Math is Everywhere Project and Student Engagement at LaGuardia

Shenglan Yuan & Soloman Kone

Opening Session 2017

Math is EverywhereA collaboration between

Academic Affairs and Student Affairs

Sometime in June 2015, Provost Paul Arcario, VP Michael Baston, Dean Kevin Jordan, MEC Chair Abdel Belkharraz, and Dr. Shenglan Yuan met and conceived a math in the co-curriculum project.

They collaborated over several meetings and created the Math is Everywhere Learning Project.

Math is Everywhere Background

* Spark interdisciplinary dialogue and collaborations* Offer opportunities, outside the classroom, for students to

look at math from a collaborative, holistic perspective.* Promote college wide appreciation of the important role math

plays not only in our technological and data driven world but in our everyday lives.

Math is Everywhere Goals

* Promote cross-disciplinary collaborations.

* Alignment with the college core competencies—Inquiry and Problem Solving, Global Learning, Integrative Learning—and communication abilities (written, oral and digital).

Math is Everywhere Emphasis

A call for proposals was sent out to the entire college in early November and the project was launched with a kick-off event on Dec. 1 2015.

2015 Kick-off Event

2015 Kick-off Event

* Fourteen Proposals were received, Twelve Teams completed proposals, Ten teams presented to Judges

* Rubrics were created to reflect the college core competencies and were used to value the projects

* The projects were rated by eight judges (faculty and staff from the division of the student affairs)

* Many departments (MEC, Natural Sciences, Social Science, Humanities, English, Library, Health Sciences) with division of Student Affairs have contributed to the MiE project

2016 Projects

* 1. Mathematics of Energy * 2. Hidden Math Images* 3. Mathematical Concepts in Cell Biology * 4. The Obsession of Diagnosis* 5. Fibonacci Sequences in the Stock Market, in Nature and at LaGuardia!* 6. Mathematical Applications in Food Product Acceptability * 7. Math in Art * 8. Social Networks in Developmental Mathematics * 9. Math and Music * 10. Calculation of the Terminal Speed of a Skydiver Using a Simplified

Model* 11. Examining Trump’s Trade Policies

11 groups submitted projects in 2016 on the following topics:

* First Place * Project Title: The Obsession of Diagnosis

Team Members : Anastasios Tzanidakis, Giovanni Juarez, Natalia Villafana,

* Faculty Mentor : Prof. Frank Wang

* Second Place * Project Title: Mathematical Applications in Food Product Acceptability* Food and Nutrition Club Team Members:* Omid Zafar- Dietetic Technician, April Arbotante – Dietetic Technician, Lauren Ashley – Dietetic Technician* Saul Diaz- Foodservice Management, Christopher Porras – Biology, Andrew Chen – Business* Asmita Shrestha – Dietetic Technician

* Faculty Mentors:* Prof. Cindy Pierce, Prof. Rosann Ippolito, Prof. Nicolle Fernandes and Ms. Jenny Palios** Third Place * Project Title: Mathemathical Concepts in Cell Biology* Team Name: Macrophages in Action* Team Members:* Jordy Sepulveda Biology Anamil Ventura liberal Arts Math & Science* Ndeye Babou Biology VictoriaChang Liberal Arts Math & Science* Aynoor Aierken Liberal Arts Math & Science Neema Sherpa liberal Arts Math & Science* Faculty mentors: Prof. Maria Entezari and Prof. A. Lucia Fuentes

2016 Winning Teams

* 1. French Mathematician, Physicist and Natural Philosopher* 2. Using Microcontrollers to Interpret Analog Readings from Nature

into Digital Readings* 3. Digging Out the Unconscious Mathematical Equations in Everyday

Life* 4. The Math Behind Sprinting: How to Achieve Peak Performance

Using Known Formulas* 5. The Power of Wind Turbines* 6. Visualizing History* 7. Solar Energy* 8. Understanding the Bell Curve Conundrum and Media Impact of

Companies in Various Industries* 9. Finite Subdivision Rule and Rational Map with Parabolic Orbifold* 10. A Statistical Analysis of Trump’s Tax Policy

10 groups submitted projects in 2017 on the following topics:

2017 Math is Everywhere Ceremony

* First Place * Project: Solar Energy* Students: Delfino Enriquez and Maria Ignacia* Faculty Mentors: Yasser Hassebo and Malgorata Marciniak** Second Place

Project: The Power of Wind Turbines* Students: Paul Devries and Michael Wiley * Faculty Mentors: Malgorzata Marciniak, Marina Nechayeva, and

Vladimir Przhebelskiy** Third Place * Project: The Math Behind Sprinting* Students: Eleni McGurty, Assia Bouizy, and Robert Deokinandan* Faculty Mentor: Shenglan Yuan

2017 Winning Teams

Team consists of Female students

2017 Contributions of Women Mathematicians Award

Project: Statistical Analysis of Trump’s Tax Policy

Students: 1. Aayushma Aryal2. Habiba Choudhury3. Amina Jabri

Faculty Mentors:Soloman KoneKamal HajallieFrank Wang

Project that features historical contribution of female mathematiciansProject: French Mathematician, Physicist, and Natural Philosopher

Students: Vienna DornellasAysia Akhter

Faculty Mentors:Reem JaafarIan Alberts

2017 Contributions of Women Mathematicians Award

* Aayushma Aryal (MIE Participant 2017):* “Math is everywhere is one of the best competitions at LaGuardia and I

am very glad that I took part in this competition. I think LaGuardia shouldhave more and more of these kinds of competitions to motivatestudents and to give them experience of Four-year colleges. I think thiskind of activities are what makes LaGuardia unique from the rest of thecommunity colleges. I highly encourage my other fellow students to takepart in this competition.”

* Mary Naughton (MIE Participant 2017):* “This project helped me to build connections to the stock market and

the bell-shaped curve. The research as well as the use of the R programand Excel, helped me practice concepts for Statistics class. I also learnedsome information about businesses and how they trend over time. If Iwere to suggest going forward, Math is everywhere needs moreexposure and hype!”

Sample of Students Reflections

* Sabrina Tamba (MIE Participant 2017):* “The Math is Everywhere project was a fun and exciting experience that I

was grateful to have taken part in. The project certainly was helpful in mylearning process. It allowed me to interpret mathematics in ways that Ihaven’t before, come up with concrete internal theories that I merely had aspassing thoughts, and even unlocked a part of my brain that now enables me to look at every aspect of life with a mathematical perspective!”

* Habiba Choudhury (MIE Participant 2017):* “Math is everywhere project is beneficial to understanding the relationship

between the discipline and mathematics. Moreover, in perspective, studentsshould consider mathematics in their life; mathematics is the root of alldisciplines; it gives other disciplines meaning, understanding, and depth toexamine the wonderful world of mathematics. Indeed, mathematicstransforms lives and I sincerely believe, The project has helped in mylearning of statistics and microeconomics. Anyone can achieve the projectthrough dedication and motivation.”

Sample of Students Reflections

*Strongly agree (13 students) 92.86%* Somewhat agree (1 student) 7.14%*Somewhat disagree (0 student) 0.00%*Strongly disagree (0 student) 0.00%*TOTAL (14 students) 100%

The Math is Everywhere Learning Project engaged your thinking and problem-solving skills.

*ANSWER CHOICES (RESPONSES)*Yes, definitely (9 students) 64.29%*Probably (5 students) 35.71%*No (0 students) 0.00%*TOTAL (14 students) 100%

Would you be willing to talk to other students about the Math is Everywhere Project?

*ANSWER CHOICES (RESPONSES)*Extremely important (12 students) 85.71%*Somewhat important (2 students) 14.29%*Not at all (0 students) 0.00%TOTAL (14 students)

How important do you think it is for the Math is Everywhere Learning Project to address the

connection that mathematics has to daily life?

Be on the lookout for more information on the upcoming “Math is Everywhere”

competition or visit the “Math is Everywhere” website

at http://www.laguardia.edu/MEC/Mathematics/Math-is-Everywhere/

Timeline for 2018 Math is Everywhere Competition