Academics

Dr. Jill Van Newenhizen
Associate Professor of Mathematics

I have served on the Lake Forest College faculty since 1988 and have recently served in an elected position on the Curriculum Policies Committee that oversaw the curriculum changes for the new standards-based programs for education majors.

I consider a specialty of mine to be the teaching of mathematics as a liberal art, particularly designing and implementing courses for non-math majors.  I have authored several articles and textbook chapters on voting methods and voting paradoxes.

I value the opportunity to participate in the education of future mathematics teachers in a more comprehensive way.  I value being connected through the committee with like-minded members of the Lake Forest College faculty, with area school teachers, and with former Lake Forest students who are teaching locally. I value what I learn from the other members of the committee about that it means to teach school in Illinois.  I value being able to show our education majors that it is not just education professors who care about the future teaching careers of Lake Forest graduates.  I value the macro perspective of education future teachers at Lake Forest College that I have gained serving on EAC.  This perspective makes me a better advisor for my students and allows me to be a strong advocate for the education departments' program specifically in the mathematics department but also college wide.  I value the opportunity to review student teaching portfolios and to observe student teachers in the field.  My multi-year service on the EAC gives me a deep understanding of the education department's standards and allows me to be a consistent judge of those standards from year to year.  I have been an active consultant to the education department in the development of the standards-based mathematics program.