FCSM announces first endowed professors in math and computer science
Previously the Fisher endowed chair program was available only to faculty in biological and natural sciences
By Megan Bradshaw on December 16, 2016
The Towson University Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics has announced its first two Fisher Endowed Professors in mathematics and computer science: Nathan McNew, Ph.D., and Nam Nguyen, Ph.D.
McNew, an assistant professor of mathematics, joined the faculty of the Department of Mathematics in August 2015. He earned his Ph.D. from Dartmouth University in 2015, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver in 2010. As a graduate student, he published several journal articles and made numerous presentations, and since coming to Towson University, he has two submitted and two accepted publications.
McNew teaches calculus, algebraic structures and cryptography. He serves as the faculty adviser to the Math Club and the coach of the Towson problem-solving team that competes in national math competitions. He is a national Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) Fellow for 2016-2017, sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, and he co-organized a regional conference in number theory here at TU.
Nguyen, an assistant professor of computer science, joined the faculty of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences in August 2013. Nguyen earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Florida in 2013, and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied mathematics, respectively, from the Vietnam National University in 2007 and Ohio University in 2009. During his graduate work, Nguyen participated in a research internship in cybersecurity at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
He teaches computer science I and II, data structures and algorithm analysis, application software security, and cryptography. His professional service includes reviewing for conferences, journals, and the National Science Foundation, and serving as an associate editor for Computational Social Networks.
Nguyen’s research centers on complex network science with a specific focus on network
structure and analysis, vulnerability assessment, data mining and modeling, and practical applications to social and mobile computing. He has co-authored a 2015 book and numerous journal articles and conference presentations since joining TU, and has obtained funding from the Faculty Development and Research Committee, the School of Emerging Technologies (SET), and the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program. Each of these projects has included support for undergraduate and graduate students.
The dean of the Fisher College began the endowed chair program in mathematical and computing sciences in 2016 using proceeds from the Jess & Mildred Fisher General Endowment. This new endowed chair is modeled after the existing endowed chair program in biological and physical sciences, which was established in 2006 by the Robert M. Fisher Memorial Foundation to honor the memory of Jess Fisher ’34, his wife Mildred, and their family, and to maximize the benefit of their philanthropy for students in the Fisher College of Science and Mathematics.
A specific objective of the endowed chairs is to incorporate high quality research opportunities into students’ undergraduate learning experiences through the support of the scholarly growth of highly promising early-career faculty members in the physical and biological sciences. Fisher Endowed Professors, who are appointed by the dean of the Fisher College, serve a term of three years.