History and Some Testimonials
Qualifications:
The instructors have taught numerous other Mathematica courses,
such as Mathematica in the Mountains (1994-1997), Mathematica in the
'Gunks (1994), the Thaksin University (Thailand) Mathematica workshop (1997) and Wolfram's "First Course in Mathematica" (2001-2002).
Testimonials from past courses include:
"Attending this course was like Christmas for me. The balance between the presentations and the lab sessions was perfect."
--Sophie Valtat, 2009 (French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, Paris)
"As a consumer of Mathematica training and books, my summers at RMM 2008 and 2009 have been the most valuable investment I've made.
Bring a project and an open mind, and you'll learn things about the Mathematica language and how to use it productively that are not easily available.
Stan and Ed are superb instructors and they delight in responding to questions motivated by their students' activities."
--Mark Tuttle, 2009 (Orinda, California)
"Rocky Mountain Mathematica is a unique and mentally stimulating experience in a wonderful location surrounded by interesting people. The lecture materials are outstanding,
I have found myself going over them many times since the course. Being surrounded by people in different disciplines gave me new insights into not only Mathematica,
but problem solving in general. The participants come from all over the world and from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Class members are eager to help one another with complex and mundane problems.
The course was as useful for little shortcuts and keyboard tricks as for how to develop clever Manipulate applications. And the various hikes that can be done when not studying provide as great or as little a challenge as one could ever desire.
Even better, there is often time in the evenings or at lunch for a short two-hour jaunt. I can still visualize walking around the lake at sunrise, enjoying the cool mountain air, looking forward to a day of exciting interaction."
--Arne Hallam, 2008 (Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa)
"I had a great time at RMM 2008. Through many well-chosen examples, I learned lots of things that were new to me and expanded my understanding of functions I had used extensively in the past.
The thorough coverage of the new Manipulate function was very helpful. Most important, however, the course was fun.
Stan and Ed do a great job of making the task of getting through a lot of material worthwhile and enjoyable."
--Jon Mormino, 2008 (Sidwell Friends School, Washington, D.C.)
"RMM 2008 was for me a challenging, intense, and totally worthwhile experience. Stan has impressive experience and a contagious enthusiasm for Mathematica. His lessons started with the basics, went on to sophisticated and neat examples, and were very well organized. The one-on-one sessions were definitely a plus. Having all the class notes available was also very helpful. I also got the notes from Ed's class, as well as ideas for projects to use in my classes. Frisco is located near to several spectacular trails and vistas and Stan, being an avid hiker, is a great source for trail information as well!"
--Cristina Squeff, 2008 (Regis College, Weston, Massachusetts)
"The course was extremely worthwhile. I require all of my students to use Mathematica in order to keep their computer skills sharp and to learn to visualize solutions to more complex engineering problems. RMM 2007 taught me how Version 6 extends the power of Mathematica while also showing some of its quirks. I particularly appreciated the individualized help in getting my Mathematica material running in Version 6.0."
--David Wehe, 2007 (Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
"The schedule was great. We worked in the mornings and evenings and had the afternoons free to enjoy hiking in Colorado. Stan was also available for half of each afternoon for help and to answer additional questions. I've used Mathematica for many years, but there is always so much more to know. RMM 2007 was a great way to jump-start my learning about the new capabilities of version 6, and we were inspired by seeing all the ways Stan uses Mathematica in his work."
--Bruce Atwood, 2007 (Beloit College, Beloit, Wisc.)
"RMM provides an opportunity to learn Mathematica technique from some of the
top practitioners and authors in the field. It's a week packed full of
practical learning with examples from all areas of Mathematica--kernel
features, the front end, graphics, standard packages, and programming.
Numerous custom programs, as part of the distributed materials, are a big
bonus. Much of what I learned has immediate application in my work as an
engineer. RMM is for anyone interested in taking advantage of Mathematica
in its full power."
--Ben Manring, 2003 (Cummins, Inc., Columbus, Indiana)
"RMM 2003 was everything I hoped it would be. Stan Wagon and Ed Packel are
inspiring teachers who showed me more about Mathematica in a week than I had
learned on my own in two years. In addition, I had a delightful vacation.
Thank you, Stan and Ed."
--Marjorie Bicknell-Johnson, 2003 (Secretary, The Fibonacci Association, Publishers of the Fibonacci Quarterly, Santa Clara, California)
"This workshop has provided a great balance of inspiration, education, and cross-pollination. I'm inspired to put my new knowledge to work in ways that I hadn't thought of before the workshop. Thanks!"
--Mark Kannowski, 2003 (DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana)
"My time at the RMM has got to be one of the best experiences I've had in
years. It makes no difference if you are an old Mathematica pro or a
novice, whether you are a professional mathematician or a high school
teacher, whether you are young or old, this seminar has something for
everyone. Ed and Stan are knowledgeable and skillful teachers whose
enthusiasm for Mathematica and what it can do is contagious. Both
instructors know the Rockies well and provide a program that allows you
ample opportunity to enjoy the mountains and all they have to offer."
--Jonathan Choate, 2003 (Co-Chair, Mathematics Department, Groton School, Groton, Massachusetts)
"Packel and Wagon did a terrific job with the courses at RMM 2002. The
midday breaks provide a perfect opportunity to let new concepts percolate
through the brain while exercising the body. Aside from the course content,
the opportunity to see what other people are doing with Mathematica was
very useful."
-- Dave Collins, 2002 (Outback Software, Los Alamos, New Mexico)
"Colorado is home to outstanding outdoor adventure! Colorado is home to outstanding Mathematics! Stan, Ed and Rocky Mountain Mathematica are an ideal blend of adventure and academia.
RMM leads every level of teacher down a trail that allows them to reach a peak of success learning Mathematica. As a High School teacher I found Mathematica adaptable to all levels of mathematics. Thanks Ed and Stan!!"
--Debbie Unks, 2002 (Cairo American College, Egypt)
"I very much enjoyed the RMM 2001 workshop. I learned a huge amount and am
now able to do things, such as write my own packages with options and help
messages, that I had no clue how to do before."
-- Dwight Raulston, 2001 (St. John's School, Houston, Texas)
"I thoroughly enjoyed RMM 2001 and learned a lot. Now I plan to use
Mathematica extensively in all of my classes. The courses (I attended
parts of each course) renewed some old knowledge and gave me many new
skills."
-- Ed Conjura, 2001 (College of New Jersey, Ewing, N.J.)
"These guys really know how to give a short course. If you need to make
substantial progress on a very steep learning curve in a hurry, the
introductory course is for you."
-- John Anderson, 2002 (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.)
"I thought RMM 2000 was organized really well and I learned a lot of nuances
about Mathematica that were new to me. It has already changed my
programming style for the better and my programs are becoming much more
useful and concise."
-- Matt Johnson, 2000 (AutolivASP, Ogden, Utah)
"I think Rocky Mountain Mathematica is an immensely helpful resource
to high school teachers who help students develop research projects in
mathematics and science. There are a lot of us out there trying coaching
kids in science fairs. To them I say, 'this course is a gem!'."
-- Alan Schorn, 2002 (Great Neck North High School, Great Neck, NY)
"I really enjoy the location and the schedule: the free afternoons and one
free day allow us to absorb the material in a way that would be difficult
with a more compressed schedule. The surroundings are inspirational and the
instructors really know the subject and how to teach it."
-- Ralph F. Miles (Jet Propulsion Laboratory and University of Southern California)
"The RMM 2000 intermediate course gave me tools and understanding that I
never picked up from any of the books on Mathematica I had read. My
effectiveness with the software has improved many times over. Having
programmed for 20 years in numerous other languages, I appreciated learning
new ways of writing and debugging Mathematica programs. I also learned a
lot in conversations with Stan and Ed, who have the ability to communicate
what they know and to share their deep knowledge of Mathematica."
-- Barry Cherkas, 2000 (Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY)
"RMM 2002 was an excellent course in every respect. I learned a
lot about how to use Mathematica in a much more efficient manner. The
information on how to get access to plot data and manipulate it was a
revelation, and alone made the course worthwhile."
-- Andrew Maynard, 2002
"Although I had previously worked with Mathematica, I left RMM with a much greater understanding of Mathematica's underlying structure. Throughout the course, the instruction was dynamic and professional."
--Michael J. Seery, 1998 (USAF Academy Preparatory School, Colorado Springs, Colorado)
"I attended RMM after four months of using Mathematica intensively in teaching and research, so I had a lot of questions. I got all the answers and a lot more. I learned a lot of things I did not even know I needed to know. It was definitely worth the time and money, and I recommend it."
--John Barwise, 1998 (University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana)
"The trip was well worth it. The scenery was awesome, the schedule was well planned, and the content was better than I had hoped for. I really appreciated all the distributed materials."
--Ron Wagoner, 1998 (California State University, Fresno, California)
"The workshop was a valuable resource in the effort to institute a
Mathematica-based laboratory program for upper division students at Queens
College. I got to see a good range of examples, from clever one-liners to
deeper applications. The disk we were given, containing Mathematica
notebooks with comments and the relevant code, is incredibly useful."
-- Ken Kramer (Queens College of CUNY, Queens, New York)
"The Mathematica in the Mountains workshop was as enlightening as its locale
was spectacular. Regardless of your level of sophistication with the software
program, you were encouraged to improve. In my 35 years of workshops, this was
the first in which I could participate in show-and-tell time. It was as
difficult to fall behind the class as it was to get ahead of the instructors -
virtually impossible - the interest they took in everyone was amazing. If you
are looking for a productive vacation, look no further."
-- David Wilson (Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana)
"The program was delightful: a nice balance between working with an
engaging software package and relaxing in the mountain setting. I
particularly enjoyed the powerful applications of animation and
three-dimensional graphics, which help our students better perceive what is
transpiring. Also handy is the versatility. I can use Mathematica for
planned classroom demonstrations, but I can also turn the students loose
for independent lab exploration."
-- Doug Hartman (Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, Nebraska)
"The course proved an excellent source of practical information about how
to make more effective use of Mathematica's capabilities. I have the
feeling I'll be consulting the class notes and materials for a long time to
come."
-- Dan Callon (Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana)
"The course covered a great breadth of material while allowing each
participant to work at his or her own pace and level. Of great value were
the shortcuts and fine points (like overlaying a curve on a 3-dimensional
surface) that one cannot get out of a manual."
-- Edie Cook (Suffolk University, Boston)
"The lectures gave me an effective overview of the powers of Mathematica.
And the lab, with its extensive hands-on tutorial, was specific enough to
enable me to apply what I learned in the lectures and flexible enough to
allow me work on my own problems."
- - Ammanuel Mehreteab (chemist, Colgate-Palmolive)
"The enthusiasm and excitement by both instructors were contagious. Their
presentations were concise, pertinent, clear, and certainly usable at our
institution. The materials that Ed and Stan gave us will be useful in
several of the classes I teach (physics, physical chemistry, mathematics)
for some time in the future."
-- Charles Wakefield (University of Texas of the Permian Basin)
"Stan Wagon brings an enormous amount of energy and expertise to this
course, both formally working through the extensive Mathematica notebooks
that he has prepared (the hard copies of which are invaluable resources for
good Mathematica code) and working on a one to one level with the
participants on their own projects. Add to this the wonderful air of the
Colorado Rockies and some fantastic hiking - it was great!"
-- Robert Moody (University of Alberta)
"I started the week with zero competence in Mathematica and finished with a
basic working knowledge of this powerful software. My multivariable
calculus class is already enjoying some fine 3-D graphics I produced and
transferred to color transparencies. The potential for using Mathematica
notebooks in classroom discussion is clear but I have not yet tried the
ones I made.That is the next step. Stan and Ed do a fine job with a diverse
group of students. The natural beauty of Summit County is a bonus for
participants and their guests."
-- Howard Jones (Lansing Community College, Lansing, Michigan)
"Stan and Ed's 1997 workshop was the best Mathematica training workshop
that I have taken in a long time. What made is so successful was that it
was presented by two established professors who know what to teach, and
more important, how to teach. I've attended other workshops, but Ed and
Stan clearly beat them all. They were able to adapt the teaching
environment to meet the needs of everyone in our very large group. In
addition, I found not only other educators in this workshop, but also
several people from industry with whom I was able to work."
-- Bill Swisher (University of Cincinnati, Clermont College, Batavia, Ohio)
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THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ OUR INFORMATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A FLIER TO POST ON YOUR DEPARTMENT BULLETIN BOARD, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU ONE OR MORE.
WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO ANY OF YOUR COLLEAGUES WHO YOU THINK MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS COURSE OR LET US KNOW HOW WE COULD CONTACT THEM.
HOPE TO SEE YOU AT "ROCKY MOUNTAIIN Mathematica" IN BEAUTIFUL
COLORADO ON JULY 12-17, 2009.
ED and STAN
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