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FLC hosts Mathematical Association of America Meeting
The FLC Mathematics Department hosted the Mathematical Association of America, Rocky Mountain Section Meeting April 5 & 6. About 100 mathematicians gathered in Durango for the conference. Among the highlights were three keynote presentations: "Gerrymandering: What Is It, How Can We Measure It, and What Can We Do About It?" (Jeanne Clelland, University of Colorado at Boulder); "Mathematical Modeling: From Kindergarten to Industry" (Rachel Levy, MAA Deputy Executive Director); and "Another Example of the Ubiquitous Nature of Eigenstuff" (Ian Pierce, United States Air Force Academy).
“As the main annual convention of mathematicians in the Rocky Mountain area, this meeting is important for college educators and students from Colorado, Wyoming, and neighboring states,” said Alexander Hulpke, professor of mathematics at Colorado State University and chair of the Rocky Mountain section of the MAA.
Special sessions took place Saturday on various topics such as mathematics education, history of mathematics, general mathematics, and student talks. The conference included several events aimed at students, including a Math Jeopardy competition and a Career Panel. Nine FLC Math majors presented their research to an audience of local and regional peers and experts. Students from various colleges competed in the History of Mathematics Student Poster session, and FLC senior Walter Stepanek won second place with his poster, "Developing Secret Communication – The Navajo Code Talkers." Math professors Carl Lienert, Laura Scull, and Matt Welz served as mentors for the various student projects.
The conference was organized by four FLC math professors Laura Scull, Veronika Furst, Kirsten Stor, and Matt Welz, with support from the FLC Math Department and the Rocky Mountain MAA Executive Committee. This was the first time FLC hosted the sectional meeting since 1989, according to Scull.