Math Faculty Earn NSF Grant to Support Student Conference
St. Lawrence University’s Department of Math, Computer Science and Statistics received an National Science Foundation grant to help support hosting the 2018 Hudson River Undergraduate Mathematics Conference on April 7.
Michael Schuckers, Rutherford Professor of Mathematics, professor of statistics and director of the Peterson Quantitative Resource Center, lead the St. Lawrence grant proposal team and said that hosting the math conference will bring about 300 college students to Canton, with around 120 students delivering presentations.
“It’s a great opportunity for undergraduate students to see what their peers are doing in the fields of math and statistics,” Schuckers said. “With about 30 of our students participating in the conference, St. Lawrence will have the largest group of students in attendance there.”
Beginning in 1994 at Siena College in Loudonville, New York, the one-day conference features short talks by students and faculty from colleges and universities throughout New York and New England. The goal of the conference is to provide undergraduates with the experience of attending and/or presenting at a professional mathematics meeting designed primarily with the student in mind and to motivate undergraduate students to consider careers and further study in the field of mathematics.
Macalester College Professor of Mathematics Karen Saxe will deliver the keynote address. Saxe was the recipient of the 2007 MAA-NCS Distinguished Teaching Award and the 2007 Macalester College Excellence in Teaching Award. She currently serves as MAA Vice President, and editorial board chair of the Anneli Lax New Mathematics Library.
The NSF grant, totaling $13,886, will assist St. Lawrence with hosting the event.
“NSF takes into account institutional reputation when making these awards,” Schuckers said. “So, it’s quite an honor with our peers that St. Lawrence will host the 25th anniversary of the conference.”
