Frank Morgan Elected Vice President Of The American Mathematical Society
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - Frank Morgan, the Webster Atwell '21 Professor of Mathematics at Williams College, has been elected vice president of the American Mathematical Society. His three-year term will begin in February.Morgan's research interests lie in geometry, minimal surfaces, geometric measure theory, and the calculus of variations. Known for his work on bubbles, he said, "Soap bubbles continue to confound and amaze mathematicians." In 2000 he and a team of mathematicians proved the "Double Bubble Conjecture," which says that the standard double bubble that forms when two soap bubbles come together is the most efficient shape, with the least possible energy or surface area for enclosing and separating the two given volumes of air. "The applications of the Double Bubble Conjecture are wide ranging, applicable to fields such as biology and cellular structure, growth patterns of crystals, and as a gateway to understanding black holes," he said.
Morgan has published 150 papers and six books, including "Geometric Measure Theory: a Beginner's Guide," "Calculus Lite," "Riemannian Geometry: a Beginner's Guide," and "Real Analysis and Applications." He is also the author of the popular "The Math Chat Book," based on his live, call-in TV show and column. To those who have not had the experience of enjoying mathematics, he has said, "You learn arithmetic; that's not really mathematics. And, you're put in a situation where over time you are bound to have an experience in math class that makes you feel stupid; it's almost like in 'Clockwork Orange,' teaching someone to hate music. That's not how it's supposed to be at all. Math is supposed to be fun, like a game." He is doing all he can to rectify the situation through puzzles, which serve as his way of translating the truth of mathematics into a form that most people are familiar with and can apply to their everyday experiences.
Morgan received the inaugural national Haimo Distinguished Teaching Award from the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the Everett Moore Baker Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching from MIT, and a number of National Science Foundation grants.
Before coming to Williams, Morgan taught at MIT. He has also taught at Rice, Stanford, Queens College, and Princeton. Morgan received his S.B. from MIT, his Ph.D. from Princeton, and an honorary Sc.D. from Cedar Crest College.
