4 at YSU score big at MathFest

YSU students have taken 14 top honors in the past three years of competition.

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University students continue to dominate the national MathFest competition.

YSU recently sent a contingent of 15 students to the Annual Summer Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America and Pi Mu Epsilon in San Jose, Calif., also known as MathFest 2007.

Four of the students won awards for outstanding presentations.

Over the last three years, YSU students have won 14 “outstanding” awards at MathFest competitions, including five in 2006 and five in 2005. In comparison, no other university has won more than three awards at any single competition.

“We are very proud of our students and their continued performance,” said George Yates, YSU professor of mathematics and statistics and director of the YSU Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURMath).

Recognized

Students winning “outstanding presentation” awards this year were Jeff Cornfield of Warren, Tyler Drombosky of Boardman, W. Ryan Livingston of Hubbard and Matthew Ward of Brewerton, N.Y.

Other students making presentations at the competition were Frank Ballone of Lowellville; Leanna Cluff of Sterling, Ohio; Tara Cruickshank of Austintown; Carrie Davis of New Middletown; Krista Foster of Girard; Nick Haught of Boardman; John Hoffman of Poland, Ohio; David Martin of Warren; Jared Ruiz of Girard; Doug Wajda of Farmdale; and Moriah Wright of Ashtabula.

In addition, Ruiz served on a Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics student panel titled “What THEY Think is Good Teaching.” Ruiz and students from other universities gave short comments on what makes good teaching.

A student team from YSU, consisting of Drombosky, Martin, Wajda and Ward, was selected as one of four teams to participate in the Mathematical Jeopardy Demonstration/Contest.