Dr. John Estes

Education

• B.S., Oral Roberts University
• M.S., The University of Mississippi
• Ph.D., The University of Mississippi

Committee and University Service Experience

• Faculty Admissions Council, Belhaven University (2015-2017)
• Faculty Athletic Representative, Belhaven University (2017-2020)

Taught and developed curriculum and projects for Advanced Calculus, Research Topics in Mathematics, Graph Theory, Number Theory, Modern Algebra, History of Math, College Algebra (traditional and online), Quantitative Reasoning (traditional and online), Trigonometry, Elementary Statistics, Mathematics for Business (traditional and online), Proof Expositions, Calculus I-IV, Statistics and Probability, Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Logic, and Differential Equations.

Led student research projects in areas of Graph Theory, History of Mathematics, and Studying Water Flow at the Jackson Zoo as well as senior projects and 3D printer projects.

Memberships and Associations

• Mathematical Association of America. Member since 2010
• Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences. Member since 2012

Publications

• Carlson, P. J., Robinson L, O’Gwynn D., Brandon, E., Estes, J., Oakley, J, … Bishop, G. R. (2018). Partnerships that Foster Civic Engagement in Undergraduate Science Education and Research: Assessment of an Urban Zoo. ACS Symposium Series Citizens First! Democracy, Social Responsibility and Chemistry, 53-72. Doi:10.10121/bk-2018-1297.ch004
• J. Estes, Emlee Nicholson, Bing Wei. “Partial Orderings of Trees According to Zagreb Indices.” MATCH Commun. Math. Comput. Chem. 76 (2016) 649-657.
• J. Estes, Bing Wei. “Sharp Bounds on the Zagreb Indices for k-trees”. Journal of Combinatorial Optimization. 27(2) (2014).
• J. Estes, William Staton, Bing Wei. “A bound on the values of independence polynomials at -1/k for k-degenerate graphs”. Discrete Mathematics. 313(18) (2013) 1793-1798.
• J. Estes, William Staton, Bing Wei. “Independent Sets of Cardinality s of Maximal Outerplanar Graphs”. Fibonacci Quarterly. 51(2) (2013).
• J. Estes, William Staton. “Diatonic Graphs.” Ars Combinatoria 105 (2012), pp. 333-354
• Emlee Nicholson, John Estes. “A Bound on Matching Backbone Colorings of k-trees and kdegenerate Graphs.” (2014) Under revision.

Student Research Projects (Advisor):

2019:

• “Looking at Random Walks on Graphs with Markov Chains” Senior Thesis, Jiahao Cao. “Modelling Standing Waves and Chladni Diagrams” Senior Thesis, Murray Robertson. (Included building a Chladni plate.)
• “A Data Base of Independence Polynomials of Trees”, Senior Thesis, John Croskrey.
• “Backbone Spoke Colorings of Generalized Petersen Graphs”, Senior Thesis, Matthew Sinclair.

2018:

• “Mathematics and Secrets: Ways Mathematics can be Used to Encode and Decode Messages” Senior Thesis, Christine Hays.

2017:

• “Great Mathematical Problems: The Solved, the Unsolved, and Unsolvable” Senior Thesis, Jackson Barber.
• “On the Partitioning Problem” Senior Thesis, Bailey Smith.
• “Mathematics in the Golf Swing” Senior Thesis, Tyler Schingle.
• “Holding Infinity: A Brief Look into Infinite Series” Senior Thesis, Wilder Uhl.

2016:

• “Is He Worth It? A look at Sabremetrics” Senior Thesis, Alex Gregory.
• “The Pythagorean Theorem: History, Proofs, and Perfect Cuboids” Senior Thesis, David Hays.

2015:

• “Flow Rates of Waterways of the Jackson Zoo”, Sierra Horel and Bailey Smith.
• “The History of Mathematics Globe Project”, Storm Couch, David Hays, AnnMarie Kimball, Anne Mushimiyimana, Bailey Smith, Wilder Uhl.
• “Face Contiguity Distributions of Platonic Graphs”, Todd Stricklin.

Presentations

2019:

• “Graph Theory on Mars” Belhaven’s Big STEM Event, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS
• “Will This Game Ever End?” Guest Lecture, Jackson Preparatory School, Jackson, MS
• “Egyptian Mathematics” Belhaven Takeover Day, Hartfield Academy, Flowood, MS
• “Careers in Education” Career Day, Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Ridgeland, MS

2018:

• “Worldview in the Mathematics Classroom” presented to the Belhaven Board of Regents, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS
• “Graph Theory and the Fibonacci Sequence” Mathematics Guest Lecture, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK

2017:

• Makerbot Workshop, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS
• “Why does Math work? And where does it come from?” Mathematics Seminar, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS

2016:

• “Will This Game Ever End?” Mu Alpha Theta Club Meeting, Jackson Preparatory School, Jackson, MS
• “A Bound on Matching Backbone Colorings of k-trees and k-degenerate Graphs.” MAA Sectional Meeting, LSU Shreveport, Shreveport, LA

2015:

• “Candidates for the Kingdom of God” Belhaven Chapel Address, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS
• “Pi and the Fibonacci Sequence” Mathematics Seminar, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS

2014:

• “Triangles, Numbers, and Triangular Numbers” Mathematics Seminar, Belhaven University, Jackson, MS

2012:

• “k-Trees” Graduate Seminar, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2011:

• “Diatonic Graphs” AMS/MAA Joint Meeting, Special Session: Mathematical Techniques in Musical Analysis, New Orleans, LA
• “Paths, Independence, and Fibonacci” Pi Mu Epsilon Seminar, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2010:

• “Graph Harmonies” Graduate Seminar, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2007:

• “Mathematics and Music” Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK
• “Mathematics and Music” Kappa Mu Epsilon National Convention, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO

Grants and Honors

2017:

• The Higher Education Appreciation Day, Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) recipient for Belhaven University, Jackson, MS, selected by colleagues.

2012:

• Graduate Student Achievement Award for the College of Liberal Arts, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
• Who’s Who Among America’s College Students recipient, The University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

2007-2012:

• Full Graduate Assistantship awarded by the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

Software Experience

Experienced:

• Wolfram’s Mathematica 10.0
• Wolfram|Alpha
• Microsoft Office
• LaTex
• Makerbot Print
• Prusa Slic3r
• Cura
• Camtasia Studio
• TinkCAD

Moderate Exposure:

• Python
• Desmos
• Geogebra
• AutoCAD
• openSCAD
• Maple
• Processing
• Arduino IDE

Additional Information

• Languages: English (first language), Spanish (advanced)
• 2012–present: Dream Team Volunteer for Word of Life Church, Flowood, MS, assisting with the Worship Team and as a Connector.
• 2009–2011: Music Coordinator at Life Connection Church, Blue Mountain, MS
• 2008–2011: Youth Leader at Life Connection Church, Blue Mountain, MS
• 2005–2007: Dorm Chaplain, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK
• 2003–2006: Leader of Greater Mission, a community outreach group that assisted the mentally handicapped, Tulsa, OK.