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Dean Leland Alvis ’75

August 4, 2022, in South Bend, Indiana.

Born and raised in Portland, Dean wrote his thesis, “Closed Categories of Continuous Mappings,” advised by Prof. Thomas Wieting [math 1965–2016]. He went on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees in mathematics from the University of Oregon. Dean held faculty positions at MIT and the University of Notre Dame before joining the mathematics faculty at Indiana University South Bend where, until his retirement in 2015, he taught a wide variety of math courses and conducted research on representation theory.

Dean enjoyed hiking, and in his youth climbed some of the Cascade peaks of the Pacific Northwest. After moving to South Bend, he made many trips west with his family to camp and hike. A lifelong environmentalist, in his retirement he became more active politically. He joined Indivisible, where he met other local activists involved in progressive causes. He participated in Solarize South Bend, loved solving puzzles and problems, was a fan of mysteries and an avid film buff.

Dean is survived by his wife, Anne Brown, and his daughter, Claire Alvis.

Appeared in Reed magazine: December 2022

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