Dale Hathaway, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Dean of the Martin D. Walker School of STEM
“I believe that when God created the universe, the mathematical structure was put in place,” says Dr. Dale Hathaway, professor of mathematics and associate dean for the Martin D. Walker School of STEM. “As we find out more about that structure, we’re finding out more about what God has put in place for us.”
Having devoted more than 40 years of professional pursuits to the study of mathematics, Dale implicitly knows (and loves) that math touches everything; thus, indicating an intentionality of the handiwork of God. His inherent passion for solving problems developed when he studied math at Eastern Nazarene College and deepened during his master’s and doctoral studies at Boston University.
In 1989, Dale and his wife, Heather, moved to the Midwest to begin his teaching career at Olivet, where he has since taught courses ranging from Statistics to the Senior Seminar in Mathematics. Outside of the classroom, Dale has contributed to scholarly articles (particularly on the topic of the “Birthday Problem”); presented at professional conferences; and written two books. One, a mathematical devotional book; the other, a textbook that is used on campus and whose royalties help support an ONU foundation scholarship that was initiated by Dale to specifically benefit mathematics majors.
Over the years, Dale has also mentored multiple Pence-Boyce and University Honors Program capstone projects. The ability to follow the tangential nature of research has provided a fresh perspective on mathematics, reinforcing the fact that there is always more to discover about the subject, and therefore, life.
“Mathematicians say that there really is a beauty about math,” Dale says. “But it is also full of logic and facts. My goal is to share my enthusiasm for and excitement about that duality of math with my students.”
His impact on students has been immense, despite his self-proclaimed extreme introversion. In 2004, Dale was the student-nominated recipient of the Second Mile Award, and in 2011, he received the Samuel L. Mayhugh award for Scholarly Excellence.
“I would never want to step into a role in which I didn’t teach,” he notes, “but the fact that I make my living getting in front of people and talking has to be from God.”
Since 2022, Dale has also served as the associate dean of the School of STEM. The administrative work provides its own unique set of problems to solve, but also, new opportunities to connect with and advocate for more than 30 faculty and staff members who collectively represent more than 20 majors.
“The areas of study offered by the School of STEM address how we can try to understand this world that we have. I hope that our students leave Olivet knowing that Christianity and science can, and do, go hand-in-hand. Scientific study is about the how, Christianity is more about the why—but both questions are valid [and should be explored].”
Dale and Heather live in Bourbonnais. They are the proud parents of three adult children Lauren ’13, Lindsay ’16 (Jordan) and David ’18.
