Rewriting the STEM Equation for North Country Girls
When St. Lawrence math professors Patti Frazer Lock P’08 and Daniel Look started planning the 2024 Math & Everything event, they knew they had their work cut out for them. Keenly aware of the misperceptions often associated with mathematics, statistics, and computer science majors and career paths for women, Lock and Look were determined to give high school women from across the North Country an opportunity to see their potential from a variety of new angles.
As the campus bustled with Laurentian Weekend activity, the influx of 250 high school women, teachers, and counselors brought an exciting energy of its own. “We were astounded by how many were interested in attending,” says Lock. “We had to cap it at 250 due to room capacity.” The Friday event kicked off with a warm welcome from President Kate Morris, opening remarks by President and Founder of SLU Women in Math and Computer Science student club Lily Kendall ’25, and a keynote address by Lock.
For the faculty and about 40 students of the St. Lawrence Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics, it was an all-hands-on-deck effort. This was bolstered by the collaborative spirit of faculty and staff from across campus who pitched in to help develop and deliver 30-minute interactive sessions highlighting the ways math intersects with other interest areas like psychology, the environment, art, cybersecurity, sports, magic, and more.
Lock led a session exclusively for teachers and counselors where she debunked the myth that students who want to pursue math in college should be pushed exclusively toward engineering schools.
“I was able to help them understand why a liberal arts university is actually an ideal place for students interested in mathematics, statistics, and data science,” says Lock. “That was a big ‘a-ha’ moment for many.”
The day-long event was partially funded by a $6,000 NSF grant through the Mathematical Association of America. As the grant fell substantially short of the total cost, Lock and her husband, Professor of Statistics Robin Lock, covered the remainder with their own financial gift. As an extension of the program, Lock, Look, and their collaborators promised to provide teachers with a new online class video and supplemental learning materials once a month through the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.
“I firmly believe that there were young women present for whom this was a transformative event,” Look says. “Even if it is just one student, that makes this event a success.”
