Artwork by Claire Geiger
| 10/23/01 4pm We can not accept any more registrations from students. We still have room in our teacher workshops. Please call Professor Poimenidou at 941-359-4379 for more information. 10/19/01 1:30pm |
HIGH SCHOOL MATH DAY
Celebrating Women in Mathematics
Saturday October 27, 2001
Artwork by
Claire Geiger
Welcome to the site for the 2nd Sonia Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day (SKHMD) at New College of Florida. The event aims to promote and encourage women to pursue careers in mathematics or mathematically related fields. Sonia Kovalevsky was the first woman to earn a Ph.D in Mathematics.
If you are a female high school student or a mathematics teacher (male or female) please consider joining us for this event. THE ENTIRE EVENT IS ALSO OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. Please register if you are interested in participating.
You can Register Electronically (Please register EARLY. It helps us plan the event more efficiently regarding catering and gifts for participants. ).
Arrangements are being made with the appropriate School district to provide in-service credit for participating teachers. In-service credit has already been approved for participating Sarasota County teachers.
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GIFTS and INCENTIVES |
In addition to the thought provoking lectures and workshops, each participant will receive:
BRING SOME COLOR PENS/PENCILS FOR THE MORNING STUDENT WORKSHOP AND YOUR CALCULATOR.
We are planning several fun and educational activities for students and teachers. A detailed tentative program of activities is provided below:
The program provides opportunities for shared interaction by all participants. One set of workshops is designed for students and the other set for the teachers. The student workshops will cover contemporary applications of mathematics, including a high level of active student involvement; the team competition at the end of the day will enable students to draw from the concepts and methods introduced in the day's sessions and apply them to a set of problems. New College math students will assist in designing the problems and will grade the papers after the competition. The teacher workshops will address curricular and pedagogical issues, and conclude with a discussion session in which teachers can exchange ideas. The format of this session will be a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Hankinson, a high school teacher from Riverview High School. All speakers and workshop leaders listed below are confirmed.
To join us for this event,
please fill out an Electronic
Registration Form
Participating Schools (in
alphabetical order):
Add your school to this list. Register today
The Sonia Kovalevsky High School Mathematics Day (SKHMD) is named after the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics and is sponsored by:
The entire event is provided free of any charges to all participating students and teachers.
Location and Traveling Directions: The activities for the event will take place at the Sudakoff Conference Center in the New College Campus in Sarasota. Sudakoff Center is located on the east side of the campus just east of US 41 (Tamiami Trail).
If you are traveling north on US 41, take the first right past University Parkway off US 41 onto General Spaatz (there is a Shell station in the corner of US 41 and General Spaatz on the north-east corner). Sudakoff Center is on the right side of General Spaatz. Follow the signs to the registration desk in Sudakoff.
Similarly if you are traveling south on US 41, take a left off US 41 onto General Spaatz. If you drove past University Parkway you went too far. General Spaatz is the last left off US 41 before University Parkway. (there is a Shell station in the corner of US 41 and General Spaatz on the north-east corner). Sudakoff Center is on the right side of General Spaatz. Follow the signs to the registration desk in Sudakoff.
If you are taking I-75 to come to Sarasota, take exit 40 of I75 and onto (west) University Parkway. Stay on University Parkway until it terminates just past the Airport exit. Take a right on US 41 and then take the first right off US 41 onto General Spaatz (there is a Shell station in the corner of US 41 and General Spaatz on the north-east corner). Sudakoff Center is on the right side of General Spaatz. Follow the signs to the registration desk in Sudakoff.
Parking:There is a parking lot on the right side of General Spaatz. The campus police has agreed to allow the event participants to park on any campus parking lot without a parking permit for the duration of the event. A map of the campus parking lots can be found in the New College Campus Map
For additional information please call Dr. Eirini Poimenidou at 941-359-4379 or Fax# 941-359-4396
or send e-mail to: poimenid@virtu.sar.usf.edu.
or write to:
Dr. Eirini Poimenidou
Division of Natural Sciences
New College of Florida
5700 N. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34243.
Biographical information and abstracts for the talks and workshops will be posted here shortly.
FINAL PROGRAM
(last updated 10/18/01)
All talks and workshops will take place in the Sudakoff Center
| 9:00-9:30 | Registration (with Coffee and Donuts) | |
| 9:30-9:35 | Opening Introduction-Dr. Eirini Poimenidou-Program Director, New College | |
| 9:35-9:45 | Welcome-by New College President Dr. Mike Michalson | |
| 9:45-10:30 | Keynote
Address- Dr Andrea Bertozzi-Professor of
Mathematics and Physics (Duke University) "Perspectives on Science: The Impact of mathematics in the Natural, Social and Engineering Sciences" Abstract: In our modern world, a significant amount of scientific progress can not be made without advanced level mathematics. This talk showcases a panorama of research programs by women scientists who directly link mathematics to real world problems. Topics will include cancer research, genomics, the AIDS virus, nuclear physics, the spread of disease, finance, traffic flow, crystal growth, granular flow, computer graphics, and forensic science. The talk will include material from a web collage constructed by students in Duke's ADVANCE program for undergraduate women interested in the quantitative sciences.
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| 10:30-10:45 | Coffee Break | |
| 10:45-11:45 | Student Workshop:
Dr.Poimenidou Professor of Mathematics-New College "Trials with Tiles: flip n’ tuvwxyz" Abstract: In this workshop we will focus on the recreational aspect of mathematics and in particular we will introduce the study of polyominoes. A polyomino is a flat tile made up of unit squares that touch each other along an edge, but not merely at a corner. (If you’ve ever played a game of Dominoes or Tetris you are already familiar with polyominoes.) We will look at some of the problems and methods that arise when studying polyominoes. We will also discuss some unsolved problems involving polyominoes. This will be a very interactive session and has no prerequisite other than curiosity and an open mind. A challenge problem will be distributed whose solution, if found, could be publishable in a math journal. (Students are expected to work on the challenge problem after the end of the SK Math Day. There are no typos in the title. We will explain!) |
Teacher Workshop:
Dr. Stephanie Fitchett-Professor of Mathematics-Gulf Coast University "Mathematical Modeling for the Environment" Abstract: Differential equations are widely applicable to the sciences, and while simple differential equations are accessible to calculus students, their discrete analogs, difference equations, provide an opportunity to discuss many of the same applications earlier in the curriculum. The workshop will introduce difference equations along with graphical and numerical techniques that can be used to investigate their behavior. The examples will focus on modeling environmental phenomena using a TI-83 calculator. (The examples are easily adaptable for use with other calculators or with spreadsheets.) |
| 11:45-12:45 | Buffet
Lunch Biographical Sketch of Sonia
Kovalevsky presented by Elena
Jeliazkova-Pine View High School student |
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| 12:45-1:45 | Student Workshop
Dr. Tasha Inniss-Professor of Mathematics -Trinity College "The Beauty of Compound Interest: Understanding Stocks and the Market" Abstract: Have you ever heard the saying "money does not grow on trees"? Did you know that there IS such a thing as "free money"? Investment is the key word and financial mathematicians do research to find the best investment strategies. Financial empowerment begins with an understanding of compound interest and how it can work for you! In this presentation, compound interest is explained and different types of stocks are discussed. The goal is to make you aware of how you can make "free" money by investing in stocks with great compound interest!
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Teacher
Workshop: Dr. Gladis Kersaint-Professor of Math Education USF Tampa "Gender Issues in Math Education" |
| 1:45-2:00 | Break-Group Photograph in front of Sudakoff Center | |
| 2:00-2:45 | Student
Workshop: Team Mathematics Competition coordinated by Dr. Poimenidou and New College students |
Teacher
Workshop: Panel Discussion with teachers Panelists: Dr. Sandra Gilchrist-Professor of Biology-New College Ms. Ann Hankinson (moderator)-Math Teacher-Riverview
High SchoolSarasota Dr. Gladis Kersaint-Professor of Math Education-USF
Tampa |
| 2:45-2:55 | Completion of Evaluation Forms by Math Day Participants | |
| 2:55 | Closing: Awarding of Prizes, Students Certificates and In-Service Credit Certificates for Teachers | |
Biographical sketches of presenters and contributors |
Andrea Bertozzi is originally from Lexington, MA where she developed an enjoyment for mathematics at a young age. She earned her AB, MA, and Ph D degrees in Mathematics from Princeton. Dr. Bertozzi works on problems in nonlinear partial differential equations, specializing in the area of fluid dynamics. Her current focus is in the area of thin films and fluid interfaces, however her interests also include problems in image processing and environmental science. She currently holds the position of Professor of Mathematics and Physics at Duke University and was recently Director of Duke's Center for Nonlinear and Complex Systems. Before this, she spent four years as an L. E. Dickson instructor of Mathematics at the Univ. of Chicago and one year as the Maria Geoppert-Mayer distinguished scholar at Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Bertozzi's honors include a Sloan Research Fellowship and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. In her spare time Dr. Bertozzi enjoys spending time with her husband, Brad Koetje, and her dog Tupper. She also plays the flute with a triangle area chamber ensemble called ``Wood, Brass, and Ivory''.
Stephanie Fitchett is an assistant professor of mathematics at the Honors College of Florida Atlantic University. She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Nebraska, then spent two years in a teaching post-doctorate position at Duke University before joining the faculty at FAU. While Dr. Fitchett's main research interests are in the field of algebraic geometry, she is also involved in curriculum development for collegiate mathematics. She is currently working with biologists, chemists, and an economist to develop discovery-based undergraduate mathematics materials that use environmental issues as a bridge between mathematics and the sciences. When not teaching or working on mathematics, Dr. Fitchett enjoys puzzles, swimming, skiing, scuba diving and good books.
Sandra Gilchrist is currently a Full Professor in Biology at New College. She received an MS in Biological Oceanography from Old Dominion University in 1979 and a PhD from Florida State University in Biology in 1982. Before her current position at New College, she had a postdoctoral position at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. She has published several papers, including a chapter on the history of women who work on crustaceans. As a member of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology Education Committee as well as a Biology Councilor for the Council on Undergraduate Research, she has worked to bring issues of research education to national recognition. Dr. Gilchrist has lectured and given workshops around the country on the roles of women in science.
Ann Hankinson, is a mathematics teacher at Riverview High School in Sarasota, holds an M.A. degree in Mathematics Education from the University of South Florida and a B.S. in Mathematics from Florida State University. Ms. Hankinson has over 17 years of high school teaching experience and currently teaches Honors Algebra II, Dual Enrollment Precalculus, Advanced Placement Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and IB Higher Level Mathematics. Her many awards and honors include her recent selection as one of 65 international teachers to participate in the MIT Math and Engineering Workshop and her designation as Model Classroom Teacher in Mathematics for Sarasota County.
Tasha Inniss is an applied mathematician who specializes in aviation operations research and statistics. She received a BS in mathematics, summa cum laude, from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1993 and attended the Georgia Institute of Technology as a David and Lucile Packard Foundation Scholar where she received an MS in applied mathematics in 1995. In August of 2000, she completed her Ph.D. in applied mathematics at the University of Maryland. She was one of the first three African-American women to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Maryland. The title of her dissertation is "Stochastic Models for the Estimation of Airport Arrival Capacity Distributions." In her thesis, she developed statistical models that can be used to estimate the distribution of arrival capacities of an airport during inclement weather conditions and an algorithm for dynamically adjusting assigned ground delay. These models can be used in conjunction with another class of models to minimize the total amount of flight delay. The research was funded by the National Center of Excellence for Aviation Operations Research (NEXTOR), which was commissioned by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Due to the relevance of the issues in her dissertation, she was awarded the FAA Centers of Excellence Student-of-the-Year Award. Throughout her college and graduate school years, she has enjoyed giving presentations to high school students on how to apply math to the real world. She is currently a Clare Boothe Luce Professor of Mathematics at Trinity College in Washington D.C. and a visiting researcher at the FAA.
Elena Jeliazkova, is currently attending Pine View School for the Gifted as a sophomore. Pine View, a Sarasota County public school, is one of approximately twelve public schools in the U.S. that offer a full campus-based program for certified gifted students in grades 2-12, rather than pull-out or enrichment programs. Ms. Jeliazkova served as a Middle School Service Council member at Pine View from 1999-2000. During her commitment, the Council raised and held various fundraisers for Pine View. Additionally, they built an outdoor classroom for the school. She is also a member of the National Junior Honor Society from 1999 for her current 4.5 GPA. The National Junior Honor Society is a nationally known society which acknowledges young adults for their academic accomplishments. Ms. Jeliazkova has also volunteered throughout Sarasota County for various purposes. She helped out at the Breast Cancer Society Walk in 2000, aided Selby Gardens and has continuously supported the elderly of the community by performing piano concerts to them. She has been volunteering as a tutor with the New College Math Clinic offering free math tutoring to children and adults at the Sarasota public library She is interested in mathematics and hopes to pursue a career of medicine or biology.
Eirini Poimenidou is an associate professor of mathematics at New College of Florida, holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Warwick (UK), and a B.Sc. from the University of Reading, U.K. Before coming to New College in 1993, she taught at Bryn Mawr College. In 1996 she received a USF Teaching Incentive Award for outstanding teaching. She has published papers on character theory and algebraic combinatorics in the Journal of Algebra and the European Journal of Combinatorics. Dr. Poimenidou organized two international Group Theory Conferences for mathematicians in Sarasota in 1997 and 2001. A member of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), she served as an elected Councilor for Mathematics, Chair of the Nominations Committee 1998-99 and co-editor for the Mathematics Division for "CUR Quarterly" (1999-00), CUR's main newsletter. A strong advocate of the power of mathematics, Dr. Poimenidou and several of her students offer free math tutoring, Math Clinic, to the Sarasota/Manatee community on Sunday afternoons at the Sarasota public library. In the three years that the program has been in place, they have helped over 500 people ages 5 to 85. Dr. Poimenidou was also the Project Director of the 1999 Sonia Kovalevsky Math Day at New College.
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