Letter from the Chair, Fall 2026

As I begin my one-year term as department chair, I want to thank my predecessor, Bruno Nachtergaele, for his leadership and contributions to the department. Bruno is currently on sabbatical at the Newton Institute in Cambridge, England, where he is helping to organize a programme (as the English say) on the Mathematics of Many-Body Entanglement. I am fortunate to be working this year with a department that has outstanding faculty, talented students, and dedicated staff. In 2027, Tim Lewis will become department chair, following his sabbatical this year.

This is a time of change in the world of mathematics. Many of the conversations in the department's corridors and offices these days center on AI and its remarkable progress as a mathematical tool. AI is already helping to solve a range of open problems, bringing both opportunity and turmoil to mathematical research. It is also opening up new possibilities for learning, prompting us to rethink how we teach mathematics at every level, from elementary to advanced. A faculty committee chaired by Roger Casals is examining how we should adapt our teaching and assessment practices to this changing environment. My own feeling is that AI will create exciting new opportunities for mathematics and mathematicians, but at this point we are largely guessing about how things will develop.

Another issue receiving considerable attention is our approach to precalculus instruction. Increasing numbers of students are arriving at UC Davis without the preparation needed for our lower-division calculus courses. Discussions are underway throughout the University of California system about whether to reinstate standardized tests such as the SAT and how best to strengthen the preparation students receive for calculus. These are difficult questions, with important implications for both students and faculty.

I am pleased to welcome a new faculty member, Colleen Robichaux, who joined the department this Fall. You can read about Colleen's research in her short bio.