Steven J Kifowit

Education

College/University

• Ph.D (ABD), Mathematics, Northern Illinois University, 1994-1998
• M.S., Computational Mathematics, Northern Illinois University, 1994
• B.S., Professional Physics and Applied Mathematics, Northern Illinois University, 1992
• Some courses at Northern Virginia Community College, 1987-1988  (I think my classes were at the Arlington Center.)

Military Training

• Primary Leadership Development Course -  Fort Knox, KY, 1986
• Air Assault School
• Basic Training/Advanced Infantry Training - Fort Benning, GA, 1984

Elementary/Secondary

• East Aurora High School, 1984
• K.D. Waldo Junior High School, 1981
• St. Pauls Lutheran School, 1980

Other

• Kim's Black Belt Academy, Aurora, IL - 1st Dan Black Belt, 1984 

Employment

• Professor of Mathematics, Prairie State College, 1998-Present
• Adjunct Mathematics Faculty, Waubonsee Community College, 1995-2000
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, Northern Illinois University, 1992-1998
• Summer Intern, Numerical Algorithms Group, Inc., 1997
• Infantryman, United States Army, 1984-1988
  • Basic Training/AIT - Fort Benning, GA - Infantry Training
  • Primary Duty - Ft Myer, VA - 3d Infantry Regiment, Continental Color Guard (Some pictures)

Awards/Honors/Grants

• Sabbatical Leave of Absence, Fall 2011
• Prairie State College Faculty of the Year, 2010
• Improving Math Education in America's Poorest Suburb, Eisenhower Professional Development Grant with Christopher Fogarty, 2002
• D.R. Ostberg Award, Northern Illinois University Department of Mathematical Sciences, 1996
• Certificate of Teaching Excellence, Northern Illinois University Department of Mathematical Sciences, 1996
• Physics Chair's Award, Northern Illinois University Department Physics, 1992
• Chairman's Award, Northern Illinois University Department of Mathematical Sciences, 1992
• U.S. Army - Good Conduct Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1st Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Commendation Medal
• U.S. Army - Primary Leadership Development Course Distinguished Leadership Award
• U.S. Army - Primary Leadership Development Course Distinguished Honor Graduate
• U.S. Army - Expert Infantry Badge

Some Professional Activities

• Treasurer, Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges, 2004-Present
• IAI General Education Mathematics Panel, 2001-Present (Panel Co-Chair since 2008)
• IAI Steering Panel, 2008-Present
• Referee for The AMATYC Review, 2004-2006
• AMATYC state delegate on several occasions

Some Prairie State College Activities

• Chair of the Math Department, 2002-2005 and 2008-2010
• Faculty Senate, 2001-2003 and 2005-Present (Senate President 2009-2011)
• Nine faculty search committees (Chair of three)
• Seven faculty tenure committees (Chair of four)
• Curriculum Committee, 1999-2001, 2004
• Instructional Technology Committee, 1999-2001
• Numerous Title III grant activities, 2006-2008
• Local moderator for the AMATYC Student Math League contest, 1998-2005
• Co-coordinator of annual Integration Bee, 2003-2006
• Math Department web site, 2003-2010
• Self-Study Criterion III committee, 2007-2008
• Faculty Communities of Practice, 2007-2009

Publications

• A Closer Look at Bobo's Sequence (with Daniel T. Clancy), To appear.
  
• Proof Without Words: A Series Involving Harmonic Sums, Mathematics Magazine, 80 (2007), p. 83
• More Proofs of Divergence of the Harmonic Series, An unpublished addendum to The Harmonic Series Diverges Again and Again.
• The Harmonic Series Diverges Again and Again (with Terra A. Stamps), The AMATYC Review, 27 (2006), pp. 31-43.
• Proof Without Words: A Partial Fraction Decomposition, The College Mathematics Journal, 36 (2005), p. 122.
• The Method of Gnomons and a New Scheme for Approximating Square Roots, The AMATYC Review, 24 (2003), pp. 57-63.

Some Presentations

• Serious About that 1 Series, presented at the 37th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2011
• Serious About that 1 Series, presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges, April 2011
• Uncommon Approaches to Some Common Calculus Problems, presented at the 35th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2009
• Serious About the Harmonic Series II, presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges, April 2006
• Serious About the Harmonic Series, presented at the 31st Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2005
• Assessment of Conceptual Understanding in the Calculus Sequence, presented at the 30th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2004
• Two-Year College Proofs from the "Book", presented at the 29th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2003
• Outcomes Assessment in the Algebra Sequence, presented at the 29th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2003
• Tabular Integration by Parts-A Jewel in the Rough, presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2002
• Projects and Laboratory Activities for Prospective Teachers, presented at the 27th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, November 2001
• A Superfast Version of the Split Schur Algorithm, presented at the 7th Annual Conference of the International Linear Algebra Society, June 1998
• The Split Levinson and Split Schur Algorithms, presented at the Northern Illinois University Numerical Linear Algebra Seminar, March 1998

Professional Affiliations

• American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges, 2000-Present
• Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges, 1999-Present
• Mathematical Association of America, 1998-Present
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1996-Present
• American Mathematical Society, 1992-Present

Community Involvement

• Aurora Fire Department, Fire Ops 101, 2011
• Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, 2006-Present
• Sierra Club, 2006-Present
• Host parent for YFU foreign exchange student, 2006-2007
• American Canoe Association, 2005-Present
• Phillips Park Mastodon Dig, 2004
• SciTech Hands-On Museum Board of Directors, 2004-2009
• Brookfield Zoo, 2003-Present

Hobbies

• Family (Family picture including grandchildren)
  
• Bicycling - road bike (Fuji) and mountain bike (Bianchi)
• Kayaking - Prijon Calabria and Perception Carolina
• Running (mostly on a treadmill)
• Skateboarding (Sector 9, Enjoi, Element)
• Music (listening, not playing)
• Math (obviously) and reading

Contact Information

Main Building, Room 2305
Prairie Sate College
202 South Halsted Street
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
USA
(708) 709-3954