Donald
Platte, Ph.D. Summary Autobiography
March 03, 2009
Donald Platte joined the faculty in the fall
of 1972 after receiving a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Michigan State University.
He has undergraduate degrees in both Mathematics and Physics from Aquinas
College. Dr. Platte is a full professor of Mathematics and Computer Systems. His
recent teaching duties include Modern Algebra, Applied Mathematics, Numerical
Analysis, Statistics, Networks, and Computer Operations.
He is a member of the Mathematics Association of America and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He has served as Second and First Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the Allegheny Mountain Section of the MAA. He has been a member of several nomination committees and By-Laws committees of the Allegheny Mountain Section. His most current duty was as a Coordinator for Short Courses the Section. From 2002- 2005 he was on the Governing Board of Trustees for the MAA representing the Allegheny Mountain Section of MAA. In 2006 he completed 40 years as a member of the MAA. At the 2008 spring meeting of the Allegheny Mountain Section Don received the section service award.
Don has served on four Pennsylvania
Department of Education Evaluation Teams. He has been an evaluator for proposals
of the Instructional Scientific Equipment Program of the NSF. In 1989 he served on a Middle States
Evaluation Team for Hofstra University. He has consulted locally on mathematics,
computer science and mathematics education.
Don has been a member of the Faculty Policies
Committee three times and served as chairman once. He has also been a member of
the College Senate (twice) and the Rank and Tenure Committee (three times). Don
had been the Chairman of the Department from 1976-1990. During this time the
department grew from 1.5 members to 6.5 members. In 1981 a degree in Management
Information Systems was added to the department. He was chairman of the Division
of Natural Sciences in 1980-81 and from 1990-1993. From 1993-1997 he was Coordinator of Academic
Computing.
In February of 2000
Don was recognized as a fifteen-gallon Erie County Community Blood Bank
Donor.