Project NExT
Encyclopedia
Project NExT is a program sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America
(MAA) to aid in the professional development of mathematician
s, statistician
s, and mathematics educator
s after they receive their PhD
s. It involves workshops and lectures on teaching, academic research, academic scholarship, and professional activities. The participants in the program are called Project NExT Fellows or sometimes Dots, and the program also provides ample networking opportunities for them. Each fellow is also provided with a consultant, who serves as a mentor for them.
, and a teaching statement expressing interest in the program. The application also requires a letter from the applicant's department chair guaranteeing funding to attend several conferences. The number of selected fellows depends on funding. Currently, about 100 are selected each year.
during the year of their selection and the year after, and in the Joint Mathematics Meeting
in the January after their selection as fellows. Each fellow is also assigned a consultant outside of their own institution. NExT fellows organize several sessions at the Joint Meeting and MathFest, on topics of their choosing.
, and involve many of the same activities. Section NExT fellows can also participate in the national workshops.
Project NExT is also strongly associated with the Young Mathematicians Network.
in the year of selection (for example, the peach
dots first meeting was in Georgia
, and the Brown
dots first meeting was at Brown University
). The colors since inception of the program are listed in the following table:
The color yellow is reserved for Section NExT fellows.
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
(MAA) to aid in the professional development of mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
s, statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
s, and mathematics educator
Mathematics education
In contemporary education, mathematics education is the practice of teaching and learning mathematics, along with the associated scholarly research....
s after they receive their PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
s. It involves workshops and lectures on teaching, academic research, academic scholarship, and professional activities. The participants in the program are called Project NExT Fellows or sometimes Dots, and the program also provides ample networking opportunities for them. Each fellow is also provided with a consultant, who serves as a mentor for them.
History
Project NExT was founded by James Leitzel and Chris Stevens. The first fellows were selected in 1994. In 2007, the total number of fellows surpassed 1000.Selection of fellows
Fellows are selected based on an application, including a short curriculum vitae, a research statementResearch statement
A research statement is a summary of research achievements and a proposal for upcoming research. It often includes both current aims and findings, and future goals...
, and a teaching statement expressing interest in the program. The application also requires a letter from the applicant's department chair guaranteeing funding to attend several conferences. The number of selected fellows depends on funding. Currently, about 100 are selected each year.
The program
Project NExT fellows participate in MathFestMathFest
MathFest is a mathematics conference hosted annually in late summer by the Mathematical Association of America. It is known for its dual focus on teaching and research in mathematics, as well as for student participation.- External links :*...
during the year of their selection and the year after, and in the Joint Mathematics Meeting
Joint Mathematics Meeting
The Joint Mathematics Meetings are a mathematics conference hosted annually in early January by the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America . Frequently, several other national mathematics organizations also participate...
in the January after their selection as fellows. Each fellow is also assigned a consultant outside of their own institution. NExT fellows organize several sessions at the Joint Meeting and MathFest, on topics of their choosing.
Affiliation with other professional development organizations
The national Project NExT program is strongly affiliated with Section NExT programs, which are run by local sections of the MAAMathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
, and involve many of the same activities. Section NExT fellows can also participate in the national workshops.
Project NExT is also strongly associated with the Young Mathematicians Network.
Dot colors
Every year a group of fellows is selected, the cohort is assigned a color, and thereafter wears a sticker (or dot) of that color to national mathematics meetings of the MAA. There are seven colors for the stickers, so cohort seven years apart have the same color sticker, although they are assigned a different name. Colors are frequently chosen according to the location of MathFestMathFest
MathFest is a mathematics conference hosted annually in late summer by the Mathematical Association of America. It is known for its dual focus on teaching and research in mathematics, as well as for student participation.- External links :*...
in the year of selection (for example, the peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
dots first meeting was in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and the Brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
dots first meeting was at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
). The colors since inception of the program are listed in the following table:
| Red years | Green years | Blue years | Orange years | Silver years | Brown years | Gold years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994: red | 1995: green | 1996: blue | 1997: peach | 1998: silver | 1999: brown | 2000: gold |
| 2001: cardinal | 2002: forest | 2003: sky | 2004: orange | 2005: sterling | 2006: sepia | 2007: sun |
| 2008: red/08 | 2009: eco |
The color yellow is reserved for Section NExT fellows.