COLUMBUS – Mississippi University for Women will once again celebrate Sonya Kovalevsky, a pioneer for women in the field of mathematics, with the annual Sonya Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day event Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Held on The W’s campus, SK Day has been a staple for more than two decades.
“Our intent is to encourage high school students to continue their studies of mathematics and to prepare for possible careers in mathematics-related fields,” said Joshua Hanes, associate professor of mathematics and organizer of the event. “Students will take a competition exam with prizes including W scholarships. We hope that students who win scholarships will consider attending The W in the future.”
Sarah Poiani, assistant professor of mathematics at The W, will be the keynote speaker this year. She will give a talk about mathematics and its application in fiber arts.
Aside from the keynote address, there are breakout sessions which seek to explore mathematical concepts which don’t always come up in the classroom. This is accomplished through games, puzzles and other hands-on activities.
Each year, invitations are sent to schools within a two-hour drive of The W. Typically three to seven schools participate. This year, there are estimated to be between 65-90 students attending.
The main goal of the program is fostering an interest in mathematics within the students, so that they might pursue a career in the field.
“The amount of mathematics that high school students encounter before coming to college is such a small portion of what they will need in order to pursue a career in the field,” Hanes said. “It’s less about awareness of opportunities and more about understanding that mathematics isn’t just about ‘doing math.’ It’s about making the world around you easier to understand. By studying mathematics, students develop the mental discipline to focus on abstract concepts, manipulate them in their heads and use these skills to solve problems quickly and efficiently.”
To learn more about the event, please visit www.muw.edu/scimath/activities/kovalevsky.
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