Phi Beta Kappa's Visiting Scholar to give a public lecture on March 16

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (03/02/2020) — Marietta College's Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars Program is excited to welcome Francis Su, Benediktsson-Karwa Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, to campus, March 16th-17th. During his visit, Su will give a talk titled "Mathematics for Human Flourishing" at 7:00 p.m., Monday, March 16th, in the Alma McDonough Auditorium.

During his public lecture, Su will explain how math can - or should - meet basic desires that all human beings share and builds virtues that serve each person well no matter what they do in life.

In 2015 and 2016, he served as president of the Mathematical Association of America. His speeches and writing have earned acclaim for describing the humanity of mathematics, as well as calling people to greater awareness of issues that contribute to inequitable mathematics education.

Wired Magazine called him "the mathematician who will make you fall in love with numbers." His research is in geometric combinatorics and applications to the social sciences. From the Mathematical Association of America, he received the 2018 Halmos-Ford award for distinguished writing, in addition to the 2013 Haimo Award for exemplary teaching.

Three of his articles have appeared in the Princeton anthology "The Best Writing on Mathematics" in 2011, 2014 and 2018. His book "Mathematics for Human Flourishing" will be published by Yale University Press this year.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, as well as one of the nation's best by Forbes.com. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major. Marietta College has also been named a Great College to Work For two consecutive years (2018 and 2019).

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