2 Pitt faculty organized a math camp for girls in Pittsburgh

Associate Professor Sabrina Streipert and Professor Marta Lewicka, both of the Department of Mathematics in Pitt’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, hosted a math camp for girls in August. The camp exposed the students, aged 13-16, to how dynamic math degrees can be and introduce a new generation to possible careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

During the weeklong event, students listened to lectures on mathematical biology, geometry, analysis and algebra from departmental and guest lecturers. Along with Streipert and Lewicka, the lecturers included Jason DeBlois and Bogdan Ion, both associate professors of mathematics, and Rahnuma Islam, a postdoctoral associate. The students visited Jeremy Levy’s Quantum Physics Lab and Wei Xiong’s Materials Science Lab in the Swanson School of Engineering. PhD students Isabel Barrio Sanchez, Rui Fang, Anna Thomas, Akshara Vincent and Sara Weinstein in Pitt’s Association for Women in Mathematics chapter helped run project sessions.

“We are challenging students in a specific way and getting them started in thinking in a certain way to solve these problems,” said Streipert, who started the program in hopes of getting students to start thinking about math differently.

The event was made possible by Dehua Wang, chair of the Department of Mathematics, as well as the lecturers, PhD students and the Swanson School of Engineering. Streipert and Lewicka hope to hold the camp annually.