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School of Computer Science and Mathematics

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Message from the Dean

Photo of Dean Ron Buckmire

Thank you for your interest in Marist’s School of Computer Science and Mathematics (CSM), where we devote ourselves to preparing students for success in a wide array of careers, especially those where quantitative, analytical, or computational skills are key. Students enrolled in our School benefit from access to state-of-the-art hardware and software, engaged faculty, small class sizes and exciting co-curricular activities. The School’s outstanding faculty place a strong emphasis on interacting with students and encouraging their intellectual and professional development. Students in the School frequently participate in a variety of high-impact practices including student-faculty collaborative research, hands-on internships, study abroad, athletics, peer tutoring, and community engagement. After graduation, CSM alumni are well-positioned to make their mark in a diverse array of professions and business sectors, such as finance, education, government, technology and health care.

CSM students are extremely successful both while at Marist and after they graduate. Our students have interned at Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, and Goldman Sachs, to name just a few. They have participated in NSF-funded research experiences at both Marist and other institutions including the University of North Carolina, Texas A&M, and the University of California San Bernardino. CSM graduates have gone on to jobs at IBM, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Microsoft, USAA, and Goldman Sachs, or have gone to graduate schools at places like RPI, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Harvard, Wesleyan, and, of course, Marist. 

I encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our School!

Sincerely,
Ron Buckmire
Dean, School of Computer Science and Mathematics

Office Location: Hancock Center 3013
Phone: (845) 575-3000 ext. 3608
Email: ron.buckmire@Marist.edu

Bio:

Ron Buckmire is Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He was on the faculty of Occidental College for more than 30 years afterreceiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1994. There he served as department chair, associate dean for curricular affairs and director of the Core (general education) program and taught classes such as Calculus, History of Mathematics, Differential Equations, and Mathematical Modeling. 

He has served as a Program Officer in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation twice (2011-2013 and 2016-2018). His published articles are in an eclectic collection of peer-reviewed journals such as Data, Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Journal of Machine Learning for Modeling and Computing, andAlbany Law Review. 

In 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the first person from a small liberal arts college, the fourth Black person, and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to receive this prestigious honor. He was SIAM’s inaugural Vice-President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion from 2021 to 2024.

Research Interests / Areas of Focus

Applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, nonstandard finite differences, differential equations, scholarship of teaching and learning, data science & social justice, quantitative justice, broadening participation in STEM.

 

Publications

T. Basu, R. Buckmire, Z. Coovadia*, M. Diaz*, D.A. Iniguez*, and A. Scott*. (2024). "Using Unity Approximations to Construct Nonstandard Finite Difference Schemes for Bernoulli Differential Equations," in “Mathematical and Computational Modeling of Phenomena Arising in Population Biology and Nonlinear Oscillations,” Ed: Abba Gumel, Contemporary Mathematics, Volume 793, pp. 93-111.

T. Basu, R. Buckmire , and O. Tweneboah. (2022). "An Application of Machine Learning to College Admissions: The Summer Melt Problem." Journal of Machine Learning for Modeling and Computing, Vol. 3, Issue 4, pp. 93–117.

T. Basu and R. Buckmire. (2020). "Using Approximations of Unity in the Construction of Positivity-Preserving NSFD Schemes." International Journal on Difference Equations, Volume 15, Number 1, 2020, pp. 77-89.

K. Basu, T. Basu, R. Buckmire and N. Lal. (June 2019). "Predictive Models of Student College Commitment Decisions Using Machine Learning." Data, Volume 4, Issue 2, (Article 65).

D.A. Edwards, R. Buckmire and J. Ortega-Gingrich*. (2014). "A Mathematical Model of Cinematic Box-Office Dynamics with Geographic Effects." IMA Journal of Management Mathematics, Volume 25, Issue 2, 2014, pp. 233-257.

Holly Zullo, Kelly Cline, Mark Parker, Ron Buckmir e, John George, Katharine Gurski, Jacob Juul Larsen, Blake Mellor, Jack Oberweiser, Dennis Peterson, John Scharf, Richard Spindler, Ann Stewart, and Christopher Storm. "Student Surveys: What Do They Think?" In Teaching Mathematics with Classroom Voting: With and Without Clickers, edited by Kelly Cline and Holly Zullo. Mathematical Association of America, 2011. pp. 29-37.

R. Buckmire , K. McMurtry* and R.E. Mickens. (May 2009). "Numerical Studies of a Nonlinear Heat Equation with Square Root Dissipative Term." Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 598-609.

R. Buckmire . (2005). "Applications of Mickens Finite Differences to Several Related Boundary Value Problems." Advances in the Applications of Nonstandard Finite Difference Schemes. Ed. R.E. Mickens. World Scientific Publishing: Singapore. pp. 47-87.

R. Buckmire.  (May 2004). “Application of a Mickens Finite-Difference Scheme to the Cylindrical Bratu-Gelfand Problem.” Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 327-337.

R. Buckmire . "Investigations of Nonstandard, ‘Mickens-type,' Finite-Difference Schemes for Singular Boundary Value Problems in Cylindrical or Spherical Coordinates." Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, Vol. 19, No. 3, (May 2003), pp. 380-398.

D.A. Edwards and R. Buckmire. (2001). "A Differential Equation Model of North American Cinematic Box-office Dynamics." IMA Journal of Management Mathematics, Volume 12, Issue 1, pp. 41-74.

R. Buckmire . (1996). "A New Finite-difference Scheme for Singular Differential Equations in Cylindrical or Spherical Coordinates." Mathematics Is For Solving Problems: A Volume in Honor of Julian Cole. Eds. L. Pamela Cook, Victor Roytburd and Marshall Tulin. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics: Philadelphia. pp. 3-9.

* indicates undergraduate student co-author.

R. Buckmire, B.Beeton, R. Bryant, F.Q. Gouvêa, A.V. Phillips, D. Sullivan, and M. Wolf.  "Michael Spivak: A Memorial."  Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 71, No. 6, June/July 2024, pp. 786-795. Available at: https://www.ams.org/journals/notices/202406/noti2956/noti2956.html

C. Sawyer and R. Buckmire.  "The Automathography: A Humanistic Autobiographical Writing Assignment for Mathematics Courses."   Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 14 Issue 1 (January 2024), pages 54-73. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol14/iss1/5

R. Buckmire, C. Diaz Eaton, J.E. Hibdon Jr., K.M. Kinnaird, D. Lewis, J. Libertini, O. Ortega, R. Roca, and A.R. Vindas Meléndez. "On definitions of 'mathematician.'" Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 13 Issue 2 (July 2023), pages 8-38. Doi://10.5642/jhummath.ZRUZ1463. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol13/iss2/4

R. Buckmire , A. Folsom, C. Goff, A. Hoover, J. Nakao, and K.A. Sather-Wagstaff. "On Best Practices for the Recruitment, Retention, and Flourishing of LGBTQ+ Mathematicians." Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 70, No. 6, June/July 2023, pp. 979-985.

R. Buckmire and A. Roca. "Queer Science Blogs: Public communication before the age of social media." In Queering Science Communication: Representation, Theory and Practice (Eds: Lindy A. Orthia and Tara Roberson). Bristol University Press, 2023.

C. Goff and R. Buckmire.  "Spectra: Out to Support LGBTQ+ Mathematicians." MAA Focus, June/July 2022
P. Seshaiyer and R. Buckmire ."Justice,Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Applied Mathematics for All." SIAM News, December 2021.

A. Bonato, J. Bruce, R. Buckmire . "Spaces for All: The Rise of LGBTQ+ Mathematics Conferences." Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 68, No. 6, June/July 2021, pp. 998-1003.

R. Buckmire , L. Gasparov, M. Hunter, P. Schroyer, M. Soto. "Crisis Management for Different Institutional Environments." The ACAD Leader: Newsletter of the American Conference of Academic Deans, April 2021.

R. Buckmire . "Who Does The Math? On the Diversity and Demographics of the Mathematics Community in the United States." In Improving Applied Mathematics Education (eds. Ron Buckmire and Jessica M. Libertini). Proceedings of the 2019 ICIAM Conference in Valencia, Spain. (Springer Nature, 2021), pp 1-12.

R. Bryant, R. Buckmire , L. Khadjavi and D. Lind. "The Origins of Spectra, an Organization for LGBT Mathematicians." Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 66, No. 6, June/July 2019, pp. 875-882.

R. Buckmire. "Recognizing Black and Latinx Mathematical Excellence: The Blackwell-Tapia Prize." Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 66, No. 2, February 2019, pp. 218-220.

R. Buckmire . "A Survey of Significant Developments in Undergraduate Mathematics Education over the Past Decade." Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 66, No. 1, January 2019, pp. 46-51.

R. Buckmire , TJ Murphy, John Haddock, and Sandra Richardson. "The National Science Foundation Has Resources to Help You Improve the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics." AMS Blog on Teaching and Learning Mathematics, November 14, 2016.

R. Buckmire , P. Gabrielle Foreman and Donna Maeda. "’Race, Gender and Justice’: New Technologies and Student Empowerment." Works and Days, Vol. 16, No. 1/2, Spring/Fall 1998, pp. 319-332.

R. Buckmire , P. Gabrielle Foreman and Donna Maeda. "Race, Gender and Justice: Teaching with Technology at Occidental College." Newsletter of the American Studies Association, Vol. 21, No.3, September 1998.

R. Buckmire , P. Gabrielle Foreman, and Donna Maeda. "Teaching about Race, Gender and Justice: Bridging the Digital Divide." Diversity Digest, a publication of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Vol. 3, No. 1, Fall 1998.

R. Buckmire. "You can't get there from here: the impact of California's Proposition 209 on same-sex marriage." Albany Law Review, Vol. 60, No. 5, 1997. pp. 1673-1676.

R. Buckmire.  [Book Review] "Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else" by Jordan S. Ellenberg. April 22, 2022. American Mathematical Monthly.

R. Buckmire . [Book Review] "Poems that Solve Problems: The History and Science of Algorithms" by Chris Bleakley.  June 26, 2021. MAA Reviews.

R. Buckmire . [Book Review] "Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe" by Steven Strogatz.  January 13, 2021. MAA Reviews.

R. Buckmire . [Book Review] "Beyond Banneker: Black Mathematicians and the Paths to Excellence" by Erica N. Walker. November 4, 2016. MAA Reviews.

Awards and Honors

Selected to become a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), 2023

Selected to become a Fellow of the American College of Academic Deans (ACAD), 2019

Honored by Mathematically, Gifted and Black, (February 3, 2018)

National Science Foundation Director’s Award for Collaborative Integration, 2012

National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) LGBT Educator of the Year, 2011

Grants

$400,000. NSF Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE:EDU ICT Level 1) Grant, DUE-2413807, “Enhancing Program Review to Improve Undergraduate Mathematics Education.” 2024. Co-Principal Investigator.

$505,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence 3 (HHMI IE3) Institutional Grant. 2022. Principal Investigator.

$29,975. Mathematical Association of America National Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (NREUP). 2022. Co-Principal Investigator.

$30,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence 3 (HHMI IE3) Learning Grant. 2021. Principal Investigator.

$1,000,000. NSF Scholarships in STEM grant, DUE-2030763, "Creating Opportunities for High-achieving Students in Science and Mathematics through Scholarships, Research Experiences, Leadership, and Community." 2020. Co-Principal Investigator.

$606,191. NSF Scholarships in STEM grant, DUE-1457943, "Creating Opportunities in Science and Mathematics for Occidental Students (COSMOS)." 2015. Principal Investigator.
 

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