Last year Nebraska Wesleyan University student Carter Lyons welcomed the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the Joint Mathematics Meeting. The world’s largest math conference gave the mathematics and physics student an opportunity to hear research presentations that enhanced what he was learning in his classroom.
This year Carter returned to the Joint Mathematics Meeting in San Diego, Calif., and this time he was one of many experts sharing their research. He was accompanied by three other NWU students and professor Austin Mohr.
“We got to connect with a bunch of other mathematicians from around the world and hear about math research,” said Lyons, a junior from Lincoln, Neb. “Going to this conference you get a feel for what is actually out there, in terms of the math discipline.”
Carter had two research projects to share: one that was conducted by NWU math students last spring in collaboration with Mohr. The second highlighted his summer research at Lafayette College in Easton, Penn.
Drew Damme, a sophomore from Blair, Neb., attended the conference for the first time this year. She said the ability to hear from experts in the field was particularly rewarding. She especially enjoyed attending a session on G.H. Hardy.
“It was impactful because one of my math books mentioned him, so it was cool to hear a talk about him that was more in depth. It allowed me to see a mathematician as a real person and not just a name in a textbook,” Dame said.
In addition to reconnecting with his summer research team, Lyons said the conference provided him the opportunity to focus on his future plans.
“You get to learn about what programs are out there if you’re interested in graduate school. It’s a good chance to network and learn how to apply,” Lyons said. “I now have a list of graduate schools that I would like to apply to next year.”
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Story by Emmalie Harris, public relations intern.