Rate My Professor John Noonan

Dr. John T. Noonan serves as Professor of Mathematics in the School of Natural and Social Sciences at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU). He earned a B.A. in 1991 from Houghton College and a Ph.D. in 1997 from Temple University. Inspired by his professors at Houghton College and his experience as a teaching assistant during graduate school, Noonan discovered his passion for teaching mathematics. He began at MVNU in 1995 as an adjunct instructor in youth ministry courses while serving as Director of Admissions and later in Church Relations. Following his Ph.D., he joined the Mathematics Department as full-time faculty in 1997, contributing 25 years to the institution through creative education on the intricacies and relevance of mathematics. Noonan has taught a range of courses, including Calculus I (MAT-1034), Multivariable Calculus (MAT-3034), Introduction to Statistics, and Introduction to Mathematical Systems, demonstrating his organized, clear, and passionate teaching style.

Noonan's research centers on combinatorial mathematics, particularly sequences arising from specific combinatorial problems. He published papers during and after graduate school in this area. A significant contribution is his 1998 paper, 'New Upper Bounds for the Connective Constants of Self-Avoiding Walks,' published in the Journal of Statistical Physics while affiliated with the Department of Mathematics at Mount Vernon Nazarene College. Employing a novel implementation of the Goulden-Jackson method, the work establishes new rigorous upper bounds for connective constants of self-avoiding walks on rectangular lattices, exceeding previous records with generating functions up to memory length 8 and numerical improvements. In April 2022, during MVNU's Class of 2022 commencement, Noonan received the 2021-2022 Excellence in Teaching Award for his significant contributions to students' intellectual growth, highlighted by creative pedagogical methods, integration of new technology, sense of humor, and enthusiasm that make mathematics engaging. He has served as the contact for adjunct instructor hiring in statistics and is listed as Mathematics Department Chair in the American Mathematical Society Directory of Institutions.