Oral and poster presentations by undergraduates have become an integral part of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) summer MathFest and winter Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM). Participation in national meetings offers students a chance to become a part of the mathematical community at a national level and interact with peers from other institutions. Learning new mathematics and sharing experiences with others can provide strong motivation for continued study of mathematics. Despite the positive effects and the upsurge in participation by undergraduates at national meetings, funding for travel remains a significant obstacle to participation for many undergraduate students. This five-year grant is for travel support for students who are presenting their research talk or poster at either the summer MathFest or winter JMM. The grant will support approximately 75, 100, 125, 150, and 175 students in the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively.
This project helps develop the culture of research as a central part of the undergraduate experience, from initial research to national presentation. We believe that the participation in undergraduate research increases the likelihood that a stduent will pursue graduate studies in the mathematical sciences, and that it better prepares students for entry into the workforce, regardless of whether or not they complete a graduate degree first. By making undergraduate research highly visible at our national conferences, MAA promotes the practice of engaging students in independent work as a core component of the undergraduate mathematics program. Whether students' work is the result of a full REU experience, or grew out of a capstone course in their home department, we provide a venue where students share their work with practicing mathematicians as well as their peers. Supporting students' travel to present their work contributes to the broader MAA effort to encourage faculty to acquaint students with the diverse pathways and opportunities for those who engage in undergraduate research. By enabling more students to attend and enjoy JMM and MAA MathFest, we generate more interest in conferences and help inprove the overall experiences of undergraduates. Oral and poster presentations by undergraduates have become an integral part of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) MathFest and the Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM) conferences, organized by the MAA and the American Mathematical Society (AMS). While there has been an upsurge in participation by undergraduates at the national meetings in recent years, funding for travel remains a significant obstacle to participation for many undergraduate students, particularly those not supported by REU funding. In order to help alleviate the problem, MAA's major goal for this project is to provide travel funding for undergraduates to present their research in a talk or in a poster session at MAA MathFest or JMM. Historically, we have typically received more requests for funding than we have available through this grant. Over the years, we adjusted the amounts awarded in order to fund more students. In 2008, there were 127 undergraduate students who gave talks at the MAA undergraduate paper sessions at MathFest. Of these, 105 requested funding and we were able to fund 68 of them. In 2009, 220 undergraduate students presented posters at the MAA undergraduate poster session at JMM, 56 of whom were awarded travel funding. At MAA MathFest, 68 undergraduate students presented at the student paper sessions, 54 of whom were awarded travel funding. In 2010, 233 undergraduate students presented posters at the MAA undergraduate poster session at JMM, 70 of whom were awarded travel funding. At MAA MathFest, 130 undergraduate students presented at the student paper sessions, 59 of whom were awarded travel funding. In 2011, 266 undergraduate students presented posters at the MAA undergraduate poster session at JMM, 172 of whom were awarded travel funding. At MAA MathFest, 128 undergraduate students presented at the student paper sessions; 24 of them received recognition for outstanding presentations, and 59 were awarded travel funding. In 2012, nearly 500 undergraduate students presented 313 posters at the MAA undergraduate poster session, and 227 students were awarded travel funding. At MAA MathFest, 137 undergraduate students presented at the student paper sessions; 30 of them received recognition for outstanding presentations, and 70 were awarded travel funding. In 2013, 486 undergraduate students presented 302 posters at the MAA undergraduate poster session at JMM, and 242 presentation groups (some of which contained more than one student) were awarded travel funding. At MAA MathFest, 123 undergraduate students presented at the student paper sessions; 26 of them received recognition for outstanding presentations, and 97 were awarded travel funding.
