College Algebra in Context with Applications for the Managerial, Life and Social Sciences

College Algebra in Context is application driven and uses numerous real data problems to motivate interest in the skills and concepts of algebra. This text provides the algebraic skills and concepts for a core course in college algebra, in a setting that includes applications from business, economics, biology, and the social sciences. It is intended to provide the algebraic background needed for subsequent courses, with a special focus on the applied calculus course. The text is designed to show students how to analyze and investigate solution methods for the problems that they will encounter in future courses and/or in future careers.

Ron Harshbarger got his BS from Shippensburg State, an MST from the University of New Hampshire, did graduate work at Penn State University, and received a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. During a long and highly successful career at Penn State University, Dr. Harshbarger received both teaching and advising awards.  At Georgia Southern University, he taught a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in mathematics, developed five new mathematics courses, and created the mathematics component for a new doctoral degree. 

At the University of South Carolina Beaufort, Dr. Harshbarger was named Professor of the year in 1999.  In 2000, Professor Harshbarger was named the Governor's Professor of the Year for the State of South Carolina.  In 2001, the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees named him the Trustee Professor of the Year.  In 2002, he received the Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Section Award for Distinguished University Teaching of Mathematics.   He was nominated for the 2003 Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics, a national award given by the Mathematical Association of America. In 2003, he was also named Professor of the Year at the University of South Carolina Beaufort and given the Governor's Distinguished Professor Award for the state of South Carolina. 

Lisa Yocco received her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Augusta State University and her graduate degree in mathematics education from Florida State University. She has taught at both the college level and the high school level for eighteen years, with her most recent experience at Georgia Southern University.

She has co-authored several manuals in mathematics and graphing calculators and has presented workshops and papers at numerous conferences. In addition to her textbook writing and teaching, she enjoys spending time with her three children, cooking, and working on interior decorating.