Deirdre Smeltzer facts for kids

Deirdre Longacher Smeltzer, born in 1964, is an American mathematician and a teacher of mathematics. She also writes textbooks and helps run universities. She used to be a professor, a dean, and a vice president at Eastern Mennonite University. Now, she is a Senior Director for Programs at the Mathematical Association of America, which is a big group for mathematicians.

Deirdre Longacher Smeltzer: Math Expert and Educator

Her Journey in Math and Teaching

Early Studies and Advanced Degrees

Deirdre Smeltzer studied mathematics at Eastern Mennonite University and graduated in 1987. She also studied the Bible. Her math teachers, Millard Showalter and Del Snyder, encouraged her to continue studying advanced mathematics.

She then went to the University of Virginia for more math studies. She earned a master's degree there. In 1994, she completed her Ph.D., which is the highest degree you can get. Her Ph.D. project was about "difference sets" in group theory. These are special kinds of math puzzles.

Becoming a Professor and Leader

After finishing her studies, she became a professor at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Later, in 1998, she returned to Eastern Mennonite University as a professor. From 2005 to 2012, she was the head of the mathematical sciences department.

When she was a college student, she took a trip to China to learn about other cultures. As a professor, she led another such trip in 2013. She then became the director for all cross-cultural programs at the university. In 2013, she was chosen to be the university's vice president and dean for undergraduate students. This meant she helped lead the university and its programs for students working on their first college degree.

In this role, she helped create new study programs, like those in political science and global studies. She left her leadership roles at Eastern Mennonite in 2019. In 2020, she joined the Mathematical Association of America. There, she works as a Senior Director for Programs, helping to organize and lead math-related activities.

Books She Wrote

Deirdre Smeltzer has written two math textbooks for college students. These books help students learn important math ideas.

Her first book is called Methods for Euclidean Geometry. She wrote this book with Owen Byer and Felix Lazebnik. It was published in 2010.

Her second book is named Journey into Discrete Mathematics. She wrote this one with Owen Byer and Kenneth Wantz. It came out in 2018.