What happens when you make a gift to the Math Department?
Our students are awarded scholarships and provided with opportunities to enhance their educational experience beyond what we can normally provide in the classroom.
Scholarships
Student scholarships provide critical financial support to outstanding students, many of whom would not be able to continue their education without them. The Math Memorial Scholarship and Math Scholarship Funds support our math majors. The William Wade Haggard Scholarship Fund, named after WWU’s longest serving president, supports students majoring in mathematics education.
Conferences and Travel
Our highest-achieving students have multiple opportunities to travel and present their work throughout the year. These trips would not be possible without our generous donors.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Several students attended the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Regional Conference in Seattle. Students were able to attend multiple sessions, network with practicing teachers, and learn about products and services available to teachers. Students attend this conference annually, and this year, two of our students were selected to present their research.
Joint Mathematics Meeting
The Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM) is the largest mathematics meeting in the world, and we were able to fully fund the travel expenses for three students to attend and present their research this year.
Math and Computer Science student, Nicholas C., shares his experience presenting at JMM:
“This trip has allowed me to better understand the community of mathematicians as well as practice presenting my research. This helped with my research because I got feedback on it before we submit to a journal. I also found that my view of mathematics itself has changed due to the exposure to a broader set of topics and ideas from the conference.”
Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln annually hosts the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics (NCUWM). For many years, we have been able to send a group of undergraduate women majoring in math to attend and present their research at this conference. Women are underrepresented in math and sciences, so providing our women math majors the opportunity to attend this conference allows them to meet new role models, gain insider knowledge, and the opportunity for new research and collaboration.
Math and Computer Science student, Ashley B., shares her experience attending NCUWM:
“This trip provided me with lots of new connections and excellent insight into my future both in industry and potentially in pursuing higher education. I received some wonderful advice from both professionals and other students about where my next steps might take me on my journey into my career. This would not have been possible without the generosity of WWU’s donors providing me the opportunity to attend this conference.”
Math and Data Sciences student, Mayla W., shares her experience attending NCUWM:
“This trip helped expand my understanding of mathematics and the diverse community that studies it. It has encouraged me to continue my studies in both new and familiar disciplines and has connected me to a network of friends and mentors to encourage me in my education and future career as a mathematician.”
Mathematics Department General Fund
In addition to travel, the Math Department General Fund helps support many essential needs in our department:
- Computer hardware and professional specialized mathematical software necessary for research and for preparing our students for technical careers.
- Materials for our math education lab, where future teachers learn mathematics content and pedagogical practices in an active learning environment.
- Support for activities of our student ambassador. Building community and helping students feel like they belong in the math program has been high on our priority list. Our ambassador has been hosting inclusive events and engaging with students across multiple STEM programs. The positive impact of these community-building events has been encouraging to see. More information about the College of Science & Engineering’s Student Ambassador program can be found here.
- Support for activities of student clubs and the Math Center, where students can get tutoring in calculus and more advanced math classes from the Math Fellows, outstanding undergraduate students who play a critical role in the department.
- Support for research visits and guest speakers.
Please consider donating to the Math Department for WWU Give Day 2024 to show our students that you believe in them and are invested in their success.
