The MAA Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences program supports conferences that provide undergraduates the opportunity to present mathematical results to their peers and to ensure a firm regional basis for these conferences throughout the United States. The numbers of undergraduate students involved in research activities has been increasing at a tremendous rate. This phenomenon presents an opportunity for the U.S. to reverse the trend of decreasing enrollments in graduate programs in the mathematical sciences.
Undergraduate students who are offered the chance to engage in individual study and research in mathematics and to present the results of their work to their peers are more likely to pursue graduate studies. Even those students who do not continue to graduate study will benefit from the experience, and their participation will benefit mathematics as well. Many will become teachers; others will use mathematics in other science and engineering fields, or in other areas of their professional lives. All will have an enriched mathematical experience. Faculty mentors can broaden the dissemination of their own research, both through their direct work with students and through their students? presentations at conferences. Availability of conferences within reasonable travel distances is an important consideration for student participation. The MAA Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences project seeks to expand undergraduate mathematics research by increasing the number and geographical disbursement of events for students to report on their work, thus making these experiences available to many undergraduate mathematics students in the country.
