St. Mary’s College of Maryland is pleased to announce that Professor of Mathematics David Kung has been appointed director of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Project NExT program. Kung will assume the four-year term position in August and will remain in his faculty position at St. Mary’s College.
Project NExT is the largest professional development program for new or recent Ph.D.’s in the mathematical sciences. Established in 1994, the program has a long history of assisting new mathematics faculty members with all aspects of their academic career: improving the teaching and learning of mathematics, engaging in research and scholarship, and participating in professional activities. MAA also provides participants, called fellows, with a network of peers and mentors as they assume these responsibilities. To date 1,480 fellows have participated in the program.
“As a Project NExT fellow, I am deeply grateful to the MAA for a program that has helped to welcome new mathematics faculty into the profession for two decades,” said Kung. “The program’s impact on my own career, and that of over 1,400 math professors around the country, can’t be overstated. Carrying on that tradition will be my primary goal as director. I look forward to working with past, current and future fellows to carry on NExT’s amazing tradition of building a vibrant mathematics community.”
Beth Rushing, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at St. Mary’s College, congratulated Kung on the appointment. “Students and faculty at St. Mary’s College of Maryland have benefited from Professor Kung’s expertise and enthusiasm for teaching and learning. We are proud that he has the opportunity to serve as the Director of Project NExT, so that others can have the same experience.”
Kung began his faculty career in 2000. He has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several National Science Foundation grant projects over the past eight years. Kung has served as co-director of an MAA Professional Enhancement Program for faculty, manager of the MAA Young Mathematicians Network, and has received numerous awards for teaching and service. He was accepted into the MAA Project NExT program in 2000 and has since served as a mentor for other fellows as well as a presenter at Project NExT workshop sessions. Kung earned his B.S., M.B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.