math alumni/ae of september/october

nick menhart graduated from paci in 1981 and went on to university in math, then in biophysics and biochemistry, very important fields in our economy. he frequently visits thunder bay and his family. his present job title is assistant professor, illinois institute of technology. he describes his work as professor, biophysics, and his teaching as biophysics and biochemistry. his research concerns the molecular flexibility of medically important proteins: plasminogen ( involved in heart attack and stroke) and dystrophin (muscular dystrophy). he says that mathematics is important in his work because biophysics uses mathematics as its basic language, seeking to describe the mechanisms of life in physical terms, quantifying the forces involved, and determining the ramifications of these forces for biological activity. these involve aspects of applied math, chiefly calculus,algebra, and group theory.