Diversity Initiative

By Jean Bee Chan
Sonoma State University

CUSAC administered the MAA Diversity Program in Fall 2008. We distributed grants totaling $2500 to fund 17 underrepresented students from six institutions to attend the January 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, D.C.

Franque Bains of California State University at Los Angeles; Abdoulaye Bakayoko, Jason Murphy, Tianny Simms, Ian Clarke, Bolanle Salaam, Maya Cyrus, Gadini Delisca, Dominique Rice of Howard University; Andres Santana of Illinois State University; Albernie Ferguson of Rhodes College; Cori Brucato, Dylan Field, Alma Gonzales, Chad Griffith, and Gloria Hurtado of Sonoma State University; and Othmane Boutayeb of Ursinus College were the students in the Diversity Program. They attended many talks and events including the MAA Student Lecture, the MAA Reception for Undergraduate students, the Undergraduate Poster Session, and many others. Among these underrepresented students, six students presented posters at the JMM.

Students said they found the JMM to be very stimulating, and they appreciated the opportunity to interact with other students and many working mathematicians. Some students from Sonoma State also interviewed several mathematicians in order to make a video to attract more math majors.