This intriguing animation supplied by Barry is a visual representation of seven parametric equations.

Barry McQuarrie

WHERE MATH MEETS ART? Barry offers some examples of calculus formulas which, when presented as an image, have great potential as a tattoo design...

Barry's own tattoo is an original design which includes his family crest and thistle flowers, a traditional symbol of Scotland.

HELPING OTHERS
SEE THE BEAUTY

Not everyone sees the beauty in math. Barry McQuarrie has been sharing that sense of beauty with UMM students since his arrival in Morris in 2000. Barry came to us as a Canada transplant.   The one thing that was clear to him from an early age was that his interest and talent in math made it a fun, natural career path.

"In high school when I took calculus, I realized there was more to it than just the math," Barry recalls.   "Once you understand the notational structures in calculus, you can use the things you know in different ways."

After an undergrad degree in math and physics followed by a Masters degree in math, Barry headed to Winnipeg for a PhD.   He laughs to remember why he ended up in theoretical physics.

"I followed a personal pattern used at every stage of my education by asking the question, 'What do I feel like doing now?' Winnipeg's math program had a language requirement, which I didn't want to take.   There was no such requirement in theoretical physics, so I did that. It turned out to be very similar to my masters research."

Barry was then ready to search out a small liberal arts college but realized two important determining factors for his next career move.   First, Canada had few such institutions and second, he knew he wanted to teach math, not physics.

"I felt so fortunate that a math position opened up at Morris, Minnesota. I actually found a liberal arts school where I could teach and still be able to drive home to Canada for visits," he says. "I'm lucky to be at Morris, where I can pursue research in theoretical physics and teach mathematics.   This is the best of all possible worlds for me."

Barry enjoys physics, but prefers teaching math courses like calculus.   "I'm not really interested in teaching physics labs," he admits.

"You see, to me, calculus is a wonderful use of notation.   If you can understand it, you can teach a horse to do it.   Notation might not immediately help you do anything but if you get an understanding of the structures of calc, upon reflection on notational thinking, you get excited by this new way of looking at things."

Barry still remembers the year in high school when he "got it" that there was more to calculus than meets the eye once a learner understands the notational structures. He enjoys helping UMM's students to find the fun in calculus and feel proud of what they can accomplish. He notes that this is tougher for non-math students, who need to see application usefulness in calculus.   Math students, conversely, appreciate notation for its own sake.

"Science majors can see why they need calc in their field," says Barry, "But econ and management students don't always see what's in it for them."

In Barry's Calc I and Calc II classes, he assigns "applied projects" for student teams that require them to use math applications to solve real life challenges.    "For example, when the road in front of my house was being redone, the city needed to figure out the assessment for each home at an intersection where part of a circle of concrete was poured," Barry recalls.  

"The city engineer is a UMM alumnus and knew me so he came over and said he had the formula figured out but needed help with the calculus.   This is a real life problem I use in class to demonstrate how the many small problems students learn in class can fit into a big story that can be solved."

Barry is also in charge of making sure that UMM's math courses meet the state's math standards for secondary education teachers.   It doesn't hurt that his wife, Michelle Page, is the discipline coordinator in Education for the secondary ed teachers.   He notes that it continues to be a challenge to find math majors who want to be high school teachers.

"They can make more money at other jobs and know that teachers don't get the societal support they deserve and need," Barry says.   "High school teachers really have to be people who are called to it--and also be excellent mathematicians.   I know I couldn't do it.   I want to teach math to students who want to be there."

However, Barry is willing to take some risks in the world of teaching.   Last year, he taught two sections of UMM's required freshman course, First Year Seminar (FYS).   He even chose a topic for which the only common denominator with math is...beauty!

"My topic was beauty and how it interacts with society," he explains.   "We covered body image, gender issues, tattooing and piercing.   The students thought it was cool and they got a chance to hear other people's perspectives, which is what the course is all about.

"For example, some of the students in the class had tattoos themselves and had to carry on a discussion with others whose first response to the topic was, 'Tattoos are freaky. Why would you want to do that?'"

When the FYS students read an article about Barbie dolls and body image, some first commented that the topic was stupid. They then heard from others about how playing with the dolls gave them an early low self esteem, knowing they could never attain that societal example of female perfection.   This led to discussions that became, in Barry's words, "pretty heavy."

"It takes a lot out of you to do this kind of class well," Barry admits, "but I would willingly do this topic again.   I've been teaching enough years now that I'm comfortable trying new things rather than just going with what's familiar."