Celebrating a Year Well Done: Math Spring Luncheon 2026
Celebrating a Year Well Done: Math Spring Luncheon 2026
With the end of the semester upon us, the Department of Mathematics hosted its annual Spring Luncheon, offering a chance for the department community to pause and connect before final exams began. Faculty, staff, students, and guests gathered for an afternoon that focused as much on community as it did on accomplishment.
Throughout the event, students were recognized for their work in the classroom, their involvement in research, and the many ways they have contributed to the life of the department. This year's graduating master's and doctoral students were honored as well, marking the culmination of years of dedication and persistence.
The luncheon was less a formal ceremony than a reminder of the relationships and shared experiences that define the department — a chance to reflect on the past year while looking ahead to the year to come.
Undergraduate Award Recipients
Matthew Freeman – Beth Wilson Award
Graeme Reinhart – Outstanding Mathematics Major Award
London Zirretta – Outstanding Mathematics Education Major Award
Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award Recipients
Martha du Preez and Ellie Stephens
M.S. Graduates
Lauren Engelthaler, Teresa Gulding, Luke Hanson, Jesus Hernandez-Rodriguez, Vishwam Khapre, Shandi Stiner Navarro, Robert Stansbury, and Ambrose Terneus
Ph.D. Graduates and Advisors
Blake Allan, Advisor Fritz Gesztesy
Drew Anderson, Advisor Rob Kirby
Hayden Henson, Advisor Ron Morgan
Ellie Matter, Advisor Jameson Graber
Rafael Morales, Advisor Andrei Martinez-Finkelshtein
Blanca Radillo-Murguia, Advisor Paul Hagelstein
Pedro Takemura, Advisor Marius Mitrea
Quotes From Some of Our Award Winners
Matthew Freeman – Beth Wilson Award
"I am blessed to have received this award. The Math Department faculty have been incredibly kind and supportive and have given me opportunity after opportunity to learn more of what interests me. It has been a joy to see how God's character is exemplified in the interconnectedness and beauty of mathematics. I will be continuing on to use all that I've learned as an actuary for Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in Dallas."
Graeme Reinhart – Outstanding Mathematics Major Award
"I am very honored to receive this award. My time working with the math department these past four years has brought nothing but joy. Working with Dr. Littlejohn over the last few semesters formed some of my happiest memories at Baylor, and my work with Dr. Simanek helped me to grow immensely as a math student. I have a far greater understanding and appreciation of all that mathematics has to offer because of Baylor's math department and its wonderful faculty."
London Zirretta – Outstanding Mathematics Education Major Award
"I am honored to receive this award. Throughout my past four years at Baylor, my math classes have stretched me and grown my mathematics and thinking in ways I never thought were possible. I have grown as a person, educator, and problem-solver due to the Mathematics Department – truly, thank you for helping shape me into the educator that I am today and will be in the future. I am currently a Resident Math Teacher (Algebra 1, Algebraic Reasoning, and AP Pre-Calculus) at Robinson High School, and I look forward to continuing as their Geometry Teacher this next school year. Again, thank you, Baylor Mathematics Department."
