A new, modern welcome center will greet prospective ߣsirÊÓƵ to the , thanks to the generosity of a spring 2024 ߣsirÊÓƵuate and her family.

Haley Taylor, a major in the , worked as a tour guide in the for three years. It was because of her “ߣsirÊÓƵMazing” experience being part of the office and showing off what the university has to offer that persuaded her family to make a generous contribution to renovate the center.

• Related ߣsirÊÓƵ News story: Student leader: Haley Taylor’s journey inspiring future ‘Bows, May 6, 2024

Taylor, her family and other campus leaders gathered for a grand reopening ceremony on May 10. The welcome center is located in the Office of Admissions in the Queen Liliʻuokalani Center for Student Services room 001. Among the changes included: removing existing counters and countertops to significantly increase available space, renovating and replacing existing fluorescent lighting for warmer LED lighting, replacing ceiling tiles with a floating wood ceiling, and adding more furniture and wall decorations to match and expand the open concept design of the space.

“All I can think of is opportunity, opportunity that we haven’t even imagined yet,” ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Nikki Chun said. “That’s why I’m excited to bring other people into this and ask them, ‘what do you imagine?’ And ultimately, I hope that when future ߣsirÊÓƵ come here, they feel like the space is a reflection of the experience that they have at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹.”

ߣsirÊÓƵʻi ties keep ʻohana close

Taylor was born in Tennessee and went to high school in Las Vegas, but in between spent four years residing in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Kai. Although she is headed to the continental U.S. to pursue a ߣsirÊÓƵuate degree, she said she’ll be back to visit, and already looks forward to visiting the center and reconnecting with colleagues turned friends.

“Coming back in the future, I think it’s just going to bring back a lot of memories,” Taylor said. “Being able to showcase that with anyone I bring back, seeing the plaque on the wall and knowing that my small part here is lasting and gonna make an impact on so many people, I think I’m just looking forward to that, letting them understand how important this is.”

Haley’s father, Jason, is a trustee with . He is the chief sales officer at Gannett and president of USAToday Network Ventures. The Taylor family lived on Oʻahu when Jason served as senior vice president of sales and marketing at the Honolulu Advertiser from 2003 to 2007. Jason initiated the conversation about making a generous contribution with ߣsirÊÓƵ Foundation CEO and ߣsirÊÓƵ Vice President for Advancement Tim Dolan, who then reached out to Chun.

“When we lived here years ago, the island was so welcoming to our family that we wanted to do something to extend that to future families,” Jason said. “We knew that the Office of Admissions was so important to Haley and her development during her four years here so it just seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

“The Taylor family has made a lasting impact in supporting our current and future ߣsirÊÓƵ at ߣsirÊÓƵ,” Dolan said. “We’ve been very fortunate to have Haley’s father, Jason Taylor, on our Board of Trustees, and we are sincerely grateful for their gift to permanently enhance ߣsirÊÓƵ’s Welcome Center.”

—By Marc Arakaki

Five months after the (NROTC) at the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ commissioned their first sailor, they celebrated another milestone on May 13, as three naval officers earned a commission from its program.

Donning their caps and gowns and proudly displaying their diplomas, Zachary Barto, Chase Roche and Jacob Simmons achieved the rank of ensign in the U.S. Navy during a ceremony held aboard the Battleship Missouri. Their commissioning ceremony served as a culmination of rigorous training and preparation as well as a testament to their commitment to serve their country.

“Another spectacular moment for the ߣsirÊÓƵ NROTC as we commission our three newest ensigns in the United States Navy. We are excited for your journey that awaits!” said Commanding Officer Paul “Veg” Bandini.

On May 11, prior to their commissioning, Barto, Roche and Simmons ߣsirÊÓƵuated with their respective bachelor’s degrees. Their achievements are not only sources of pride for themselves, but also for their families and the Koa O Ke Kai Battalion.

Reflecting on their journey, each newly commissioned officer expressed honor at being among the first to ߣsirÊÓƵuate from the university’s pioneering NROTC program. Barto will serve as a naval submarine officer upon completing nuclear power school in Charleston, South Carolina. Roche will serve as a naval pilot and Simmons will serve as a naval flight officer after both completing their naval aviation training in Florida.

The commissioning of Barto, Roche and Simmons underscores the success and commitment of the NROTC program at the ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ in preparing future leaders for service in the U.S. Navy.

“Their exemplary dedication and leadership serve as inspirations to their peers and reflect the program’s unwavering dedication to excellence in training and education,” added Bandini.

Maveric Abella is a spring 2024 ߣsirÊÓƵuate of the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ (JABSOM) who entered medical school during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Abella’s path to becoming a physician has been marked by a series of transformative experiences and a deep-rooted commitment to serving her community.

Her passion for medicine was ignited during her high school years at Kamehameha Schools, where she interned at the . Initially drawn to clinical research, she found her interests shifted toward engineering during her underߣsirÊÓƵuate studies at Columbia University in New York City. However, it was a research expedition to the Marshall Islands, assessing the aftermath of nuclear tests, that pushed her toward a career in medicine. Witnessing the lack of healthcare access in rural communities left an impression on Abella, inspiring her to pursue a path focused on patient care.

“I wanted to know what patient care was like, getting to know patients on a one on one level, treating people. I think that was lost in engineering for me. It was very much a lot of research and development and you never really got to see the end result of that,” said Abella.

Entering JABSOM in 2020 during the pandemic, Abella’s resilience and dedication were further demonstrated as she embraced the challenges of virtual learning and adapted to the evolving healthcare landscape. Despite the obstacles, she found fulfillment in her clinical rotations, particularly during an OB-GYN rotation where she assisted in delivering a baby.

Check out more stories of our ߣsirÊÓƵ spring ߣsirÊÓƵuates

“Just establishing that rapport pretty early on and then actually being able to help deliver that baby, it just felt like it all came full circle,” she said.

Inspiring parents, upbringing

As Abella prepares to embark on the next phase of her career with a residency at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles specializing in orthopedic surgery, she reflects on the influence of her upbringing and family in West Oʻahu. From her father’s unwitting influence during their home renovation projects to her mother’s support, Abella credits her family for nurturing her passion and determination.

She plans to return to ߣsirÊÓƵʻi to practice medicine to give back to the community that shaped her and is grateful for the educational opportunity at JABSOM, embodying the values of compassion, resilience and community engagement that define her journey.

“I think it’s something so special to be able to talk and learn medicine and treat people from your community,” said Abella. “Really, the kind of doctors that I shadowed at Queen’s West and the surgeons—that’s exactly who I wanted to be. And I knew I could do that if I went to medical school [at JABSOM].”

.

The placed in the top 2.5% out of more than 20,000 universities in the world, according to the , released on May 13. The flagship campus of the 10-campus ߣsirÊÓƵ System placed No. 511 out of 20,966 universities ranked. ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ also ranked No. 138 among universities in the U.S.

“This ranking is the latest validation of ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s standing as a hub of academic excellence and groundbreaking research,” ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Provost Michael Bruno said. “It’s a source of pride for our state to host one of the world’s premier universities right here in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi.”

Four key objective pillars were analyzed for the rankings—education, employability, faculty and research. The center used seven objective and outcome-based indicators grouped into four areas to rank the world’s universities:

Education: Based on the academic success of a university’s alumni, measured relative to the university’s size (25%)

Employability: Based on the professional success of a university’s alumni, measured relative to the university’s size (25%)

Faculty: Measured by the number of faculty members who have received top academic distinctions (10%)

Research:

• Research output: measured by the total number of research articles (10%)
• High-quality publications: measured by the number of research articles appearing in top-tier journals (10%)
• Influence: measured by the number of research articles appearing in highly-influential journals (10%)
• Citations: measured by the number of highly-cited research articles (10%)

Surveys and university data submissions did not factor in the rankings. The center says that equal emphasis was put on student and faculty indicators, and that 62-million outcome-based data points were used. For more on the methodology, .

For more information on rankings, .

—By Marc Arakaki

University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Mānoa student Anamaria Navarrete has always been fascinated by severe weather. As she ߣsirÊÓƵuates this spring with a degree in , Navarrete is proud to have persisted on the journey as a first-generation college student and looks ahead to ߣsirÊÓƵuate school.

Navarrete was reluctant to pursue a STEM field that has a reputation for being academically challenging. She began her academic journey as a political science major and intended to pursue law school. By spring 2021, she realized that law was not the career pathway for her. She switched to atmospheric sciences in the ߣsirÊÓƵ Mānoa (SOEST) and continued to pursue a minor in political science.

“I knew it would be difficult but I was willing to work hard,” said Navarrete. “Now that I am almost done with my degree, I am so incredibly happy that I made the switch, as I cannot see myself studying anything else. Not only do I love the subject, but the department professors, staff, and my fellow peers made this experience very memorable by being so supportive of one another.”

Gaining research experience, skills

While meeting with her academic advisor and atmospheric sciences department chair Jennifer Small Griswold, Navarrete shared her interest in pursuing ߣsirÊÓƵuate school. Griswold offered her an opportunity to work on a senior thesis project. Although not required to complete the underߣsirÊÓƵuate degree, Navarrete started the research project to learn new skills, such as computer coding, and gain experience to prepare her to complete a master’s thesis.

Check out more stories of our ߣsirÊÓƵ spring ߣsirÊÓƵuates

“Anamaria was a perfect candidate for a senior thesis,” said Griswold. “Her innate curiosity flourished doing independent research and allowed her to pursue her own scientific question and decide on the tools she needed to answer it. She became a competent programmer during her research because she needed to learn how to code to answer her question and reach her goal.”

Navarrete’s research over the past year has focused on understanding how various atmospheric and oceanic systems, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool, affect tropical cyclone creation and progression. She has analyzed satellite data from three tropical cyclones that impacted Fiji during the 2020–21 tropical cyclone season.

“Local-scale studies like this are essential,” said Navarrete. “Improving our understanding of microclimates on each island of Fiji can improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, validate climate model output, and even be useful in climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.”

.

–By Marcie Grabowski

The University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ buzzed with energy on April 26, as 14 ߣsirÊÓƵ from and arrived on campus. The , which provides support to ߣsirÊÓƵ identifying as Filipino or Pacific Islander, hosted its first “Turning the Tides” transfer event. The program’s goal is to help ease the transition from community college to a four-year institution for Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) ߣsirÊÓƵ.

For Davis Rofino Martin, a ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ junior and TIDES Fellow who helped organize the event, the importance of the inaugural gathering was personal. He once made the same journey from Honolulu CC to ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹.

“As someone who has gone through the transfer experience myself, I know what it’s like to endure the culture shock while trying to adapt to a larger campus environment,” Martin said. “This event was a way to offer these ߣsirÊÓƵ an opportunity to get their feet wet and get them connected with resources and a community even before their arrival as official ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ ߣsirÊÓƵ.”

Cultural weaving, tailored tours

The day’s agenda was rich with activities tailored to the ߣsirÊÓƵ’ interests and needs. From a weaving workshop to a presentation of the Hamilton Library’s Pacific Collection, the event aimed to provide insight into campus life. Specialized tours focused on the ߣsirÊÓƵ’ specific academic interests. A panel discussion featured current ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ ߣsirÊÓƵ who had transferred from community colleges, sharing their personal experiences and advice.

Participants who attended are primarily from student organizations at Honolulu CC and Kapiʻolani CC; , and other programs such as Phi Theta Kappa, TRIO and .

“Seeing ߣsirÊÓƵ from Honolulu CC and Kapiʻolani CC engaging with each other and asking about our experiences in transferring to ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ was rewarding,” said senior Jeddie May Cabasag, a TIDES student assistant who helped organize the event.

The attendees come from diverse cultural backgrounds and identified as Chuukese, Chamorro, Marshallese, Yapese, Palauan, Kosraean, Samoan, Tongan, Native ߣsirÊÓƵian, Tahitian and Filipino.The event also hosted a resource fair which showcased an array of support services available on campus, from first generation and Filipino/Pacific Islander-serving clubs to information about the for transfer ߣsirÊÓƵ.

More on TIDES

TIDES, housed under the ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹Ê»s , was established in 2021 through an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) grant. The AANAPISI program, initiated by Congress in 2007, designates ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ as one of eight federally recognized Minority-Serving Institutions.

To learn more about TIDES contact: tides@hawaii.edu.

A startup company helping learners master different languages won the 2024 (ߣsirÊÓƵVC) and a prize package totaling approximately $50,000.

What began with more than 40 teams at the start of the competition, OmniVocab bested three other teams in the event finals on May 4 to claim the title. The company aims to help intermediate language learners overcome obstacles in acquiring a new language through immersive experiences.

The team included ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ ߣsirÊÓƵ Ryan Beattie (mechanical engineering), Josiah Kila (information and computer science), Kaihehau Goo (management), Sage Suzuki (computer science) and Noah deMers (computer science). They were coached by marketing lecturer Patricia LaPorte.

“What previously was a last-minute submission soon became a worthy competitor amongst many worthy teams,” DeMers said. “If we’ve learned one thing from this, it is to never underestimate what you have to offer compared to others and to always tunnel through any uncertainty. As the movie Coach Carter puts it, ‘As we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.’”

The first place prize included $10,000 from ߣsirÊÓƵian Electric Industries and ߣsirÊÓƵian Electric, 20 hours of marketing consultation by Pineapple Tweed ($5,000 value), rapid prototype development or data driven digital marketing package from Blue Logic Labs ($4,000 value), one year of unlimited coworking membership to The Hub Coworking ߣsirÊÓƵi ($19,500 value), incorporation package and financing term sheet sponsored by Vantage Counsel LLC ($7,500 value), and other in-kind prizes.

ߣsirÊÓƵVC is hosted annually by the (PACE) in ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s Shidler College of Business to support budding entrepreneurs by providing hands-on education, mentorship and resources to ߣsirÊÓƵ from the 10-campus ߣsirÊÓƵ System who wish to start a new business. This year, excitement soared as the event took place within the vibrant, newly inaugurated live-learn-work student housing community——marking a momentous milestone in the competition’s history. With student team representation from ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, ߣsirÊÓƵ Hilo, and Kapiʻolani Community College, encompassing more than 20 diverse majors from tropical plant and soil sciences to computer science, the competition showcased the innovative spirit thriving across the ߣsirÊÓƵ System.

Finalists

Placing second was EduKits ߣsirÊÓƵʻi, a nonprofit organization that creates and distributes placed-based STEAM resource kits to Title I school ߣsirÊÓƵ. Its goal is to enrich classroom learning and increase parent involvement through fun hands-on activities based on STEAM lessons that align with Next Generation Science Standards and Na Hopena Aʻo framework. The team members were Candide Krieger (curriculum studies) and Samantha Alvarado (tropical plant and soil sciences), and their coach was Susan Yamada, PACE Board of Directors chair. The second place prize included $5,000 from PACE and more than $40,000 in in-kind prizes.

• Related ߣsirÊÓƵ News story: Using Oreos to study moon phases, ߣsirÊÓƵ student creates dynamic STEM lessons, April 24, 2024

The third place team was Tadish, a mobile application that streamlines the process of recording and rating individual dishes, offering users accurate and personalized suggestions based on their taste preferences and history of liked dishes. The team members were Alyssia Chen (information and computer science) and Timothy Huo (computer science), and their coach was Alexey Loganchuk from Sidera Labs. The third place prize totaled more than $17,000, including a $2,500 prize sponsored by HiBEAM.

AgiPower—an agricultural engineering company that designs and builds customized aquaponic systems for residents and farm owners—won fourth place and a $1,000 prize from PACE. The team members were Kurt Metrose (mechanical engineering) and Ted Metrose, and they were coached by Faustino Dagdag from Leeward Community College.

“We’re thrilled to showcase the incredible passion, creativity and perseverance displayed by all participants in the 2024 ߣsirÊÓƵ Venture Competition,” PACE Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama said “It’s inspiring to see innovative entrepreneurs at ߣsirÊÓƵ, like OmniVocab, paving the way for transformative solutions in language education.”

Reese Kisaba is a ߣsirÊÓƵʻi kid at heart. He grew up in ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Valley, ߣsirÊÓƵuated from Roosevelt High School and will soon ߣsirÊÓƵuate from the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹. Following his ߣsirÊÓƵuation this spring, Kisaba plans to stay and work in the islands to give back to the community that helped raise him to who he is today.

“Throughout college, I really got to become active in the community,” Kisaba said. “I got to explore other places too, and I studied abroad. Even though my study abroad was amazing, there’s nothing like the people in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi. There’s nothing like the community. I can’t imagine moving away from a place that is so comfortable, yet still gives me so many opportunities.”

Initially, moving away was exactly what Kisaba intended to do after high school. It was because of the pandemic that Kisaba decided to stay home and explore college opportunities right in his backyard.

“I tell people now, if I was gonna go back, no doubt I’m going to ߣsirÊÓƵ,” Kisaba said. “Me staying home, that’s the path to take in order to get to that dream of surrounding myself with the good people that I’ve met and more people that I will meet, and just having that community around me, I think ߣsirÊÓƵʻi is the perfect place to do that. I think it’s a catalyst for that type of strong tight-knit family.”

Leader, ambassador

On May 11, Kisaba will earn his bachelor of business administration in finance from the , with a minor in economics. During his time at ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, Kisaba served on multiple student organizations, including the Business Executive Society of Tomorrow and International Business Organization. He was the Business Night student committee executive director, received the Dean’s Spirit award and served as a .

Kisaba was also awarded the ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Academic Merit Scholarship, appeared on the Dean’s List and studied at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia in fall 2023 through the . Outside of the classroom, Kisaba worked as an admissions assistant with the Office of Admissions and appeared as a student ambassador in multiple spots for “There’s a place for you,” ߣsirÊÓƵ’s statewide marketing campaign.

“My main focus as an ‘ambassador’ of the university was to really try to hit home and connect with local ߣsirÊÓƵ,” Kisaba said. “Growing up, everybody tells you, you gotta get off the rock, you gotta go and see what’s out there. I think that a lot of people don’t realize that there’s so many opportunities that are unique to ߣsirÊÓƵʻi that you can’t get in other places. And two, it’s kind of built into the culture of the university. They want you to get out and explore the world.”

Opportunities at home

“You don’t have to leave home to get these opportunities. We have them at ߣsirÊÓƵ already, and you can take advantage of a lot more cost effective opportunities for local ߣsirÊÓƵ.”

During college, Kisaba interned with Ameriprise Financial and earned a full-time job on the road to becoming a financial planner with the company after ߣsirÊÓƵuation. While he thrived and achieved at ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹, he doesn’t consider himself above anyone else.

“I’m just a normal student, and I was given or I had access to the same opportunities that all ߣsirÊÓƵ can take advantage of,” Kisaba said. “I got a campus job. All ߣsirÊÓƵ can get a campus job. I joined the club. All ߣsirÊÓƵ can join a club. I think I just took advantage of those opportunities that were presented to me.”

Check out more stories of our ߣsirÊÓƵ spring ߣsirÊÓƵuates

Kisaba said ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ gave him a “second family and a strong support system” throughout college and beyond. To the lifelong Rainbow Warrior, who started going to ߣsirÊÓƵ sporting events as a kid, welcome to your new ʻohana—the proud ߣsirÊÓƵ alumni family.

—By Marc Arakaki

²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ Minute: Study Abroad in Australia with Reese

Research from recent ߣsirÊÓƵuate Brock Santi of the University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at Manoa (JABSOM) explored the link between COVID-19, insurance coverage, race, ethnicity and vaccination, shedding light on previously unexplored aspects of the pandemic’s impact in ߣsirÊÓƵʻi. The study was on May 1. The study found different times during the pandemic provided disparities with different groups.

“We wanted to ensure that patients in the hospital, as soon as they were admitted for COVID-19, were receiving equal care,” explained Santi, who ߣsirÊÓƵuated less than a year ago and is currently working with the ߣsirÊÓƵʻi Department of Health. With a focus on internal medicine and an interest in infectious diseases, he will soon begin an internship with Kaiser Permanente ߣsirÊÓƵʻi.

The study looked at more than 1,000 people. Researchers found no significant differences in outcomes based on insurance type, challenging preconceptions about healthcare access. However, disparities among racial and ethnic groups surfaced, with Filipinos facing a higher risk of in-hospital mortality. The availability of vaccines proved to be a turning point, significantly reducing disparities in outcomes across different ethnicities.

Santi’s journey from medical student to published researcher highlights the importance of passion and dedication in pursuing meaningful research. “Find something that you’re passionate about,” he advises future ߣsirÊÓƵ.

As Santi looks to the future, his enthusiasm for research remains, with plans to delve into RSV and flu research to continue making strides in understanding and combating infectious diseases.

.

The University of ߣsirÊÓƵʻi at ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ has launched more opportunities and events for ߣsirÊÓƵ that expose them to diverse mathematical concepts, foster critical thinking skills and encourage active participation in the mathematical community.

Distinguished lecture series

The , a distinguished mathematician specializing in geometry from the University of Chicago. Farb’s research focuses around geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology, algebraic geometry, representation theory and the study of moduli spaces. These topics are relevant in real-world applications, including physical phenomena such as motion, electricity and fluid dynamics, modeling the motion of robotic arms or the trajectory of autonomous vehicles, creating computer-aided designs for objects, and more.

Farb conducted a trio of lectures and worked directly with ߣsirÊÓƵ and faculty over the course of a week in April. Farb’s visit was highlighted by a public lecture on the orientation and the fourth dimension on April 23. He highlighted how dimension and notions of left- and right-handedness have applications in physics, engineering, aeronautics, and pharmaceuticals, and explained how to visualize interactions in higher dimensions.

“We are very grateful to Benson Farb for sharing his perspective on the beauty and power of mathematics with our community,” said Department of Mathematics Chair Rufus Willett. “Professor Farb also discussed the practicalities of creating new mathematics with our ߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ and underߣsirÊÓƵuates, and injected a great deal of enthusiasm into our department.”

“Visiting the math department at ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ was a wonderful experience, both socially and intellectually,” Farb said. “I found out about a lot of exciting mathematics from both professors and ߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ, for example the discovery of an amazing fractal pattern in a completely unexpected, algebraic place. I also got a really positive vibe from the supportive atmosphere in the department, especially amongst the ߣsirÊÓƵuate ߣsirÊÓƵ. It was also a particular pleasure to see the flourishing group around my former PhD student Asaf Hadari, an associate professor in the department.”

The Department of Mathematics has a goal of making this distinguished lecture series a yearly event.

Math Jam

The department hosted “Math Jam” on May 2, bringing together hundreds of mathematics ߣsirÊÓƵ across several different courses for a large study session to prepare for final exams. What started as a study session by a ߣsirÊÓƵuate assistant for one math course several years ago has grown into a massive event, due to the efforts of Temporary Assistant Professor Sébastien Bertrand and Precalculus Coordinator John Robertson.

“While the first goal of Math Jam is to help our ߣsirÊÓƵ succeed in their final exams, we are also creating a sense of community, a possibility of meeting new people and a safe space to learn more about mathematics,” Bertrand said. “For STEM ߣsirÊÓƵ, mathematics is a core language with which it is possible to describe nature and make logical conclusions, so by helping our future ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ ߣsirÊÓƵuates be even stronger, they may shine brighter in their future careers and represent the values of ߣsirÊÓƵ.”

Bertrand and Robertson would like to thank everyone who helped make Math Jam a success.

• Related ߣsirÊÓƵ News story: Massive ‘Math Jam’ boosts ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹ ߣsirÊÓƵ’ exam prep, December 11, 2023

The Department of Mathematics is housed in ߣsirÊÓƵ ²ÑÄå²Ô´Ç²¹â€™s .