At the beginning of August, students representing the YSU Ohio Xi chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon traveled to Portland, Oregon for the annual MAA MathFest, which is a joint meeting between the Math Association of America and Pi Mu Epsilon. Nine of the attending students gave presentations at the meeting. Crystal Mackey and Eric Shehadi, both of whom presented at the conference, were recognized for their excellence in student research. Also recognized at the event was George Yates. Yates received the Pi Mu Epsilon Advisor Award, which is given only once every three years.
YSU has its own YSU MathFest, where high school students are invited to learn about math in fun workshops designed by YSU faculty. This year’s 12th annual YSU MathFest will take place on October 23.
“YSU MathFest is one of the premiere YSU Math and Stats Department events where high school students are invited to YSU’s campus to spend the day celebrating and learning about math. High school students get the opportunity to meet YSU students, interact with YSU faculty members in workshops, and explore what its like to get an undergraduate degree in mathematics or STEM at YSU; but most importantly - have fun!” said Eric Shehadi, who is serving as the Student YSU MathFest Coordinator for the third year.
Some of the workshops offered this year include “Mathematics of Diversity in the Environment,” where students will learn about mathematical diversity and evaluating biodiversity indexes, “Are You a Terrorist?” where students will explore statistical methods used by agencies such as the NSA, and “Learning to Divide,” which explores dividing goods among several individuals so everyone feels they get what they deserve.
In addition to the workshops, students have the opportunity to participate in mathematical competitions prior to the event and at the event itself.