Each year, Rose-Hulman professors and mathematics and biomathematics majors invite high school students to campus to participate in engaging and interactive sessions that focus on applications of mathematics. This event is open to all students who are currently in a high school-level mathematics class.
Established as part of a national initiative inspired by mathematician Sonia Kovalevsky, these events were originally created to encourage greater participation by women in mathematics and continue today as an inclusive celebration of mathematical curiosity and problem-solving.
This free event is sponsored by the Department of Mathematics and the Rose-Hulman Student Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM).
Sonia Math Day
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Registration closes Tuesday, March 17 (or sooner if event capacity is reached). Register before Friday, March 13, to be guaranteed a commemorative T-shirt.
Schedule
Sonia Kovalevsky Math Day for Girls: How It’s Done
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Saturday, March 21, 2026
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9:00-9:15 |
Check-in |
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9:15-9:35 |
Welcome and Introduction |
AWM Student Volunteers |
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9:40-10:35 |
Central Path Art |
Dr. Al Holder and Connor Tasik |
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10:40-11:25 |
Catch Me if you Can |
Dr. Manda Riehl |
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11:30-12:15 |
Discussion of Women in STEM |
AWM Students & Rose Faculty |
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12:15-12:45 |
Lunch |
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12:45-1:15 |
Campus Tour & Group Photo |
AWM Student Volunteers |
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1:20-2:05 |
Geometry in Motion: Untangling the Hexaflexagon! |
Dr. Emma Cobian |
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2:10-2:55 |
Chomp |
Dr. Leanne Holder |
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3:00-3:15 |
Closing Remarks |
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Activity Descriptions:
Central Path Art
Interior point methods allow us to solve optimization problems with giga-data, i.e. problems in which the number of variables has at least nine zeros following the first digit. These advanced algorithms depend on a mathematical structure called the central path, and we will use this structure to create artistic tilings for customized t-shirts.
Catch Me If You Can
What if math felt more like a strategy game? In Catch Me If You Can, we dive into graph theory through “pitfall” problems: a clever spy is on the run, a determined hunter is in pursuit, and the chase happens on a network of paths and connections. Who wins depends not on speed — but on strategy.
Geometry in Motion: Untangling the Hexaflexagon!
Transforming a piece of paper into a hexagonal shape by folding along equilateral triangles, a geometric puzzle is revealed as the flat objected can be unfolded to reveal hidden faces. Construct and personalize various hexaflexagons to discover the number of hidden faces and the underlying mathematics!
