to them:

*Dr. Politio was one of the first people to show me how welcoming Springfield College is. He is one of main reasons why I decided
to go to Springfield CollegeDerek Wright, Class of 14, Hs Math Teacher, Renaissance High School, Springfield, MA
*My recollection about Pete is that everyday that I was on campus, I could count on Pete popping in around noon to ask how
things were going and if I needed anything.John Provost, Adjunct Professor Computer Science
*Ive had many bosses in my long professional life. I liked none of them, but three. Peter is one of the three. He is the most
conscientious and considerate human being Ive ever met, a personification of the Public Service spirit of SC. I thank Good Luck
which, absolutely unexpectedly, brought me to Peters office on a beautiful spring day! - Vladimir Strelnitski, Adjunct Professor,
Physics

*His grandfatherly smiles and kind words immediately eliminated my anxiety when he interviewed me.Ran Li, Graduate Student
*He always had a way to make you feel special and take the time to touch base with all his students. James Kikel, Class of 12
*Dr. Poltio was always so welcoming, I always just wanted to give him a big bear hug. I will truly miss him.Michelle Dorsey, SR
MACT Major

*Dr. Polito cares about his students and is always there when I need help or guidance. He will be missed! - Rachel London, SO
MACT Major,

*The thing that I liked best about Peter was his concern for me as a person as well as an educator. Milt Barnes, Adjunct Professor, Math and Earth Science

*Dr. Polito is the most honest and straightforward person that I know, and the most generous with his time; he leads by setting
an extraordinary example.Dr. Andrew Perry, MPCS Dept.

Math, Physics, & Computer Science Departmental Newsletter

Page 4

*Dr. Polito is the embodiment of Springfield's dedication to educating students in Spirit Mind and Body. The lessons he has taught me inside and outside the classroom will stay with me for the rest of the life. His guidance
and advice will sorely be missed.Bob Sullivan, SR, CISC Major
*Dr. Polito has been a great mentor and role model for me in my first year
as a faculty member. His service and dedication to the Springfield College
community is truly inspirational.Tyler Markkanen, MPCS Dept.
*For the last 2 years Dr. Polito has become very special to me. He has
mentored me through several situations where my exuberance got the better of me. He has however always encouraged me to move forward and be
brave.Dr. Eileen McGowan, MPCS Dept.
*My mom always says, "He is such a Renaissance Man." I remember visiting
campus and the math department. Dr. Polito walked back and forth, hands
behind his back, and wearing squeaky shoes and a sweater vest. I thought,
this guy is a professor. Dr. Polito never minded that I could write little
poems to him whenever I submitted my computer assignments. Although,
he did mind when I once used very bad words as my variable names in a program that wasn't working and I forget to remove them before submitting. His response was a very diplomatic, "Not very nice, Catherine.. Dr. Polito was always showed such confidence in his students. I recall when T. Magee and I went to his office to start the Math Center. He was instantly supportive, backed us, and
was willing to work the politics for us. He had our backs. Dr. Catherine Buell, Class of 06, Math Professor, Fitchburg State
Univ.,Fitchburg, MA

*Dr. Polito exemplifies kindness and caring with both his staff and students that I will hold as a dear example in my career as
it continues to evolve. The best! - Deb Diana, Adjunct Professor, MPCS Dept.
*Dr. Polito has been incredibly helpful and supportive over the past two years.Megan Baildon, SO, CISC Major
*Dr. Polito has always been there for me when times are good and when times are not so good. I get chocked up when I recall
the time I found out that my younger sister had passed away in Zambia. I was in my office checking my Facebook page when I
read about all the messages of condolences people were saying to each other about my sister passing away!! I started wailing
and I went to Peter's office to tell him what had happened. He was so supportive. He assured me that I could leave everything
and go to Africa to be with family and that all my classes would be taken care of!! That is the type of person Peter is .Dr.
Fides Ushe, MPCS Dept.

*I view Peter as the father of Math/Physics and Computer Science department at Springfield College. For me he defines the
meaning of dedication to students and the department. He has been a role model and mentor and has inspired many through
acts of service and his unwavering loyalty to Springfield College.Professor Nina Dini, MPCS Dept.
*Dr. Polito, I am so glad that I had you as a professor my freshman year! The transition from high school to college was difficult for me and the care and support that you have for all of you students make is transition go smoother. You allowed me to
see my full potential and I could not thank you enough for that. I will miss you and I hope that you have a happy retirement.
Courtney Trevena, SR, CISC, MATH, & EDUC Major

*Dr. Polito is not only a great teacher but also a great boss. He is truly talented and will undoubtedly be missed.Marisa
Babb, Grad Student, MPCS Dept.
*Dr. Polito has been a great boss and a good friend. His work ethic, integrity, and dedication to the school , and the depart-

ment, are just a few of the many outstanding qualities he possesses. He is an outstanding educator and a wonderful human
being. He will truly be missed! - Instructor Jeff Gagnon, MPCS Dept.

*When I went to visit Peter in the hospital, I didn't know what to expect. I was peering into doorways and I saw a beautiful
set of legs sticking out of a dress. I glanced up at the face that belonged to those legs and to my surprise, there was Pete
sporting a big smile! - Zahi Haddad, MPCS Adjunct Professor, Chair Electrical Engineering Dept., STCC

*Dr Polito exemplifies the person who lives his life for a purpose greater than himself. His life has always been focused on

students, faculty and Springfield College. Peter was always very generous with his time, always available when needed. He was
my mentor to whom I could come for any professional advice. He is a very compassionate human being and helped me to survive through a few very difficult moments of my life. His help was invaluable after the death of my daughter and the adoption

volume 8, Issue 4

Page 5

of my new daughter outside of the U.S. It is in large part because of him

(and his wife Claire) that I was able to put my shattered life together. When
I needed advise on large things such as hunting for a house or small things as
fixing my car- Peter and Claire were there for me for many years. Thanks
for all of these!-Zenobia Lojewska, MPCS Dept.
*Dr. Polito is a great educator who always has the best interests of the students in all of his efforts. For the past 7 years I enjoyed building a great
relationship between STCC and Springfield college with Dr. Polito. But, more
importantly I enjoyed becoming friends with him and I wish him all the best!
- Brian Candido, Chair of Computer InformationTechnologies, STCC and
MPCS Adjunct Professor
*Dr. Polito, Thank you for a great 4 years at Springfield College. I could not

have asked for a better program and professor to help prepare me for the
real world. Best wishes for a healthy and relaxing retirement! - Ashley
Moreck, Class of 11,, Meditech

On a personal note, I have been Dr. Politos Administrative Assistant for the
past 15 years. I have never worked for anyone who has his level of integrity,
compassion, diplomacy, and generosity. He has worked tirelessly to promote
the Math, Physics, & Computer Science Dept. for Springfield College. He is a man of honor and a truly nice guy! I will forever
be grateful that I have had the opportunity to work with such a wonderful individual. Springfield College will forever be in his
blood and Im sure hell stop by now and then just to make sure that all is going smoothly. I will always count him as one of my
dearest friends who has steadfastly and caringly helped me through some of lifes obstacles as he has helped so many others.
His dedication to Springfield College will always be forever remembered by the thousands of students who he has helped mold
into the professionals that they are today. Best wishes Peter and enjoy your next adventure!!!!

Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.
Henry Brooks Adams

Milt BarnesEducation Served with a Smile

by Donna Wisniowski

Professor Milt Barnes, who has been an Adjunct Professor with the MPCS Dept. since
Fall 2003, has decided that he will be retiring from teaching this May. He has taught
Math and Earth Science to countless students who have enjoyed his humor and unique
teaching style.
Professor Barnes started his teaching career teaching 5th grade at the Soule Road Elementary School in Wilbraham, MA. He taught there for approx. 20 years. After that
experience, Milt moved up to Wilbraham Middle School where he taught Science to 7th
graders. He taught at WMS for 7 years. Milt then traveled to Berkley, University of
California, to receive training in the Science Teaching for Science Teachers program.
After Milt returned from CA, he became the Lead Grant Writer for PALMS, the Partnership Advancing Learning of Math & Science for the Wilbraham, Hamden, and Monson
school districts. He held this position for 3 years. Interestingly, Springfield College
was the Business Partner for the grant. He returned to Soule Rd. for a year before retiring from his public education life in
2001.
In 2001, Milt started teaching for Springfield College first, in the Education Department, where he worked along side former
Education Dept. Chair Bob Barkman, teaching Science education for 2 years. After that, Milt started teaching for the MPCS
Dept. bringing the wealth of his teaching experience, specialized training in education, and his jovial smile and quick wit with
him. He has become an endearing presence in the Department and is much loved by his students and faculty alike!
Milt plans on spending his new adventure with his life-mate and best friend, the Beautiful Mrs. Barnes., Madeleine. Together
they will go to Florida for the winter for a few months, then return to home in Monson for a few months more, before summering at their favorite family compound on Cape Cod surrounded by their 4 children and their spouses, and 8 grandchildren.
Springfield College students and the MPCS Faculty wish all the best to our beloved Mr. Barnes. He exemplifies all the best
qualities that a true teacher and mentor could possibly have. We are forever grateful to have had Milt spend a good part of
his life journey with us! Thank you Milt for everything!!

Math, Physics, & Computer Science Departmental Newsletter

Page 6

Einsteins Quote of the Month

Learn from yesterday, live for today,
hope for tomorrow. The important thing is
not to stop questioning.

Dr. Markkanens Puzzle Party!

Puzzle #3: Explain how to cut a 2-foot by 12-foot rectangular board into two pieces so that they perfectly cover a 3foot by 8-foot rectangular hole, without any gaps or overlap.
Please see the diagram.

Answers from Jan,Feb, Mar Newlsetter

Puzzle #1: Connect all nine dots by drawing four straight
lines, without lifting the pen.

Puzzle #2: Solve the following cryptarithm, where each letter represents a digit and no digit represents two different
letters.

: A = 2, B = 1, C = 7, D = 8

Like Us on Facebook!
Facebook.com/scmpcs

Famous Mathematicians
Emmy Noether (1882 - 1935)
In 1935, the year of Emmy Noether's death, Albert Einstein
wrote in a letter to the New
York Times, "In the judgement
of the most competent living
mathematicians, Fraulein Noether was the most significant
creative mathematical genius thus far produced
since the higher education of women began."
Born in 1882 in Germany, Emmy Noether persisted in the face of tremendous obstacles to
become one of the greatest algebraists of this
century.
Known primarily for her profound and beautiful
theorems in ring theory, Emmy Noether's most
significant achievement runs deeper: she
changed the way mathematicians think about
their subject. "She taught us to think in simple,
and thus general, terms... homomorphic image,
the group or ring with operators, the ideal... and
not in complicated algebraic calculations," said
her colleague P.S. Alexandroff during a memorial service after her death. In this way, she
cleared a path toward the discovery of new algebraic patterns that had previously been obscured.
Despite her intellectual achievements and the
recognition of such mathematicians as David
Hilbert and Hermann Weyl, Emmy Noether endured years of poor treatment by German universities, where for a time she could not even
lecture under her own name. Weyl later wrote
that, even when the Nazis prevented her from
lecturing, "her courage, her frankness, her unconcern about her own fate, her conciliatory
spirit, were, in the midst of all the hatred and
meanness, despair and sorrow... a moral solace."
Forced out of Germany by the Nazis in 1933,
Emmy Noether came to Bryn Mawr College,
where she soon collected many students and
colleagues around her. She died there just two
years later at the age of fifty-three.

http://www.awm-math.org/noetherbrochure/
AboutNoether.html