Pikes Peak Regional Undergraduate Mathematics

Saturday, March 18th, 2023

20th Annual Pikes Peak Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (PPRUMC)

Hosted by The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs



The focus of this annual conference is to give undergraduate mathematics students an opportunity to present their research and expository projects in a professional setting. Students throughout the Pikes Peak region and beyond are strongly encouraged to present in the areas of mathematics, mathematics education and the history of mathematics. Presentation topics could include the results of classroom or independent study, as well as REU or other research projects. Both research and expository topics are welcome. Students who do not present are also encouraged to attend, and learn more about the mathematics profession, including graduate school and career opportunities.

Schedule

9:30-9:50amRegistration
9:50-10:00amWelcome & Opening Remarks
10:00-11:00amKeynote Address: Dr. Hortensia Soto, Colorado State University (see details below)
11:00-11:55amStudent Presentations in Parallel Sessions
(15 minutes each, with 5 minutes between talks)
12:00-1:00pm Lunch: registration required by Mon., Feb. 17
1:00-2:00pm Panel Presentation: Beyond an Undergraduate Mathematics Degree
2:00-3:55pm Student Presentations in Parallel Sessions
(15 minutes each, with 5 minutes between talks)
4:00pm Closing remarks and Door Prizes

Keynote Address: Dr. Hortensia Soto, Colorado State University

Title: The E in REU

Abstract: Research experiences for undergraduate mathematics majors takes shape in various ways. In this presentation, I will paint a picture of the different landscapes for REUs and the affordances that they each provide. While we can all agree on the importance of the research, I will stress the value of the varied experiences.

Bio: Hortensia Soto is a Professor at Colorado State University. She has published in various areas of mathematics education including assessment, mathematical preparation of elementary teachers, outreach efforts for high school girls, and especially in the area of teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics. Her current research efforts are dedicated to investigating the teaching and learning complex analysis, where she adopts an embodied cognition perspective and is part of the Embodied Mathematics Imagination and Cognition community. Since her days as an undergraduate student, Hortensia has mentored young women and promoted mathematics via summer outreach programs. She has also been involved with facilitating professional development for K-16 teachers in Nebraska, Colorado, and California. As a result of this work she received the MAA Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

 

Hortensia is a working member of the Mathematical Association of America. She served as the Associate Treasurer, the Associate Secretary, as an editor of the MAA Instructional Practices Guide, and currently serves as MAA President.

In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, meditating, reading, and most of all spending time with her son Miguel.