The Math Department has said goodbye to some familiar faces this past year:

Scott Dixon came to UA as an instructor in 2010 after five years as an instructor at UAB and then Alabama State University. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville State University in 1987 and his Master’s degree from the University of Alabama in 1994. He was awarded teacher of the year twice during his time teaching at Sardis High School in Etowah County, Oak Mountain High, and Vestavia Hills High.

Tan-Yu Lee began teaching at UA in 1980 as a visiting assistant professor. He became an assistant professor in 1982 then an associate professor in 1988. He served the department as Graduate Program Director for Applied Mathematics from 1994 to 1999 and as the Graduate Director from 1999 to 2003. He was a founding member of the National Science Foundation supported Foundation Coalition, which aimed to revamp the teaching of engineering, physics, chemistry, and calculus.

Tzun-Zee Mai supervised six successful PhD candidates, helped design the Mathematics Technology Learning Center, held multiple grants, and was published in a diverse range of journals during his time at UA. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the National Tsing-Hua University in Taiwan, his Master’s degree from Auburn University, and his PhD from the University of Texas, Austin. He was a visiting assistant professor at Texas A&M in 1987 and 1988 before coming to UA. He was promoted to associate professor in 1993 and professor in 2007.

Tavan Trent came to UA in 1979 as assistant professor. He was promoted to associate professor in 1982 and professor in 1987. He held grants from the National Science Foundation, the Fields Institute, and EPSCOR among others. His research is in operator theory and complex analysis, and he has published articles in various journals.

Zhijian Wu was the chair of the department for 14 years and left to accept a position as head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China. He received his Bachelor’s degree at the China University of Geosciences and his Master’s degree from Beijing University. He received his PhD at Washington University in St. Louis. He came to UA in 1990, was promoted to associate professor in 1994, and became chair in 1999.