The annual David Poole Lecture in Mathematics is the latest addition to the Trent University Community Speaker Series, established through philanthropy. The lecture will bring the importance of mathematics and mathematics education into the spotlight with engaging talks aimed at the Trent community, local teachers and students, and the general public.

The David Poole Lecture in Mathematics is set to launch this fall, with the inaugural lecture presented by Trent alumna Dr. Jane Heffernan ’96 on October 13. Dr. Heffernan is one of Canada’s leading mathematicians and a director with the Centre for Disease Modelling at York University.

Dr. Poole, professor emeritus in Trent’s Mathematics Department, is a strong advocate for mathematics education and has been involved with several teaching committees and task forces on mathematics education. He also produced various reports on teaching and learning approaches and his textbook, Linear Algebra: A Modern Introduction, currently in its fourth edition, is widely used at colleges and universities around the world. The David Poole Lecture in Mathematics endowment fund builds on this commitment to mathematics education and advancement.

“I retired six years ago and spent some time thinking about how I could give back to my department, to the University, and to the community,” says Professor Poole. “Mathematics underpins so many aspects of society, it really is everywhere. This public lecture series will give us the opportunity to talk about the many aspects of mathematics and how it impacts our everyday lives.”

Prof. Poole excelled in mathematics from a young age and the subject became a natural choice as he entered university. He hopes that the new community lecture will foster a similar interest in mathematics in the next generation.

“The idea is to provide something that is beneficial to the community, Trent students, and particularly local teachers and their students,” explains Prof. Poole. “I hope that the lecture series can, on the one hand, bring these groups together, and on the other maybe inspire students to pursue a Mathematics degree.”

Prof. Poole joined Trent’s Mathematics Department in 1984, where he remained a member until his retirement in 2016. He served as department chair on three occasions, and from 2002-2007 he was associate dean of Arts and Science (Teaching & Learning). His dedication to high-quality teaching resulted in several teaching awards over the years, including Trent’s Symons Award for Excellence in Teaching, the University's top teaching award, as well as a 3M Teaching Fellowship, the country’s top university teaching award.

The David Poole Lecture in Mathematics is the latest addition to Trent’s Community Speaker Series, an open lecture series featuring visiting faculty and experts, sharing ideas on subjects such as the Environment, Gender & Women's Studies, Business & Society, Chemistry, Cultural Studies, and Indigenous Studies.