Hundreds of northeast Ohio students learn value of numbers at MathFest

YOUNGSTOWN

They came in record numbers for a united cause: The pursuit of math.

More than 400 students from 39 high schools from Northeast Ohio filled Youngstown State University’s Kilcawley Center Chestnut Room on Thursday for MathFest hosted by YSU’s mathematics and statistics department.

Angela Spalsbury, professor and chairwoman of mathematics and statistics, told students that math is about more than what they learn in school. Math majors have many career options, she said, sauch as a math teacher or an engineer, or lesser-known fields such as mathematical biologists.

One mathematical biologist at YSU is modeling sleep while another models neural pathways in the brain, Spalsbury said.

“I hope you learn math every day,” she said. “It’s a vibrant, lively field.”

The daylong event was divided into several contests and workshops. The 17 workshops led by YSU faculty and mathematics majors covered various mathematical concepts.

Read more about the event in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.