Michael Grady, Professor of Mathematics
Dr. Michael Grady earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Missouri, St. Louis in 1968, an M.S. in mathematics from the University of Southern Illinois in 1970, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Utah in 1975. Dr. Grady began his 37-year career at LMU in 1975. His research interests were in functional analysis and he was the author of several textbooks. Dr. Grady served as Mathematics Department Chair from 1993-2005. Throughout his career, Dr. Grady was known for his dedication to students, the department and the university. Students often commented on their appreciation of Dr. Grady’s interest in their well-being and availability to help when needed. Dr. Grady passed away in April 2012.
Lev Abolnikov
In his 30 years at LMU, Professor Abolnikov taught a variety of classes, ranging from pre-calculus to senior-level courses, as well as graduate courses during the years that LMU offered a master’s degree in mathematics. He was a dedicated teacher who successfully experimented with new approaches and incorporated his scholarly work into his curriculum. Professor Abolnikov served as editor of the departmental newsletter, AfterMATH, chaired the department’s graduate committee, and was the organizer of the applied math seminar. In 1984, Professor Abolnikov organized the department’s annual Math Olympics competition, which he ran until 2008. He also served on the University Research and the University Library committees.
Professor Abolnikov’s research in probability and statistics, queuing theory, operations research and their application is extensive and is highly regarded. He published more than 50 scholarly articles and a book, some with co-authors from around the world. For 25 years he was an associate editor of the international Journal of Applied Mathematics and Stochastic Analysis, and he wrote for Mathematical Reviews, the searchable database of scholarly article reviews in the mathematical sciences.
Professor Abolnikov was born in Odessa, Ukraine. He earned his Ph.D. from the USSR Engineering Academy of Management and Communications Science in 1970 and his M.S. from the University of Leningrad in 1961. Motivated by social injustices of the times, Professor Abolnikov immigrated to the United States in 1980. His first U.S. position was a joint one at Harvey Mudd College and the Claremont Graduate University. A year later, he joined the faculty at LMU. Professor Abolnikov died on Feb. 18, 2019 at the age of 82.
Father Clarence J. Wallen
Father Clarence J. Wallen, S. J., received his M.S. degree in mathematics from St. Louis University in 1946, after which he taught for one year at Loyola University of Los Angeles. He went back to St. Louis University and received his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1956. After completing his doctorate, he returned to Los Angeles to take a faculty position at Loyola University. During his tenure as chair of the department from 1971-1974, Loyola University merged with Marymount College to become Loyola Marymount University. Fr. Wallen retired in 1987.
After his retirement, he continued teaching in the department part-time until 1998. Fr. Wallen remained active in both the the spiritual life of the University and in the LMU Jesuit community until his passing in 1999.
Fr. Wallen's legacy as a mathematics faculty member of Loyola/LMU lives in the dozens of students on whom he has had a significant influence. Many of the students he taught over the years, have gone on to earn graduate degrees in the mathematical sciences.
Michael Cullen
Dr. Michael Cullen graduated from Loyola University in 1965 and earned his PhD in mathematics from the University of Iowa in 1968. After completing his PhD, Dr. Cullen taught at Louisiana State University and then began his LMU career in 1973. He served as Mathematics Department Chair from 1986-1989. His research interests were in complex analysis and biomathematics and he was the author of several books, including Mathematics for the Bio-Sciences, and Linear Models in Biology. Dr. Cullen passed away in 1999, one day after learning that he was the selected to receive LMU’s 1999 Fritz B. Burns Distinguished Teacher Award. The announcement of the award cited “Dr. Cullen’s unparalleled teaching and exceptional ability to combine teaching and mathematics with humor and various technological innovations.” Among students and faculty, Dr. Cullen was known for his humor and ability to inspire.
Warren Scott Wright
Scott Wright joined LMU in 1967. Through his retirement in 2011, he accompanied tremendous change at the university, including the merger of Loyola University and Marymount College and the remarkable growth and diversity in enrollment and faculty hiring. Professor Wright served as Faculty Senate president and department chair several times. In addition to his full teaching schedule, he served on key university committees, including Rank and Tenure; Grievance; Academic Planning and Review; Sabbatical Review; and the Committee to Review Faculty Merit System. Along with a few other faculty, Professor Wright was a pivotal figure during the 1970s in promoting the transition of the Mathematics Department to a shared governance model, creating a vibrant community of students, faculty, and staff with a culture that is supportive and collegial while maintaining excellent standards.
Professor Wright’s teaching and writing, from precalculus to partial differential equations, involved authoring curricular materials, textbooks, and dozens of manuals, many of which were with colleague Dennis Zill. He earned his M.S. in mathematics from USC and his B.A. in mathematics from Pomona College.