Stanley Seltzer

Professor Emeritus, Mathematics

Degrees:

  • Ph.D., University of Iowa, Mathematics
  • B.A., Carleton College, Mathematics

I began at Ithaca in 1985 and taught both math and computer science courses in what was then a joint department. At about that time, IC was among the leaders in the calculus reform movement, and I was one of five members of our department (along with Steve Hilbert, John Maceli, Eric Robinson, and Diane Schwartz) who promoted the use of projects and activities in calculus, leading to our book Calculus: An Active Approach with Projects (now out in a second edition).

While I am an harmonic analyst by training, more recently I've become interested in a number of issues associated with the U.S. Census. Some of these are legal, historical, and sociological rather than mathematical, but -- not surprisingly -- some are math topics: statistical sampling, apportionment, and voting.

Service activities have always been a part of my professional life: I chaired Faculty Council for nine years and our department for 12.  With that behind me, in 2014 I began a three-year stint as editor of MAA Textbooks.

On the lighter side, I ran every day for 8395 days (five days short of 23 years) until a back injury forced me into retirement; I now practice yoga and lift weights.  Other hobbies include gardening and otherwise keeping up our 11+ acres.