Past News Items

• Removed 2023-04-20
  • 2023-03-13: Test 4 of the 2022-2023 Talent Search has been posted.
  • 2023-03-13: Solutions for Test 3 of the 2022-2023 Talent Search have been posted.
  • 2023-03-10: Top scorers for Test 3 of the 2022-2023 Talent Search have been posted.
  • Applications are now open through March 31 for the 2023 Governor's Institute of Vemont in Mathematical Sciences.
• Removed 2023-03-10
  • 2023-02-07: Test 3 of the 2022-2023 talent search has been posted.
• Removed 2023-02-07
  • 2023-01-11: Solutions and top scorers for Test 2 of the 2022-2023 talent search have been posted.
• Removed 2023-01-11
  • 2022-12-01: Test 2 of the 2022-2023 talent search has been posted.
  • 2022-11-30: Solutions and top scorers for test 1 of the 2022-2023 talent search have been posted.
• Removed 2022-11-30
  • 2022-10-11: Test 1 of the 2022-2023 talent search have been posted.
• Removed 2022-10-11
  • 2022-04-26: Solutions and top scorers for test 4, and overall top scorers for the 2021-2022 talent search have been posted.
  • 2022-02-05: We are very sorry to report the death of Tony Trono on January 31, 2022. Tony led and was instrumental in many VSMC programs over the years, including the Talent Search, the Summer Instute, and the Vermont team for the Penn State ARML competitions. His obituary can be found here here.
• Removed 2022-04-26
  • 2022-03-16: Test 4 of the 2021-2022 talent search has been posted.
  • 2022-02-27: Solutions and top scorers for test 3 of the 2021-2022 talent search have been posted.
  • 2022:02-24: Mathematicians Made Visible Long River Gallery, White River Junction, VT, March 1 to June 1, 2022. These are 9 of a series of 12 portraits of contemporary mathematicians from under-represented groups. The artist, Tracy Gillespie, will be turning the portraits into posters and make them available to teachers to print out and put up in their classrooms. More information here.
  • The 7th United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science is February 11. The 2022 Theme is “Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Water Unites Us.” The International Mathematics Union’s Committee for Women in Mathematics is compiling a list of initiatives from around the world to promote mathematics among girls, and will showcase them on the CWM website. If you are involved in an initiative aimed at bringing girls and mathematics closer together, please tell them about it here.
  • 2022-02-05: Registration is now open for the 2022 Vermont Governor's Institute in Mathematical Sciences, to be held at UVM from June 26 to July 1. Registration deadline is April 3.
• Removed 2022-03-16
  • 2022-01-03: Solutions and top scorers for test 2 of the 2021-2022 talent search have been posted.
• Removed 2022/02/27:
  • 2022-01-10: Test 3 of the 2021-2022 talent search has been posted.
• Removed 2022/01/03:
  • 2021-11-02: Test 2 of the 2021-2022 talent search has been posted.
  • 2021-10-19: Solutions and top scorers for test 1 of the 2021-2022 talent search have been posted.
  • Past news items
• Removed 2021/12/11:
  • 2021-11-22: The third talk of the 2021-2022 Math Beyond the Horizon series will be held at 10 AM, Saturday, December 11, 2021. Michael Olinick of Middlebury College will speak on When Will We Run Out? Some Mathematical Models of the Depletion of Nonrenewable Resources. Register here.
• Removed 2021/11/22:
  • 2021-11-02: The second talk of the 2021-2022 Math Beyond the Horizon series will be held at 10 AM, Saturday, November 13, 2021. Josh Bongard of UVM will speak on Using Math to Create Robots ... and Xenobots. Register here.
• Removed 2021/10/19:
  • Math Beyond the Horizon is starting up again on October 16, with Jo Ellis-Monoghan presenting "DNA self-assembly. How small is that? This online series of math / STEM enrichment talks is oriented toward strong high school math students interested in new topics, but is open to anyone. Registration is free, but required for each session.

  • 2021-09-14: The NASA Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) is a year-long STEM engagement opportunity for educators and graduate students to work directly with NASA scientists and lead research teams in a NASA research project hosted at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City, NY or NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. The application deadline is September 19, 2021.

    For detailed information in CCRI 2021-2022, including descriptions of the opportunities, please see the information and instructions document for graduate students or educators, and submit application documents using the Fall 2021 CCRI Graduate Student Research Assistants or Educator link.

  • 2021-09-07: Test 1 of the 2021-2022 talent search has been posted.
  • 2021-05-07: A Vermont team Reverse Big Bang, consisting of Yuyang Zhang, Saksham Bhardwaj, Sriram Sethuraman, Sangmin Lee, Eric Lu and Ellery Stahler, and coached by Jean Ohlson from South Burlington HS placed 104 out of 206 in the ARML (American Regions Mathematics League) local competition, held remotely on April 24 and 25, 2021.
• Removed 2021/09/14:
  • 2021-06-05: Solutions for test 4 of the 2020-2021 talent search have been posted.
  • 2021-05-02: Top scorers for test 4 and for the entire 2020-2021 talent search have been posted.
  • Governor's Institutes of Vermont: Mathematics Applications Open!
    Know a math-loving student? There’s a whole state full of people just like them, and they’re all coming together online at The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont’s virtual Math Immersion! This summer, students at GIV will challenge their minds with puzzles and mentored problem-solving activities and contests, learn about the real-world and theoretical applications of mathematics, solve problems alongside professional mathematicians, and discover career pathways open to people who love math! Tuition is “pay-what-you-can,” and GIV’s support team is at the ready to help with any tech issues - so all Vermont families can apply without worrying about money or technology. Click here for more info, and to apply today!
• Removed 2021/05/08:
  • 2021-04-29: Register for our next Math Beyond the Horizon online talk: The Shannon expansion and BDDs - Representing Boolean functions in a computer, by David Hathaway, 11 AM, Saturday, May 8. Slides from past talks are also available.
• Removed 2021/05/02:
  • 2021-03-22: Test 4 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search has been posted.
  • 2021-03-14: Solutions and top scorers for test 3 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search have been posted.
• Removed 2021/04/29:
  • 2021-04-13: Register for our next Math Beyond the Horizon online talk: Can you hear the shape of a drum?, by Carolyn Gordon, 11 AM, Saturday, April 24. Slides from past talks are also available.
• Removed 2021/04/13:
  • 2021-03-27: Register for our next Math Beyond the Horizon online talk: Where Am I - How does your GPS work? by David Hathaway, 11 AM, Saturday, April 10. Slides from past talks are also available.
  • The VCTM 2021 Statewide Virtual Math Fair will be held April 5-9, 2021. Registration deadline for individual and class projects is February 5, 2021. More information here.
• Removed 2021/03/26:
  • 2021-03-07: The 2021 American Mathematics Society Einstein Public Lecture in Mathematics will be held online from 1:30 to 2:30 on Saturday, March 20. The talks is by Professor Abba Gummel of Arizona State University on Mathematics of Infectious Diseases. Registration and more information here.
  • 2021-02-19: Women in Aviation International is hosting a Girls in Aviation Day online event from 1 PM to 3 PM EST on March 13, featuring female members of the USAF Thunderbirds and a female NASA Astronaut.
• Removed 2021/03/07:
  • 2021-02-20: The Vermont State Mathematics Coalition announces Math Beyond the Horizon, a new online series of math / STEM enrichment talks. It is oriented toward strong high school math students interested in new topics, but is open to anyone. Registration is free, but required for each session. The first talk, at 11 AM on Saturday, March 6, is Quantum Cryptography presented by Mary Beth Ruskai.
  • The Vermont Space Grant Consortium (VTSGC) Undergrad Scholarship competition is open and accepting applications here. Applicants must be:
    • A Vermont resident and United States citizen.
    • A graduating senior in a Vermont high school, or a current undergraduate enrolled in a degree program in a Vermont institution of higher education, with a GPA of 3.0 or above.
    • Planning to pursue a professional career which has direct relevance to the United States aerospace industry and the goals of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) such as: Astronomy, Biology, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Aeronautical Engineering and other basic sciences, including earth sciences, and Medicine. Cross-disciplinary and other areas of study may also apply.
    Applications must be received no later than March 1st.
• Removed 2021/03/05:
  • Test 3 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search has been posted.
• Removed 2021/02/20:
  • Solutions and top scorers for test 2 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search have been posted.
  • Test 2 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search has been posted.
  • Organize an Hour of Code in your community during Computer Science Education Week, December 7-13.
  • Solutions and top scorers for Test 1 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search are now posted.
  • The VCTM virtual conference Making Connections was held October 22-24, 2020. Presentations (including an introduction to and sampling of the VSMC Expanding Horizons program) can be found here.
  • Talent Search winner Ragulan Sivakumar is featured in The Other Paper.
• Removed 2020/11/24:
  • Test 1 of the 2020-2021 VSMC Talent Search is now posted here!
• Removed 2020/11/02:
  • May 12th Celebration of Women in Mathematics
  • Solutions for test 4 and cumulative top scorers for the 2019-2020 Talent Search have been posted.
  • The IEEE (Institute of Electical and Electronic Engineers) is holding SciFest: a free online STEM Festival for Kids, September 26 - October 3, 2020. Information and registration here.
  • We will be conducting the talent search this year (2020-2021), and hope to have the first test out and posted here sometime in late September or early October.
  • Save the date! The VCTM (Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics) Virtual Fall Conference will be held October 22, 23, and 24. The theme is Engaging and Connecting with Students Anywhere. More information at vermontmath.org.
• Removed 2020/09/29:
  • The VCTM (Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics) 2020 Statewide Math Fair that was to be held April 4 at UVM is postponed indefinitely, at least until the fall of 2020.
• Removed before 2020/09/24:
  • A message from John Cohn: A group of us from UVM and Generator have received a generous grant from FIRST Robotics to help spread First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics programs across the state of Vermont. FTC is a fun and proven program that develops STEM skills like programming, electro-mechanical design and teamwork to high school and tech center students. With this grant, we will be able to cover most of the equipment, training, and registration fees for new FTC Teams. This year's FTC challenge will allow for remote competitions so that social/physical distancing can be maintained while helping to build STEM skills during these challenging times.
    At 7 PM on Thursday July 23rd we are hosting a 'virtual townhall' to discuss the FTC program. If interested, register here.
  • Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium - STEM Lab: Math Encounters Lab - A Deep Investigation of Mathematics
    Open to all, adults included, with a focus on middle/high school youth who want to do a deep investigation of mathematics. Mathematics illuminates patterns that abound in our world, making sense of sequences, designs, and structures. Math Encounters will stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonders of mathematics -- your world will never be the same!
    • Third Saturdays, 2:00 - 5:00 PM, September 2019 - September 2020
    • Instructed by Daisy McCoy, Christopher Kurdek, and Theodora Montague
    • Limited to 20 students
    • $250/student
    • Contact the Museum for multiple family member payment options
    • Register: https://www.fairbanksmuseum.org/educate/stem-lab
  • Nominations are now open for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). See this flyer or the nomination web page for more information.
  • The registration deadline is March 6 for the VCTM 2020 Statewide Math Fair, which will be held on April 4. Space is limited, so don't wait until the last minute! Volunteers for the event are also needed.
  • Math Encounters Kick-Off: September 21, 2:00 - 3:30 PM in the lecture room at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium.
    Guest lecturer Ethan Bolker, Professor of Mathematics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts-Boston is presenting You Are a Super Star. Join us as he weaves together history, art, math, and twelve five-pointed stars, creating your very own stellated dodecahedron to take home. What does a dodecahedron look like? Come to the museum to find out! Paper printed and laser cut by The Foundry will be made available at the event. This event is free and open to everyone.
  • NASA invites students to name the next Mars Rover. Submissions due by November 1, 2019. Follow the link for details.
  • Looking for the ultimate ask the experts experience? NASA is currently seeking proposals from educational organizations interested in hosting a live, in-flight education downlink with astronauts aboard the International Space Station!
    During a downlink, students and educators connect with astronauts for a twenty-minute live question-and-answer session. Examples of these awesome events can be found here.
    NASA is currently accepting proposals from now until June 3 for downlinks that will take place during Expedition 61-62 which runs from October 2019 to April 2020. The proposal form is attached, and additional details can be found in the attached Downlink Planning Guide or watching a previous information session.
    Please send questions and completed proposals to JSC-Downlinks@mail.nasa.gov.
  • Now is the time that students can apply to this summer's Governor's Institute in Mathematical Sciences! This residential, weeklong accelerated math program at the University of Vermont lets Vermont's most talented young mathematicians explore many different applications of and careers in math, gain terrific skills, and make new friends from all over Vermont. It is presented in partnership with the Vermont State Math Coalition.
    Ten other summer GIV Institutes will also take place at numerous college campuses, including Engineering, Astronomy, and Technology, Design and Coding. Visit giv.org for more info on Governor's Institutes and how to apply. Application deadlines are coming up fast!"
  • NASA Internships: Students should be aware of opportunities for NASA internships during the summer of 2019. More information and applications can be found here. Apply early, because decisions can be made in advance of the deadline.
  • 2019 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFFP): NASA John Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, is accepting applications from full-time, qualified STEM faculty in accredited US colleges and universities, for the summer 2019 NASA Glenn Faculty Fellowship Program (NGFFP), tenured at GRC. The ten-week Fellowship starts on Monday, June 3, and concludes on Friday, August 9, 2019. The opportunity is open to mainly US citizens. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and women, under-represented and underserved faculty members, as well as, early career faculty are encouraged to apply.
    The application form and instructions are available here. The application closes at 11:59 PM on Monday, January 21, 2019.
  • Test 3 of the 2018-2019 Talent Search has been posted here.
  • Material from NASA on the Insight Mars Lander, due to land on Mars on November 26, 2018.
  • Winooski High School math teacher Thomas Payeur is Vermont's 2019 Teacher of the Year. Congratulations Thomas! Read more here.
  • Kate McCann, our co-director for education has been awarded an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educators Fellowship, and will be working in a Congressional office on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC from early Sept 2018 through July 2019.