2025 Section meeting

Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA

Friday, March 28 - Saturday, March 29

Registration

Attendance registration: link

MAA member: $30 by Thursday, March 20 OR $40 on-site

MAA nonmember: $35 by Thursday, March 20 OR $45 on-site

Student: $0

[Note: All attendance registration is completed through a national MAA website. If you do not yet have an account with the MAA, you will need to create one. You do NOT need to be an MAA member to do this, and account creation is FREE. Further, after completing your registration, you may register additional attendees by using the “manage registration” button and then the “new attendee” option.]

Talk registration: link

The deadline to submit a talk was March 20.

Schedules and Information

Meeting schedule: link

Student talks: schedule and abstracts

Faculty talks: schedule and abstracts

Campus map: link

Parking information:

Please use Lot A that is attached to the Fred Rogers Center.

Hotel information:

The recommended hotel for Friday night is the SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh Latrobe, 115 Arnold Palmer Drive, Latrobe PA, 15260.  It is about 5 minutes from the conference center.  There is a block of rooms reserved for the ‘MAA Conference’ at a rate of $139 plus taxes.  Please call (888) 236-2427 or (724) 537-7800 to reserve by March 14.

Section NExT

Registration: link

Those who plan to attend the NExT workshop virtually should register here.

Those who plan to attend the NExT workshop in-person should register for NExT as part of their conference registration, and then complete their registration here after that.

Information:

Date: Saturday, March 29

Location: FRC Ballroom 2A

1:00-1:30: Lunch

1:30-3:30: Creative Assessments and Surprising Sports Analytics

Speaker: Rick Cleary, Babson College

Abstract: This two hour workshop will consist of two distinct but related sections. In the first hour, we look at some of the key suggestions on assessment from the MAA Instructional Practices Guide (https://maa.org/resource/instructional-practices-guide/ ) With some hands-on activities, we will see how to turn these evidence based practices from theory to application in creative ways that can be used in almost any course. In the second hour, we will discuss ways to connect many mathematics topics to applications in sports. People often assume a sports course in a math department will be all about “big data” but we will see how lots of math topics (linear algebra, optimization, voting/ranking methods, probability … even a little topology!) are useful. We will also discuss creative ways to assess these topics, utilizing the ideas from the first hour.

Faculty WorkSHOp

Dan Kalman, American University

Elementary Math Models: A hybrid alternative to College Algebra/Liberal Arts Math/Quantitative Literacy courses

Abstract: This workshop will present an innovative curriculum that is a hybrid of the standard courses mentioned in the title. The mathematical focus is on discrete models defined by difference equations, and the continuous models that they reveal. Instructional  goals include: (1) give students a realistic sense of how math actually gets applied, (2) Present each topic in a meaningful context, (3) Emphasize patterns and applications based on actual data, (4) Review many of the skills covered in standard college algebra courses.  Participants are requested to bring a device to the workshop that can open excel files (.xls), and to download in advance the xl file available at the workshop webpage here.  Other workshop materials are also available on the same page.

Speakers

Rick Cleary, Babson College

Connecting Traditional Math to a Modern Application: Discrete Probability and Fraud Detection

Abstract:  The MAA’s new journal Scatterplot (www.tandfonline.com/journals/usca20) was created, among other reasons, to encourage mathematicians to explore ways to connect traditional mathematics topics to important modern applications. These connections can help mathematics majors be prepared to enter careers in many fields, particularly data science. In this talk we present an example of this type of connection by discussing applications of Benford’s Law. This is a surprisingly simple discrete probability distribution that has proven to be useful in various fields, particularly accounting. We will get some ‘live data’ on testing a hypothesis with Benford’s Law and discuss how including applications in many of our courses can work to help students with both career readiness and mathematical understanding.

Emilie Purvine, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Mathematics for Cyber Security

Abstract: The security of computer networks is crucial to maintain data privacy, intellectual property rights, and even to keep infrastructure functioning reliably. One might think that cyber security is the responsibility of computer scientists and network administrators. This is certainly true, but as adversaries change their tactics and become increasingly sophisticated, mathematicians are lending a hand. In this talk I will begin by introducing the landscape of computer networks, the cyber kill chain, and cyber security operations. I will present some of the main challenges facing cyber security today and show how mathematicians, like myself, are applying their skills in data modeling, anomaly detection, and machine learning to help provide situational awareness and keep computer networks resilient.

Danny Otero, Xavier University

Teaching Mathematics via Primary Sources: is it worth the challenge?

Abstract: Our colleagues in the humanities have long understood the benefit of asking their students to read original texts by accomplished philosophers, poets and playwrights, versus assigning shorter textbook expositions by others who might (more efficiently) distill these same ideas. The experience of reading Plato, Milton or Shakespeare is radically different from reading about what these people said in some secondary source. This is one motivation behind the use of Primary Source Projects (PSPs) that have been developed by a recent NSF-funded initiative known as TRansforming Instruction in Undergraduate Mathematics via Primary Historical Sources (TRIUMPHS). Many of these PSPs have been published in MAA Convergence, the MAA journal concerned with the history of mathematics and its use in teaching. They teach “completing the square” by having students read the work of al-Khwarizmi, the ninth century “father of algebra,” who actually completes a square; they have students learn L’Hôpital’s Rule from L’Hôpital. This talk will illustrate how these PSPs are meant to work and will open discussion to some of their pedagogical challenges and rewards.

Career Panel

Blanca Marmolejo, Data Engineer, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain

Blanca Marmolejo has a diverse background ranging from programming in python and data science techniques, to academic research and teaching, as well as hands on engineering skills. Can adapt to a variety of work environments, easily communicate technical material, and can work both independently and as part of a team.

Zachary Smith, Data Analyst, Highmark INC.

Zachary Smith is a results-driven and detail-oriented data analyst with over 4 years of experience in the healthcare insurance industry. After graduating from the then CALU with degrees in both Mathematics and Statistics, Zachary sharpened his skills at Highmark, and now he’s excited to leverage his expertise elsewhere, focusing on innovative data modeling and reporting.

Derek Orr, Model Validation Lead, SVP, BNY (Bank of New York)

Derek Orr went to the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with a B.S. in math and B.S. in physics. I continued my degree at Pitt with a M.S. in number theory and a Ph.D. in mathematical biology, before working in financial modeling at BNY. In my free time, I spend time with my wife, our 9 month old son, and our 15 year old puppy.

Dannielle Skander, Bioinformaticist, IQVIA, Translational Genomics

Dannielle Skander graduated from California University of Pennsylvania in 2017 with a Bachelors in Mathematics and went on to get my Masters in Systems Biology and Bioinformatics from Case Western Reserve University. I have been working at IQVIA since graduation. Outside of work, you can find me reading a book, hanging out with my pets, or starting a new DIY or craft project. She has been with IQVIA (Q2 Solutions) for about 6 years first as a Bioinformatics Analyst and then as a Bioinformaticist. My focus now is in data analysis and validations, where I analyze data generated from DNA/RNA sequencing and perform validations on lab assays to ensure accuracy of results.