MAA Hrabowski-Gates-Tapia-McBay Session, organized by Ricardo Cortez, Tulane University; Wednesday, 9:00–10:20 am. The Hrabowski-Gates-Tapia-McBay Session is named after four influential scientists of color: (1) Freeman Hrabowski, President of the University of Maryland at Baltimore County; (2) James S. Gates, University of Maryland, College Park; (3) Richard Tapia, Rice University; and (4) Shirley McBay, President of Quality Education for Minorities (QEM). Through multiple mechanisms, these Sessions expect to facilitate and accelerate the participation of scientists in the building of sustainable communities of mathematicians and mathematical scientists. In particular, the intention is to systematically recruit, welcome, encourage, mentor, and support individuals from underrepresented groups in the USA. This year the session will consist of a lecture from 9:00-9:50 am given by Rodrigo Bañuelos, Purdue University, On the Discrete Hilbert Transform, and a short panel discussion, Actions to increase the participation of underrepresented minority groups in mathematics, from 9:50-10:20 am. The 2019 panel will focus on Actions to increase the participation of minority groups in mathematics. Panelists will include Minerva Cordero, University of Texas at Arlington; Pamela Harris, Williams College, and Rodrigo Bañuelos, Purdue University.
The Dolciani Award Lectures, organized by Herbert A. Medina, Loyola Marymount University, and Tina Straley; Thursday, 1:00–1:30 pm. The MAA's Mary P. Dolciani Award recognizes a pure or applied mathematician who is making a distinguished contribution to the mathematical education of K-16 students in the U.S. or Canada. This session will feature two recent recipients who will give overviews of the work that resulted in their nomination and subsequent prize.
Town Hall Meeting: Spectra: Identifying Workplace Best Practices for LGBTQ Mathematicians, organized by David Crombecque, University of Southern California, Ron Buckmire, Division of Undergraduate Education, NSF, Christopher Goff, University of the Pacific, Alexander Hoover, Tulane University, and Douglas Lind, University of Washington, Seattle; Wednesday, 4:30–5:50 pm. The goal of this Town Hall Meeting is to learn from the audience examples of actions mathematical sciences departments are taking now to support LGBTQ mathematicians as well as to solicit suggestions of things departments can do in the future. In particular, how can departments be more inclusive and welcoming to LGBTQ individuals (undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, adjuncts, tenured and non-tenured faculty)? In the second part of the Meeting the audience will be asked to brainstorm and provide suggestions on how SPECTRA can contribute to make these best practices known to the mathematical sciences community and to help departments implement them. During the meeting the audience will split into groups focused on specific topics, such as: Supporting transgender mathematicians in the work place; LGBTQ Mathematicians balancing work choices with family responsibilities; best practices for recruitment and retention of LGBTQ faculty. Other discussion topics can be suggested by the audience during the first part of the meeting. Each group will include a facilitator who will also serve as scribe to record the discussion. This town hall meeting is being organized by Spectra, the Association for LGBTQ Mathematicians.
MAA Poster Session: Projects Supported by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education, organized by Jon Scott, Montgomery College, jon.scott@montgomerycollege.edu; Thursday, 2:00–4:00 pm. This session will feature principal investigators (PIs) presenting progress and outcomes from various NSF funded projects in the Division of Undergraduate Education. The poster session format will permit ample opportunity for attendees to engage in small group discussions with the PIs and to network with each other. Information about presenters and their projects will appear in the program.
Estimathon!, organized by Andy Niedermaier, Jane Street Capital; Thursday, 10:00 am–noon. They're called Fermi problems...
If you're looking for a mindbending mixture of math and trivia, look no further! Jane Street Capital presents The Estimathon contest: teams will have 30 minutes to work on 13 problems, ranging from totally trivial to positively Putnamesque. Can your team beat the all-time best score? The top teams will receive prizes!
We will run 2 contests. Feel free to show up to either one! (Please show up 15 minutes before the start time of the contest you want to join.)
Our target schedule is as follows:
This event is sponsored by Jane Street Capital and the MAA Committee on Undergraduate Students (CUS).
MAA Poster Session: Mathematical Outreach Programs, organized by Betsy Yanik, Emporia State University; Thursday, 10:00 am–12 noon. This poster session is designed to highlight special programs which have been developed to encourage students to maintain an interest in and commitment to succeeding in mathematics. These programs might include such activities as after school clubs, weekend activities, one day conferences, mentoring opportunities, summer camps, etc. This poster session encompasses a wide variety of outreach efforts for a variety of age groups. For example, programs might be designed to reach out to underrepresented groups. The projects supported by MAA Tensor and Summa grants will find this an ideal venue in which to share the progress of their funded projects. Another possible type of outreach might involve mathematical enrichment programs. Other examples might include innovative programs to motivate undergraduates to study mathematics. We encourage everyone involved with offering mathematical outreach activities to consider submitting an abstract to the session organizer, Betsy Yanik, eyanik@emporia.edu.
MAA Poster Session: Recreational Mathematics: Puzzles, Card Tricks, Games, and Gambling, organized by Paul R. Coe, Dominican University, Darren Glass, Gettysburg College, and Robert Vallin, Lamar University; Friday, 9:30 am–10:30 am. Puzzles, card tricks, board games, game shows, gambling, and sports provide an excellent laboratory for testing mathematical strategy, probability, and enumeration. The analysis of such diversions is fertile ground for the application of mathematical and statistical theory. Solutions to new problems as well as novel solutions to old problems are welcome. Submissions by undergraduates or examples of the use of the solutions of these problems in the undergraduate classroom are encouraged. This session is sponsored by the SIGMAA on Recreational Mathematics.
Consortium for Ordinary Differential Equations Educators, organized by Christopher S. Goodrich, Creighton Preparatory School, and Beverly H. West, Cornell University; Friday, 4:00-5:00 pm. CODEE invites all who teach ODEs to join us for a meet-and-greet hour. We will include discussion of the online CODEE Journal and present the published 2018 special issue Linking Differential Equations to Social Justice and Environmental Concerns. This session is sponsored by CODEE.
MAA Student Poster Session, organized by Chasen Smith, Georgia Southern University, and Eric Ruggieri, College of the Holy Cross; Friday, 4:30– 6:00 pm. This session features research done by undergraduate students. First-year graduate students are eligible to present if their research was completed while they were still undergraduates. Research by high school students can be accepted if the research was conducted under the supervision of a faculty member at a post-secondary institution.
Appropriate content for a poster includes, but is not limited to, a new result, a new proof of a known result, a new mathematical model, an innovative solution to a Putnam problem, or a method of solution to an applied problem. Purely expository material is not appropriate for this session.
Participants should submit an abstract describing their research in 250 words or less by midnight, Friday, October 5, 2018. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be sent in early November. See https://www.maa.org/programs/students/undergraduate-research/jmm-student-poster-session for further information on what should be included in the abstract and a link to the abstract submission form.
Posters will be judged during the session, and certificates will be sent to presenters afterwards. Trifold, self-standing 48" by 36" tabletop poster boards will be provided. Additional materials and equipment are the responsibility of the presenters. Participants must set up posters between 2:30 and 3:30 pm and must be available at their posters from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Judging will begin at 3:30 pm and general viewing will begin at 4:30 pm. Judges' feedback will be available at the MAA Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall on Saturday. Questions regarding this session should be directed to Eric Ruggieri eruggier@holycross.edu and Chasen Smith csmith@georgiasouthern.edu. This session is sponsored by the MAA Committee on Undergraduate Students (CUS).
CANCELLED***Mathematically Bent Theater, featuring Colin Adams and the Mobiusbandaid Players; Friday, 6:00– 7:00 pm. Which is funnier, homology or cohomology? Are there math humor receptors located in the brain and if not, why do we find math so funny? Did you key my car at Mathfest last summer? These are just a few of the questions we will not answer during this theatrical presentation of several short humorous mathematically inclined pieces.
Poetry Reading, organized by JoAnne Growney, Gizem Karaali, Lawrence M. Lesser, and Doug Norton; Friday, 7:00–8:30 pm. Math poets, come help us resume our recent tradition of eclectic JMM poetry readings! In 2019, we hope to especially feature poetry about math people – famous or not – including teachers, students, math-anxious characters, etc. All interested in mathematical poetry/art are welcome – come to share your poetry or simply enjoy the evening's offerings! Though we do not discourage last-minute decisions to participate, we encourage poets to submit poetry (no more than 3 poems, no longer than 5 minutes) and a 40-word bio in advance so that those selected can be listed in our printed program. Submit submissions (by November 1, 2018) or inquiries to Gizem Karaali (gizem.karaali@pomona.edu). This event is sponsored by Journal of Humanistic Mathematics and SIGMAA ARTS.
Backgammon! organized by Arthur Benjamin, Harvey Mudd College; Friday, 8:00–10:00 pm. Learn to play backgammon from expert players. It’s a fun and exciting game where players with a good mathematics background have a decisive advantage. Boards and free lessons will be provided by members of the US Backgammon Federation. Stop by anytime!
Interactive Lecture for Students and Teachers, Saturday,10:00–10:50 am, Ben Orlin, Math and Bad Drawings, Tic-Tac-Toe (or, What is Mathematics?).
Math Circle Demonstration, organized by Lance Bryant, Shippensburg University, and Sarah Bryant, Dickinson College; Saturday, 1:00 pm-2:30 pm. A math circle is an enrichment experience that brings mathematics professionals in direct contact with pre-college students and/or their teachers. Circles foster passion and excitement for deep mathematics. This demonstration session offers the opportunity for conference attendees to observe and then discuss a math circle experience designed for local students. While students are engaged in a mathematical investigation, mathematicians will have a discussion focused on appreciating and better understanding the organic and creative process of learning that circles offer, and on the logistics and dynamics of running an effective circle. The sponsor for this demonstration is SIGMAA MCST.
Math Wrangle, organized by Ed Keppelmann, University of Nevada Reno, and Phil Yasskin, Texas A&M University, 10:30 am-noon. The Math Wrangle will pit teams of students against each other, the clock, and a slate of great math problems. The format of a Math Wrangle is designed to engage students in mathematical problem solving, promote effective teamwork, provide a venue for oral presentations, and develop critical listening skills. A Math Wrangle incorporates elements of team sports and debate, with a dose of strategy tossed in for good measure. The intention of the Math Wrangle demonstration at the Joint Math Meetings is to show how teachers, schools, circles, and clubs can get students started in this exciting combination of mathematical problem solving with careful argumentation via public speaking, strategy and rebuttal. Sponsors for this event are SIGMAA for Math Circles for Students and Teachers (SIGMAA-MCST).