News

October, 2023

The University of Regina is the Fields Institute's new Affiliate University.  This collaborative agreement encourages greater involvement in the Fields Institute's programming and initiatives.  One opportunity is for Graduate Students.  These students can participate in Fields Shared Graduate Courses at no cost. Mathematics and Statistics Department Head, Dr. Remus Floricel, said, "the University of Regina is excited to become an Affiliate of the Fields Institute, solidifying our commitment to fostering positive change and enduring partnerships within our community. Together, through collaboration and dedication, we shape the future of both institutions, strengthening our community and leaving a lasting impact." Read more here.

September, 2023

Professor James McVittie presented a public lecture in the September 2023 edition of the Science pub series held monthly at Bushwakkers Brewpub in Regina. James's lecture was entitled, "Statistics, Lies and Conspiracy Theories.” Focussing on how the collection, analysis, and presentation of data play vital roles in the results, he provided some famous examples and analyses in the fields of probability and statistics that have led to results that were surprising, outright lies, and even manipulations of the truth. The lecture was held September 21, 2023, and more information regarding it can be found here: https://bushwakker.com/wakker_weekly/the-wakker-weekly-issue-1703/

September, 2023

Dr. Edward Doolittle is the recipient of the 2023 Adrien Pouliot Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to mathematics education.

Dr. Doolittle is Kanyen’kehake, a proud member of the Lower Mohawk band of Six Nations. After earning his PhD in pure mathematics at the University of Toronto, he has been a valued member of the University of Regina community as an Associate Professor at First Nations University of Canada for more than two decades. He is an internationally recognized leader and pioneer on the dissemination of Indigenous mathematics and the interplay of mathematics with Indigenous knowledge systems. His service extends far beyond his local community as he has made countless visits to educational institutions across Canada, lectured at various international conferences and workshops, and served on numerous committees and boards where he shares his experiences and wisdom as it relates to Indigenous knowledge.

Congratulations, Dr. Doolittle, on your well-deserved accomplishment!

June, 2023

Jana Sasakamoose is one of only twenty recipients of the RBC Future Launch Indigenous Youth Scholarship. Jana, a mother of seven children, is balancing motherhood and her studies as she pursues a Masters of Science in Statistics. Originally obtaining a Business Administration degree at First Nations University of Canada, she decided to pursue a Masters of Science to achieve her goal of making an impact on Indigenous communities throughout Saskatchewan by creating energy management projects for First Nations communities. Jana is determined to show Indigenous women not only have a place in business but that they can be successful as well!

Congratulations, Jana!

September, 2022

Dr Eusebio Koh, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, passed away in Regina September 17, 2022 at the age of 90.  Dr. Doug Farenick, Dean of Science, shared some memories of Dr. Koh.

Seb, as he was known to colleagues and friends, served the University of Regina for more than thirty years, retiring in the late 1990s. He worked in the area of functional equations, which was very much in vogue in the late 1960s when he obtained his doctorate. I was fortunate to have had Seb as my differential equations professor, where he challenged us by selecting problems from the American Mathematical Monthly for us to work on (he always said, encouragingly, "you can solve it," but I don't think any of us succeeded in solving a single problem). His lectures were immaculately prepared and delivered with passion and clarity. Of all the math courses I took as an undergraduate student, the notes from his differential equations course were the only ones I held onto after graduating from UofR. Those notes came in handy some years later when I found myself at the head of a classroom at McGill University in front of 80 keen students, all hungry to learn the theory of ordinary differential equations. He had several lovely examples in his notes, such as predicting the positions of planets, which appealed to dreamers, math gurus, and anyone who appreciated the power of calculus.

When I returned to UofR as an Asst Prof, Seb was a valuable mentor to me. I remember him as a very gentle, humane person; a quiet man who became positively animated with passion and enthusiasm when teaching mathematics.

We are saddened by his passing and are grateful for his legacy of research and teaching, as one who serves.

More information about Dr. Koh can be found on Regina Funeral Homes website.

June, 2022

August, 2021

June, 2021

The University Prize in Science is awarded at convocation to the most distinguished graduating student receiving a first degree in Science. The Governor General's Academic Silver Medal is awarded to the top graduating student each year. These prestigious awards are based on high academic achievement.

Both the Prize in Science and the Governor Generals’ Academic Silver Medal are awarded to Akina Kuperus at the Spring 2021 Convocation. Akina is graduating with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Mathematics, achieving High Honours with a cumulative grade point average of 96.68%. Since she joined the University of Regina community in 2017, Akina received numerous awards in recognition of her academic achievements, including the Academic Gold Scholarship, the Centennial Merit Scholarship, the James B. Carefoot Scholarship, and the Joan & Norman Beirnes Scholarship. Akina was also named to the Science Dean’s Honours List several times.

As part of her Honours program, Akina was required to prepare and deliver Honours seminars in mathematics. I was fortunate enough to have attended one of them, where she presented complex mathematical ideas with a poise and clarity that is rare among even our most accomplished students. To be awarded both the Prize in Science and the Governor General's Academic Silver Medal is a remarkable achievement, of which her professors are very proud.

July 2, 2020

It was announced today that Christine Selinger will be award the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. 

Christine Selinger BEd’11, BSc’11
Outstanding Young Alumni

Christine Selinger is a dedicated advocate, athlete, and volunteer. As a student at the University of Regina, she was the first paraplegic woman to traverse the rugged Nootka Trail, became president of several student societies, and was a recipient of the President’s Medal.  Today, Christine is a two-time world champion in para-canoe, an educator, and an emerging leader in sexuality and disability.

 Christine sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 19.  Subsequently, she completed two concurrent Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Education.  She worked as a Peer Support Coordinator for the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Ontario.  Through her openness and candour about living life with a spinal cord injury, she has had a tremendous impact on the lives of individuals with recent spinal cord injuries.

Christine was a Canadian National ParaCanoe Athlete from 2008–2013, a two-time World Champion, and Saskatchewan Athlete of the Month in August 2010. She was also short-listed as International Paralympic Committee Athlete of the Month in August 2011.

 In her professional and personal life, Christine bravely faces challenges to help improve the lives of people with disabilities.  Her contributions to promoting women with disabilities in sport and her advocacy for the community of persons with disabilities, particularly related to issues of sexuality, make her an extraordinary member of the University of Regina alumni community.

June 25, 2020

June 29, 2019

Professor Emeritus R. Ian McDonald passed away June 29, 2019.

Ian McDonald was a well-respected colleague and my next-door neighbour in College West for many years. Ian joined the Department of Mathematics – as it was then called – in 1965, just as the “new” campus opened on the south-east edge of the city, and spent his entire career at the University of Regina.

Ian was a mainstay of the undergraduate teaching program, as was with his first wife, Joanne. Ian prepared carefully for his courses and was an effective and popular professor. He wanted his students to do well and his door was always open to them.

Ian was the second head of the department, from 1970 to 1976. Unlike his predecessor, who oversaw a rapid expansion of the faculty complement amidst burgeoning enrolments of the 1960’s, Ian’s term as head coincided with a period of declining enrolments, a loss of faculty positions in the department, budget stringency and bickering between the two campuses of the University of Saskatchewan (that led to the creation of the University of Regina in 1974). Ian’s calm demeanour and the esteem in which he was held by his colleagues kept the department on track during a time of anxiety and uncertainty.

Ian’s tall, imposing frame belied a very gentle personality. He was soft-spoken, respectful and easy-going. He was good company, a congenial colleague and made important contributions to the department and the University as a whole.

Jim Tomkins
July, 2019

To read me about Dr. McDonald, please see the obituary.

June 8, 2019

May, 2018

Sam Jaques, BSc Honours (Math) will receive the Governor General's Gold Medal at the University of Waterloo spring convocation for his masters work.  Sam is working in classical crytography and quantum information theory.

December 9, 2018

June 7, 2018

June 7, 2018

Dr. Andrei Volodin considers the probability of people getting cannibis licenses in Saskatchewan.  Published in the Leader Post, June 7, 2018.  See the article for complete details.

May, 2018

May 10, 2018

Dr. Saroup Kaul, Professor Emeritis, passed away May 10, 2018. The following memory of Dr. Kaul is from Dr. Jim Tomkins.

I was deeply saddened to learn that Saroop Kaul had passed away. I had the good fortune to be taught complex analysis by Dr. Kaul during my final undergraduate year at the University of Saskatchewan. He was always well-prepared for class and he presented the material clearly. In addition, at a time when interactions between students and their professors was much more formal than today, Dr. Kaul was approachable; he seemed to enjoy getting to know his students outside the classroom and was easy to talk to.

When I became a faculty member in Regina in 1969, I wasn't aware that Saroop had moved from the Saskatoon Campus of the University of Saskatchewan to the Regina Campus – and I was pleased to become re-acquainted with him. Indeed, he and I were next-door neighbours in College West for many years, after the math department moved out of the Library. We had many conversations over the years and I always enjoyed his company. In my mind’s eye, he is smiling. He was a congenial colleague, a scholar and teacher respected by students and faculty alike.

I offer my deepest condolences to the Kaul family.

Jim Tomkins
6 June 2018

To read me about Dr. Kaul, please see the obituary.

February, 2018

May 21-22, 2017

Michelle Hatzel, a second year student, presented a poster at the Calgary Applied and Industrial Mathematical Sciences Conference. This poster is a collaboration between Asghar Ghoranpour and Michelle Hatzel.  The following is the poster abstract.

The Reimann zeta function ζ(s) is defined for s > 1 by the series .  Despite convergence for s > 1, the value of the series is challenging to compute.  Numerous proofs have been developed to evaluate what we know as the Basel problem, ζ(2), and then generalized to compute ζ(2k).  In this work we use Parseval's identity, a common textbook technique, to evaluate ζ(2), to find the values of zeta at all positive integers.

May, 2017

Marzeih Bayeh has been selected as the 2017 U of R recipient of the Governor General's academic gold medal. This award recognizes the most outstanding academic performance of a graduate student.

November, 2016

October, 2016

Professor Emeritus, Harley Weston was interviewed by the Saskatchewan Mathematics Teachers' Society Spotlight on the Profession.  See the article on the SMTS website.

September 26, 2016

Professor Emeritus, Haragauri N. Gupta passed away on September 26, 2016 in Waterloo Ontario.  Dr. Gupta joined the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus in 1966.  To learn more about Dr. Gupta, please see:

• Long time mathematics professor remembered
• Summary of Dr. Gupta's Life by James T. Smith
• Photo of Dr. Gupta and Dr. Chuagui, 1966
• Leader Post obituary

May 20, 2016

Patrick Maidorn has been awarded the Mathematics Education Prize from the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences. See http://www.uregina.ca/external/communications/feature-stories/current/2016/05-20.html for details about Patrick's accomplishments and the award.

February 17, 2015

Dr. Bruce Gilligan and his recent PhD student, Dr S. Ruhi Ahmadi, have had their December 2014 article "Complexifying Lie group actions on homogeneous manifolds of non-compact dimension two" recognised as one of the top papers in the Canadian Mathematical Bulletin.

October 20, 2014

Two retired faculty members, Dr. J. Chris Fisher and Mr. Norman Beirnes, have generously established scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. The first recipients of these awards are Adam Gorr, a third-year Mathematics major, who received the Joan & Norman Beirnes Scholarship in Mathematics and Statistics, and Mizanur Rahaman, a first-year doctoral student, who received the Mathematics and Statistics Graduate Entrance Award for International Students.

October 1, 2014

Dr. Donald Stanley has been appointed to the NSERC Discovery Grants Evaluation Group for Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Michael Kozdron has been named the University of Regina liaison for the PIMS Postdoctoral Stochastic Training Centre.

June 10, 2013

Dr. R. James Tomkins, former Head of Mathematics & Statistics and President of the University of Regina, has been named the eighth Chancellor of the University. Dr. Tomkins, a distinguished academic and a tireless contributor to the University, will assume his new role on July 1, 2013, for a three-year term. For further details, please see the formal announcement: http://www.uregina.ca/external/communications/feature-stories/current/fs-06102013-2.html.