Page 3 Professor Ernest Ha e ussier, the man behind the math books by Collegian correspondent Michael Stone You’ve probably seen him around campus. If you’re in a math or engineering curriculum, you may have had him as a teacher. But do you really know Ernest Haeussler, our associate professor of mathematics? Haeussler has the apperance of a traditional college professor, wearing a sportscoat, overcoat, and tie. The dap per gentleman is often carrying a work-filled briefcase - two briefcases if he’s giving a test that day. He currently teaches Math 141 and Math 230, but is known to teach any course that involves mathematics at the Hazle ton campus. Haeussler, 49, was born in New York and raised in the Reading area. He attended Franklin & Marshall for his undergraduate work, originally pursu ing the route of pre-dental medicine. His plans were changed, however, when a scheduling error made by the university placed him into the wrong biology course. He had to abandon his chosen course of study for his freshman year, but in the process, got turned on to a college algebra course he was taking. After switching his major to mathematics, Haeussler received his Bachelor degree from Franklin & Mar shall, a Masters from the University of Delaware, and did some additional graduate work at University Park. After teaching at various locations for a few years, Hauessler moved to the Hazleton area in 1967 to fill a position advertised by the Hazleton campus. During his years here, he and Professor Richard S. Paul have collaborated on over twenty published mathematical works. These works include five text books, twelve revised editions of those five texts, one instructor’s annotated textbook, and a solutions manual. The books originated from a heed for unpublished material. In the early 1970’5, Penn State required business students to take a calculus applications Penn State Hazleton Professor Ernest Haeussler (right) speaks with Michael Stone about his twenty-five year stay at Penn State Hazleton. course that related to their business studies. Few textbooks that fit those requirements were on the market at that time, so Haeussler and Paul sat down and began designing a textbook for college freshmen and sophomores in the business fields. After two years of writing and a year and a half of publication processes, Introductory Mathematical Analysis : For Students of Business and Economics was bom in 1973. Other textbooks followed, including Algebra, For College Students, as well as Algebra & Trigonometry, For Col lege Students, which is currently used on campus. Haeussler’s latest work with Paul, Introductory Mathematical Analysis For Business, Economics, and the Life and Social Sciences, was completed in 1987. It is the fifth edition of the book released in 1973, and the sixth edition and annotated instructor’s edition premiered in January of this year. The most recent editions may be found in the campus bookstore, and older copies are available through our university library system. Haeussler’s textbooks can also be found in class rooms throughout Pennsylvania, the United States, and in locations all over the world such as Australia and Canada. Moving from Ernest Haeussler the author to Ernest Haussler the teacher is an easy transition. He relishes the daily challenge of conveying informa tion, and he feels fulfilled when his students have learned about a subject he’s fond of. His classroom presence is distinctive: authoritative, but not im personal; informative, but not over bearing technical, but not confusing. He explains material explicitly, per forms countless examples each period, and reviews every so often to make sure his students brains are still intact When he’s not busy cranking out derivatives or graphing polar coor dinates in Math 141, he maintains ample office hours to assist his stu dents. If by chance a student would leave his classroom perplexed or run into some difficulty with a homework assignment, Haeussler’s more than happy to entertain questions in his office in the Administration Building. (eoatiaaed oa page 5) December, 1990
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