Conference Summary
The 2024 Section Meeting will be held at Westminster University in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Registration
Registration Rates:
University Faculty: $50 (Non-MAA Member), $40 (MAA Member)
University Student: $20
Non-University Guest: $20
High School Teacher: $20
Banquet: $35
hotel options
We have reserved a block of rooms at SpringHill Suites for $179 per night. Reservation closes at the end of the day on March 8, 2024. Westminster University guests may also receive discounted rates at other nearby partnered hotels.
SpringHill Suites Reservation Link
Program and schedule
FRIDAY
All Friday events are located in the Kim T. Adamson Alumni House (building #20 on the Campus Map).
5:00PM: Registration and check-in
6:00PM: Banquet and Welcoming remarks
6:15PM: Invited Talk - Kathryn Leonard
7:00PM: Presentation of Intermountain MAA Section Teaching Award
SATURDAY
All Saturday events are located in the Gore School of Business (building #4 on the Campus Map).
9:00AM: Registration and check-in
9:30AM: Invited Talk - Edray Goins
10:30AM: Morning Break
10:45AM: Morning Parallel Sessions
12:15PM: Lunch
1:00PM: Afternoon Parallel Sessions
2:15PM: Invited Talk - Vinodh Chellamuthu
3:30PM: Closing and Recreational Activities
Campus Map and Parking
On Friday, events will be held in Building 20. Parking in lot B or C is recommended. Due to heavy traffic around this time, approaching 1700 S from 700 E is usually best.
On Saturday, events will be held in Building 4. Parking in lot A is recommended.
No special considerations (parking passes, fees, etc.) need to be made for parking at the conference as all our events are held after parking enforcement ends.
Banquet
A welcome banquet will be held on Friday, March 29 in conjunction with Kathryn Leonard’s invited address. Menu options are
LEBANESE AIRLINE CHICKEN BREAST: Grilled airline chicken breast marinated with lemon, olive oil and garlic served with
grilled eggplant, tahini and pomegranate.
LIME MARINATED FLANK STEAK: Char-grilled flank steak marinated in lime juice, garlic and fresh cilantro served with coconut
jasmine rice and grilled corn succotash.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH QUINOA CAKES WITH MORNAY (VEGAN): Quinoa cake made with butternut squash, ground flaxseed, kale, gluten free flour & sage served with mornay sauce and grilled fresh asparagus.
All options include dinner roll, salad, dessert, coffee, hot tea, and iced tea.
Saturday Lunch
Two lunch options will be given at the conference on Saturday, March 30. Menu options are
VEGAN WRAP: Hummus wrap with zucchini & dukkah. Non-GMO tortilla with grilled zuchinni, hummus, red pepper, baby spinach, red onion and dukkah seasoning.
CLASSIC TURKEY CLUB: Smoked turkey with Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on sourdough bread.
Both lunch options include baked or regular potato chips, an apple, dessert, and beverage.
Abstract submission and activity sign-up
Calculus Bee (Sign up open until the conference starts)
If you encounter difficulties with signing up, please contact Skyler Simmons (skyler.simmons@uvu.edu).
Invited Address: Kathryn Leonard, Occidental College
TITLE: Computational Creativity
ABSTRACT: If you believe the headlines, technology is replacing artists with algorithms. But ChatGPT is not the first advance in mathematical modeling to interface with human creativity. Much as photography once changed the art landscape but did not destroy it, current technological frameworks represent an opportunity for new directions in a long-standing creative collaboration between humans and technology. This presentation will share a few examples of the interplay between computational discovery and human creativity, showing both how technology supports creativity and also how questions arising from the creative process lead to new mathematical explorations and results. It will also outline some considerations to ensure that the collaboration is positive and beneficial rather than exploitative and demeaning for the humans involved.
BIO: Kathryn Leonard is Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs and Professor of Computer Science at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Her research interests are in geometric modeling with applications to computer vision, computer graphics, and data science. She is the Director of the NSF-funded Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics, an organization that funds student research groups at institutions across the US with an eye toward supporting transfer pathways. Her work has been recognized with a CAREER award from NSF, the Henry L. Alder Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Mathematical Association of America, and a Service Award from the Association for Women in Mathematics, where she was also president from 2021-2023. She became a math major in her junior year of college, after her petition to waive the university’s math GE requirement was rejected. She is also on the Board of Directors of Steam:Coders, a non-profit to make STEAM education accessible to all. She has held positions at California State University, Channel Islands, where she helped build a university, Caltech, and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
Invited Address: Edray Goins, Pomona College
TITLE: Clocks, Parking Garages, and the Solvability of the Quintic: A Friendly Introduction to Monodromy
ABSTRACT: Imagine the hands on a clock. For every complete the minute hand makes, the seconds hand makes 60, while the hour hand only goes one twelfth of the way. We may think of the hour hand as generating a group such that when we ``move'' twelve times then we get back to where we started. This is the elementary concept of a monodromy group. In this talk, we give a gentle introduction to a historical mathematical concept which relates calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, and group theory into one neat theory called “monodromy”. We explore lots of real world applications, including why it’s so easy to get lost in parking garages, and present some open problems in the field. We end the talk with a discussion of how this is all related to solving polynomial equations, such as Abel’s famous theorem on the insolubility of the quintic by radicals.
BIO: Edray Herber Goins grew up in South Los Angeles, California. The product of the Los Angeles Unified (LAUSD) public school system, Goins attended the California Institute of Technology, where he majored in mathematics and physics, and earned his doctorate in mathematics from Stanford University. He has worked as a researcher at both Harvard and the National Security Agency; and has taught at both Caltech and Purdue. Goins is currently a Professor of Mathematics at Pomona College in Claremont, California. He has published over 25 journal articles in areas such as applied mathematics, graph theory, number theory, and representation theory; and on topics such as Diophantine equations, elliptic curves, and African Americans in mathematics. He runs a federally-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) titled Pomona Research in Mathematics Experience (PRiME).
INVITED ADDRESS: Vinodh Chellamuthu, Utah Tech University
TITLE: From Precision to Problem-Solving: Expanding the Math Mindset
ABSTRACT: Too often, students think learning math is a sequence of step-by-step procedures to solve problems that have only one solution classified as right or wrong. After years of cultivating this mindset, students come to believe that every problem is like this. But when students begin their careers, they will discover that real-world problems are almost never arranged so neatly, with clearly defined terms and constraints, and only one solution. These encounters with multifaceted problems can be very uncomfortable. Providing opportunities for our students to grapple with messy uncomfortable real-world projects before they graduate is essential. Through these experiences, students can build their creativity, enhance their lateral thinking, and discover their potential is unlimited.
BIO: Dr. Vinodh Chellamuthu is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah. He is deeply committed to enhancing the education of future scientists by creating opportunities for career development through research, which he considers a high-impact teaching pedagogy. Dr. Chellamuthu has mentored several undergraduate research projects originating from business, industry, and government agencies. During his tenure at Utah Tech, he has guided over 50 undergraduates in 32 research projects. These projects have resulted in more than 120 student research presentations at various conferences, including several awards for outstanding student presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals. In recognition of his success as a teacher-mentor, Dr. Chellamuthu has received the 2022 Henry Alder Award from the Mathematical Association of America, the 2020 Early Career Mentoring Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research, the Distinguished Teaching Award from the MAA’s Intermountain Section, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from Utah Tech University. Currently, Dr. Chellamuthu serves as a councilor on the Council on Undergraduate Research, Chair for BIG SIGMAA, and Program Coordinator for UR SIGMAA.