Professors come from both professional and academic backgrounds, including careers with NASA and private companies with contracts with both NASA and the Department of Defense. A student mathematics club meets regularly to discuss various topics relating to mathematics. There is also a chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national honor society for students of mathematics. Both of these groups give students an opportunity to get to know one another outside the classroom, and help to get them involved in issues relating to the profession. Students have an opportunity to work with new advances in mathematical technology while in the program.
Professors provide support as students learn to use the new graphing calculators.
A mathematics computer software program, Maple, is accessible to students on the college computer network. A NASA grant provides additional scholarships and travel funds for students who are interested in space applications and mathematics. Mesa State college is a small friendly campus of approximately 4,700 students. The college is located in the western slope city of Grand Junction, Colorado, with a valley population of approximately 100,000. Many recreational opportunities exist within an hour's drive of the college such as mountain biking, skiing , hiking, rafting, and mountain climbing.