Moody�s Mega Math Challenge offers much more than scholarships
February 10, 2010
M3 Challenge winners to present at Mu Alpha Theta National Convention
Philadelphia, PA � Moody's Mega Math Challenge and Mu Alpha Theta have partnered to offer Challenge winners an opportunity to present their solution paper at the 40th Mu Alpha Theta National Convention, July 25-27, 2010, at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel near Washington, D.C., with expenses paid for by the Challenge.
The first place team in M3 Challenge 2010 will be invited to present its solution paper during a speaker session on Monday, July 26. The students will also have the opportunity to share their experiences in the Challenge with fellow students from across the country.
The Mu Alpha Theta National Convention offers teachers and students an opportunity to participate in math-related events and to interact with others who are interested in recognizing and encouraging students who enjoy and excel in mathematics. Last year nearly, 650 students and teachers were in attendance. "There are social events, speaker sessions, and student led "chalk talks." Students spend four days taking individual and team math tests for fun. Everyone attending has a deep appreciation for mathematics," said Kay Weiss, Executive Director of Mu Alpha Theta.
M3 Challenge Project Director, Michelle Montgomery said, "We look for unique ways to add to the educational value of the M3 Challenge. Opportunities like this can really open students' eyes to the greater world of applied mathematics and demonstrate that mathematics is the foundation for many viable and exciting professions."
The M3 Challenge, which is entirely Internet based and free of entrance and participation fees, challenges teams of students to solve an open-ended, realistic, applied math-modeling problem focused on real-world issues in just 14 hours. The problem is unknown to teams until Challenge weekend (March 6-7, 2010), when they are able to download it and work on their solution.
The competition offers scholarships totaling $100,000. The top six prize-winning teams receive awards ranging from $2,500 to $20,000, which are divided equally among team members and paid directly to the colleges or universities at which the winning students enroll. Honorable Mention winners receive team prizes of $1,000. Panels of Ph.D.-level applied mathematicians serve as judges. You can find complete information and register at http://M3Challenge.siam.org
Mu Alpha Theta is the National High School and Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society with over 75,000 student members in more than 1,500 schools. It is dedicated to inspiring keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics among high school and two-year college students. Further information is available at http://www.mualphatheta.org.
###
About the Sponsor
The Moody's Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting a variety of nonprofit education, health and human services, civic, and arts and culture programs. Established by Moody's Corporation in 2001, the Foundation's primary area of giving is secondary and higher education with a focus on mathematics, economics and finance. Further information is available at: http://philanthropy.moodys.com. Moody's is an essential component of the global capital markets, providing credit ratings, research, tools and analysis that contribute to transparent and integrated financial markets.
Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the parent company of Moody's Investors Service, which provides credit ratings and research covering debt instruments and securities, and Moody's Analytics, which encompasses the growing array of Moody's non-ratings businesses including risk management software for financial institutions, quantitative credit analysis tools, economic research and data services, data and analytical tools for the structured finance market, and training and other professional services. The Corporation, which reported revenue of $1.8 billion in 2008, employs approximately 3,900 people worldwide and maintains a presence in 29 countries. Further information is available at www.moodys.com.
About the Organizer
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, is an international society of over 12,000 individual members. These include applied and computational mathematicians and computer scientists, as well as other scientists and engineers. Members are researchers, educators, students, and practitioners from 85 countries in industry, government, laboratories, and academia. The Society, which also includes almost 500 academic and corporate institutional members, serves and advances the disciplines of applied mathematics and computational science by publishing a variety of books and prestigious peer-reviewed research journals, by conducting conferences, and by hosting activity groups in various areas of mathematics. SIAM provides many opportunities for students including regional sections and student chapters. Further information is available at www.siam.org
