Dr. Gerald Wuchter
Department: Mathematics
What type of interesting features do you incorporate into your classes?
There are times when technology can be used to enhance the understanding of certain mathematical concepts. Since many of our classrooms have multimedia technology this enables us to use software packages, such as Mathematica, to crunch numbers and draw pictures right there in front of the class.
In your opinion, how is Mount Union College unique from other small liberal arts colleges?
There are very few small colleges in America that have experienced the kind of growth Mount Union has in the past decade. We have added a new science center, a new chapel, a new library and a state of the art dining experience to name just a few. With these additions, Mount Union has positioned itself well, moving forward into the future.
How do Mount Union students benefit from attending a small school as opposed to a larger school?
As a result of small class sizes, we are able to do group work more effectively than would be possible at a larger college or university. This enables us to interact in a one-on-one manner with the students and easily rectify the problems that each student might be having. Also, a small school allows students to build a strong student-faculty relationship.
Have you done any interesting research or developed any interesting courses at Mount Union? If so, explain.
This semester I have been teaching a special topics course in mathematics called wavelets. This is an exciting new branch of mathematics that has really only been developed in the last fifteen to twenty years. The applications of wavelets extends to such areas as seismology, audio denoising, image enhancement, image detection, cardiology, neurology, fingerprint compression and data compression. The usefulness of wavelets is growing constantly. During the semester the students have developed programs in Mathematica to effectively remove noise from audio signals using a variety of wavelet transformations. Amazingly enough, this topic is accessible to mathematics students with only a calculus background.
What kinds of opportunities do Mount Union students have after graduating from College?
Our graduates have explored a variety of career paths upon completion of their degree. We have students working in the insurance industry as actuaries and in financial institutes as analysts. Some students go on to further their studies in mathematics in graduate school, or choose a related field to study in graduate school or even law school. The government is always looking for excellent mathematical minds; and we had a graduate working at the National Security Agency. The largest percentage of math graduates go on to teach.
In what activities do you participate in your spare time?
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my wife, Kim, and my two sons, Jonathan (2 years) and Maxwell (5 months). When the weather in Ohio cooperates, I always enjoy a round of golf or a good game of soccer.