Rate My Professor John Noonan

Dr. John T. Noonan is Professor of Mathematics in the Mathematics and Computer Science Department within the School of Natural and Social Sciences at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. He holds a B.A. from Houghton College, earned in 1991, and a Ph.D. from Temple University, completed in 1997. Inspired by his professors at Houghton College, Noonan discovered his passion for teaching during his time as a teaching assistant at Temple University, leading him to pursue a career at a Christian institution like MVNU, where he joined the faculty in 1997 and advanced to full professor that same year. Over nearly three decades, he has taught a variety of undergraduate mathematics courses, including Multivariable Calculus, Introduction to Mathematical Systems, Algebra, and others, contributing significantly to MVNU's programs such as the B.A. in Mathematics, B.S. in Mathematics (Graduate School/Industry Concentration), and B.S. in Mathematics (Secondary Education Concentration). Noonan has also served as a key contact for adjunct instructor positions in statistics within the department.

In 2022, Dr. Noonan received the prestigious 2021-2022 Excellence in Teaching Award from MVNU, presented during the Class of 2022 honors ceremony. Dr. Barney Cochran, Vice President for Academic Affairs, commended Noonan's organized and clear instruction, passionate delivery, creative pedagogical approaches, effective use of new technologies, incorporation of humor, and infectious enthusiasm that transforms complex mathematical concepts into engaging learning experiences for students. Noonan's scholarly contributions focus on combinatorics, with key publications from his doctoral research including 'The number of permutations containing exactly one occurrence of a given pattern' published in 1996, 'The Goulden-Jackson Cluster Method: Extensions, Applications, and Implementations' co-authored with Doron Zeilberger, and 'New Upper Bounds for the Connective Constants of Self-Avoiding Walks on Alternating Zigzag Hierarchies of Square Lattices' in 1998. These works have garnered citations contributing to over 300 total citations as noted on his academic profile. Furthermore, he has engaged with the intersection of mathematics and faith, presenting papers such as 'The Consequences of Believing in an Infinite God' and reflections on mathematical proofs and divine omniscience at conferences of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences. Noonan has also been acknowledged in resources on quantitative literacy.