SHU Hosts Math Association’s 70th Anniversary Conference

New England mathematics community comes together at SHU for talks, breakout sessions and anniversary events

Key Highlights

• ^{SHU hosted the Mathematical Association of America’s Northeastern Section fall meeting November 21–22, drawing about 120 faculty and students from across New England}
• ^{This year’s gathering marked the NES/MAA’s 70th anniversary}
• ^{Nationally known mathematician Art Benjamin delivered the Christie Lecture, the conference’s keynote address}

Sacred Heart University welcomed more than 120 faculty and students from across New England when it hosted the Mathematical Association of America’s Northeastern Section (NES/MAA) fall meeting November 21-22.

The NES/MAA, one of 29 geographic sections of the national association, holds two conferences each year. This fall’s gathering at SHU was especially significant, marking the section’s 70th anniversary. In addition to academic presentations and breakout sessions, attendees celebrated the milestone with a dedicated reflection period and a banquet featuring custom desserts and decorations displaying the anniversary logo.

The conference included talks on mathematics pedagogy and expository mathematics, along with specialized breakout sessions where faculty and students shared research. Six Sacred Heart students and three faculty members delivered presentations during the event.

^{Tina Romansky presenting at the conference}

A highlight of the weekend was the Christie Lecture, delivered by Art Benjamin of Harvey Mudd College, currently on sabbatical at the National Museum of Mathematics in New York City. Benjamin is a nationally recognized mathematician known for his TED Talks and his reputation as a “human calculator.”

Sacred Heart also fielded three student teams comprising a total of seven students for the Collegiate Math Competition held during the conference.

“We were honored to welcome colleagues and students from across the region for such an important anniversary,” said Jason Molitierno, mathematics department chair. “It was exciting to see so many members of our own SHU community present their work and engage with mathematics at such a high level.”