REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE U. OF WINDSOR TO STUDY
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

1. The University of Windsor has the best teachers of mathematics in the province. Of course, such a statement is a matter of opinion. But many of our graduates have continued their studies at other Ontario universities and most feel that the University of Windsor teaching has been at least as strong as the other university they attended.
2. The University of Windsor has smaller classes (beginning in second year) compared to other universities and more access to faculty members. The smaller classes help achieve the high quality of teaching. The smaller classes also imply that there is a better opportunity for students to visit a faculty member in his/her office for help and guidance.
3. Some universities actively discourage students from visiting their professors in their offices. The current members of the Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Windsor take pride in making themselves available to students. Not only is this important to students in studying for a course, but can also be important when a student needs reference letters (for job applications or scholarship applications or graduate school applications), or advice.
4. Great Scholarship Opportunities: Strong students are eligible for some excellent scholarships. A high school student who makes University of Windsor one of their top choices may be surprised at how much he/she can receive in scholarships. Some of our really excellent students found that the Windsor offer was the best they received. Check into the University of Windsor "outstanding scholar program." This information is really important for students with a strong high school record. My son just started at the University of Windsor in Fall, 2010 and his University of Windsor financial offer FAR exceeded the competitors.
5. More flexibility in one's program: First year students generally do not know what their ultimate area of interest will be. If they are forced to make choices too early, they may find that these choices restrict them later on. At some universities in Ontario, if one does not take the honours mathematics courses in first year, they cannot get into the second year honours math courses. At the U. of Windsor, there is a special calculus section for mathematics and physics students in first year. But students who do not choose this section can still proceed through the honours math stream with just the standard calculus section for science and engineering students. i.e. The University of Windsor system allows greater flexibility. "Keep as many doors open as you can."
6. The University of Windsor is a great place to learn to do research. The University of Windsor Math. and Stat. Faculty has 100% of its Math and Stat faculty actively publishing journal articles. Researchers at the U. of Windsor are working on exciting projects and are eager to have good undergraduate (or graduate) students working on the projects with them. See later comments about research and undergraduate students who have "outstanding scholar" awards. Also, chances are good that the top undergraduate Honours Math and Stat students at the University of Windsor can receive an NSERC summer research award after their third year.
7. New Creative and Enthusiastic Faculty: The University of Windsor Math and Stat Department has a large number of recently hired tenure track professors. Further, the tight job market in mathematics means that there is some unbelievable talent out there looking for positions. Our most recent hires would fit nicely into any mathematics department in North America, including MIT and Princeton. Actually, one of them is a Canadian with a PhD from MIT, and is the only Canadian winner of the Elizabeth Lowell Putnam competition (highest female performance on the prestigious North American Putnam Mathematics competition).
8. There are fewer optional courses. This does not sound like an advantage. But surprisingly, it is. Because there are fewer optional courses available at the University of Windsor compared to larger universities, students are forced to take courses that they think they may not like. But like bad tasting medicine, this turns out to be good for them. Faculty members know what material will be valuable in a student's graduate program. The courses that the students are forced to take are exactly the courses that they need for a graduate program. As a result, U. of Windsor graduates are often better prepared for graduate work than students from other universities.
9. Strong University of Windsor students who graduate from the undergraduate program in mathematics and/or statistics are in demand elsewhere. Our graduates have an impressive record of obtaining NSERC and OGS Graduate Awards. Our graduates have gone on to further studies at U. of Waterloo, Toronto, University of Alberta, UBC, and to large U.S. schools (like Michigan) where they have performed exceptionally well. Two former University of Windsor students won awards for the best PhD theses in Canada (one in statistics and one in applied mathematics). The teaching profession (in high school) still has openings for mathematics majors especially if they have some other special interest or ability. Our graduating students are also finding other jobs which use their mathematics training. We have a number of our graduates who have taken positions in government and industry amd actuarial work, using their mathematical background.
10. Many of our graduates are now teaching at major universities. Mei Ling HUANG (PhD in Stat, Univ. of Windsor) is a professor at Brock University. Mohammed HAMDEN (Ph.D. in Math, Univ. of Windsor) is a professor at the University of New Brunswick. Ramesh SHARMA (PhD in Math, University of Windsor) is a professor at Yale University. Tonghui WANG (Ph.D. in Statistics, University of Windsor) is a professor at New Mexico State University. Joseph MASARO (Ph.D. in Statistics, U. of Windsor) recently retired as a professor from Acadia University. Steve DREKIC (M.Sc. in Statistics, U. of Windsor, PhD at U.W.O.) is a professor at the U. of Waterloo. Jeff HOOPER, (M.Sc. in Math, U. of Windsor; PhD, McMaster) is a professor at Acadia University. Brad LUCIER (B.Sc. in Math, U. of Windsor), is a professor at Purdue University. Vahid TAROKH (M.Sc. in Math, U. of Windsor) is a professor at Harvard. Ed SUSKO (B.Sc. in Math & Stat, U. of Windsor, PhD, Univ. of Waterloo) is a professor at Dalhousie. John LABUTE (B.Sc. (Math), U. of Windsor) is a professor at McGill. Fotini LABROPULU (Ph.D.(Math), U. of Windsor) is a professor at the University of Regina. Nicole LEMIRE (B.Sc. in Math, U. of Windsor; PhD, U. of Alberta) is a professor at the University of Western Ontario. Chris SOTEROS (B.Sc. (University of Windsor); Ph.D. (Princeton University)) is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Rajesh BARNWAL (PhD, Statistics, University of Windsor, 1990) is a professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Dianliang DENG (PhD., Statistics, U of Windsor, 2001), is a professor at the University of Regina. Krishna SAHA (PhD, Statistics, U. of Windsor) has a position at Connecticut State University. Shafiu JIBRIN (MSc., Math, U of Windsor) is a professor at Northern Arizona University. Bhisham C. GUPTA (PhD, Windsor) is Math & Stat department chair at the University of Southern Maine. S. Allen BROUGHTON (BSc, Windsor) is Professor and Head, Department of Mathematics, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Nagambal Shah (PhD, Statistics, University of Windsor, 1970), Spellman College, Atlanta, Gerald KELLER (PhD, Statistics, University of Windsor, 1973) is retired from Wilfed Laurier University. Mohanad Al-khasawneh is with the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, Qatar University. Ranee Thiagarajah (PhD, Statistics, U of Windsor) is a professor at Illinois State University. Tasneem Zaihra teaches in the Department of Computer Science and Applied Statistics at UNB Saint John. Dr.T. Srivenkataramana( Ph.D. Statistics, University of Windsor) was Head, Department of Statistics, Bangalore University. Ranee Thagarajah is a professor at Illinois State University. Mohamed Hamden (PhD Applied Math, University of Windsor) is with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of New Brunswick. Daniel REAUME (BSc in Math & Stat, Univ. of Windsor; PhD, U. of Michigan) is Staff Research Engineer at General Motors Labs in Warren, Michigan, and adjunct professor at the University of Michigan. Bashar ZOGHEIB (PhD, Applied Math University of Windsor) teaches at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. Shafiu JIBRIN(MSc Math, U of Windsor) is a faculty member at the University of Northern Arizona.
11. Actuarial mathematics is the mathematics of insurance and pensions and risk. The job of an actuary is considered one of the best jobs of any kind, since it pays well, involves interesting work, and has a high job satisfaction level. We have an excellent network of our graduates working with actuarial consulting companies in metro Detroit (and quite a number who have taken positions in other cities in Canada). In fact, our Detroit contacts are so strong that the University of Windsor is the first Canadian university that Detroit area companies look at when seeking actuarial employees. One actuarial consulting firm in Metro Detroit has well over a dozen former U of Windsor Math students working there. So, in spite of the fact that the University of Windsor does not have a formal actuarial degree (though we do offer courses aimed directly to actuarial students and U. Windsor is an official site for actuarial exams in all three VEE topics have corresponding U of Windsor courses approved by the Society of Actuaries), our graduates may have a BETTER chance of getting actuarial employment than graduates of other universities in Canada!! One Detroit area firm (Watson Wyatt) holds an annual information session in the Math and Stat Dept. at the U. of Windsor. (The most recent session was in October, 2010.) See
    http://web2.uwindsor.ca/math/hlynka/actuarial.html
12. In general, one should not spend an entire university student career at one university. Otherwise, one does not learn about the differences and variety of viewpoints that exist. If a student attends the U. of Windsor for an undergraduate degree, he/she can always continue at another university for his/her Master's or doctorate. (The converse is also true.)
13. For Windsor area students, it is much cheaper to live at home than to rent housing in another city. Does $5000 savings per year sound about right?
14. Location. Location. Location. Windsor has access to Detroit - libraries, universities, radio stations, television stations, sports, airports. (There are no NFL teams in Toronto.) If you have a favorite type of radio station, there's a good chance you'll find it here. (Don't try this in London or Kingston or Thunder Bay or Guelph or Waterloo.) Windsor has access to all the advantages of Detroit, but maintains its own identity. The advantages of Windsor include lower housing costs, the best pizza in the province, cheaper car prices, lots of downtown parking, friendly people, great restaurants (especially Chinese, Italian, Indian, Lebanese, Arabic, Polish, Vietnamese), easy travel access to any place in North America by plane (through Metro Detroit airport or Windsor airport), and easy car access to a huge number of major cities: Toledo is one hour away, Cleveland is 3 hours away, Chicago and Cincinnati are 5 hours away by car. New York, Philadelphia, Washington, are 8 hours away. Detroit is 5 minutes away.
    The climate in Windsor is the warmest in Ontario. We are NOT part of the snow belt that goes through London and Hamilton and Toronto. Windsor received the nickname "the Florida of Canada." Of course, we are not Florida, but check on a globe and you will see that Windsor is at the same latitude as northern California.
15. The Windsor Casino (Canada's number one tourist attraction) and the auto industry (Chrysler, Ford, and G.M. and an incredible number of tool and die industries) are still huge. Until recently, Windsor had low unemployment and a large home building market. The slump in the domestic auto market has hurt Windsor's economy. But there is still an outstanding auto research component here and connections to the auto industry from the U. of Windsor are the best in Canada. As for the University of Windsor, it is booming with an expanding medical school, a fabulous sports complex and lots of new buildings.
16. Housing Availability: Because of tough times in the North American auto industry, some people have had to leave Windsor. That means vacant apartments and houses that can be rented or purchased for far less than in some other cities. Parents who live outside of Windsor with more than one student attending the U of Windsor, may even want to consider purchasing a condominium here. Student 1 lives there for a couple of years, then is joined by student 2 who remains there after student 1 leaves. When student 2 finishes, sell the condominium. The only cost would be the lost interest on money invested in the condo (and the monthly condo fees). But with low interest rates, and interest subject to tax, and low condo prices, it seems like a good strategy to me. Few people could afford this strategy in Toronto! A recent national survey rated Windsor as the least expensive major city in Canada in terms of housing prices.
17. Some students get jobs in the University of Windsor Dept. of Math. & Stat. to do grading or to work in the Math & Stat help center (doing tutorial type work).
18. Undergraduate students get a chance to be on Departmental committees and their views are respected. This is NOT true at most universities.
19. Windsor is a hotbed of mathematical talent. One Windsor high school, Vincent Massey, under the talented coaching of retired teacher Bruce White, has been winning Canadian honours for years.
20. If you like Mathematics contests, the University of Windsor is leaping forward in this area. Two of the recently hired professors are successful international contest winners. The University of Windsor, together with Bruce White and Windsor's Vincent Massey high school, have committed to host the Canadian Mathematics Society national mathematics training camp for grades 9 and 10. This camp will be in Windsor for Summer 2009, Summer 2010, Summer 2011. If you want to get involved, contact the U of Windsor Math and Stat Department. The department also holds training sessions for the annual undergraduate North American Putnam mathematics competition.
21. There are good jobs available in mathematics: teaching, actuary, government, industry.
22. The University of Windsor implemented, in Fall, 2002, a degree of B. Math. (Bachelor of Mathematics) rather than the former Bachelor of Science (Math major). That will look great on any transcript.
23. The University of Windsor has very popular concurrent and consectutive B.Ed./B.Math. programs in Education and Mathematics. The advantage of this program is that one does not have to worry about getting admitted to a Faculty of Education after finishing a bachelor's degree (and these days that is VERY important). Another advantage is that students find out early if teaching is the right path for them. Admission to this program requires high grades from high school so study hard in high school.
24. Students admitted under the "outstanding scholar" scholarship program get an opportunity to work on projects with faculty in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. This has been great fun for students to actually work on research or participate in other projects while still an undergraduate. Some students have worked on math contest training, statistical analyses, simulation studies, small research projects, actuarial prep. This is great fun for both student and professor. The awards are quite lucrative. My son just started at the U of Windsor in Fall, 2010 and I was shocked at the high offer from Windsor compared to the other places he applied. If your high school average is over 85 or 90 or 95, DO NOT ACCEPT ANOTHER OFFER until you see Windsor's offer. I have been asking students from outside Windsor why they choose Windsor, and the most common answer was that Windsor made the best offer.
25. Mathematics in Action. The University of Windsor hosted the 2009 Canadian Mathematics Society Annual Winter meeting (in December, 2009). The University of Windsor hosted of CanQueue (Canadian Queueing Conference) in August, 2009. In summer, 2011, the U of Windsor is hosting the 3rd National CMS (Canadian Math Society) Math Camp for high school students (do not confuse this with local area math camps hosted by numerous universities).

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The URL of this web page is
http://web2.uwindsor.ca/math/ hlynka/ reasons.html
You can visit Myron Hlynka's home page at http://web2.uwindsor.ca/math/ hlynka/index.html
If you wish to talk to Dr. Hlynka about attending the Dept. of Math. & Stat. at the U. of Windsor, you can e-mail him at
hlynka@uwindsor.ca or phone him at (519)-253-3000 (ext 3014)

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