Themed Contributed Paper Sessions allow MAA MathFest attendees to hear diverse perspectives on a range of topics. Each theme is proposed and organized by one or more professionals in the mathematical sciences, and presenters submit abstracts for consideration, which are reviewed and selected by the organizers. Presenters will share their work for 15 minutes each on the session theme.

Attracting Students to the Mathematical Sciences: Outreach and Engagement that Grow Future Mathematicians

Attracting and retaining students in the mathematical sciences requires creativity, visibility, and meaningful engagement. This session will highlight programs, events, and activities—both inside and outside the classroom—that successfully spark student interest, build mathematical community, and encourage students to see themselves as mathematicians. We welcome presentations on outreach efforts aimed at high school or university students, including camps, workshops, classroom innovations, research experiences, mentoring programs, student-led initiatives, themed events, and community partnerships. We especially encourage presentations that include evidence of impact, reflections on implementation, or lessons learned that others can adapt to their own institutions.

Because increasing representation remains a critical goal in the mathematical sciences, we encourage presentations that engage students from historically underrepresented groups or expand access to mathematical experiences. This session is particularly appropriate for those receiving MAA Tensor Grants.

Organizers:
Daniel Look, St. Lawrence University
Patti Frazer Lock, St. Lawrence University

Engaging Examples in Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Discrete Math to Inspire Student Exploration

This session highlights engaging examples from combinatorics, graph theory, and discrete mathematics that might inspire classroom activities, inquiry-based learning, and undergraduate research. We also invite novel uses of recreational problems, games, and puzzles that spark exploration and discovery of discrete mathematics. Presentations should be accessible to faculty and advanced undergraduates and should emphasize the opportunity for mathematical exploration and discovery.

Organizers:
Suzanne Dorée, Augsburg University
Oscar Levin, University of Northern Colorado
Tyler Markkanen, Springfield College
Igor Minevich, Wentworth Institute of Technology
Jennifer Nordstrom, Linfield University

Enhancing Student Learning Through Digital Fabrication

Over the last few years, 3D printing has become more popular across college campuses, including as a teaching aid in mathematics. Alongside 3D printing, faculty are exploring a wide range of cutting-edge digital fabrication and visualization tools - such as thermoforming, laser cutting, and computer-aided-design - to create engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

This session highlights innovative ways these tools and techniques are being integrated into mathematics teaching and learning. We invite presentations from faculty who use visualizations and fabrications as teaching tools in the classroom or are integrating fabrication techniques as part of the mathematics curriculum. Examples might include 3D-printed or laser-cut models that illustrate abstract concepts, course projects that connect mathematics with art or design, or other forms of digital making.

Organizers:
Lucy Oremland, Skidmore College
Shelby Stanhope, US Air Force Academy
Rachelle DeCoste, West Point
Karoline Hood, West Point
Csilla Szabo, Skidmore College
Katie Montovan, Bennington College
Amanda Beecher, Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP)

Future Directions in Pre-K-12 Mathematics Teacher Preparation

With the advent of new technologies, the release of new guidance from professional organizations, and the enactment of new state laws governing mathematics instruction at all levels, the ongoing exchange of ideas around the mathematical and statistical preparation of grades Pre-K–12 teachers is critical. Additionally, as states approve alternative pathways to teacher certification, the call for sustained and meaningful professional development has become even more important. Building stronger connections among Pre-K–12 teachers and those who support them is essential for navigating the evolving landscape and supporting improvements in mathematics and teacher preparation.

This session invites a broad range of speakers to share scholarly presentations on the expanse of topics that encompass the growing changes and challenges in preparing and supporting Pre-K–12 teachers of mathematics and statistics. We welcome a wide range of presentation types (e.g., research-based studies, innovative ideas, curricular resources, assessment approaches, and more).

Possible topics include:

• The integration of AI and chatbot activities in teaching
• Ethical considerations surrounding AI in mathematics education
• Perspectives and interactions across pro-AI and AI-averse teachers
• Implications of policy documents (like the Mathematical Education of Teachers and the Statistical Education of Teachers reports) for teacher knowledge, preparation, and curriculum design
• Mathematical knowledge for teaching in domains not yet widely addressed, such as mathematical modeling and discrete mathematics
• Strategies to increase enrollment in teacher preparation programs
• Modernizing mathematics education curricula to better prepare future teachers
• Preparing and supporting teachers to use high-quality instructional materials with integrity
• Modeling equitable assessment practices in the tertiary courses that future teachers take
• Addressing the mathematics and statistics preparation of future teachers who gain licensure through alternative pathways
• Building and sustaining effective partnerships between Pre-K–12 schools and higher education

We seek to bring together multiple voices for this session: speakers who make policies or advise policymakers, Pre-K–12 teachers of mathematics and statistics, speakers who teach future teachers of mathematics and statistics, those who develop curriculum, those who provide professional development, and anyone interested in sharing insights and fostering dialogue on future directions for developing and supporting Pre-K–12 teachers of mathematics and statistics. This session is co-sponsored by the Special Interest Group of the MAA on Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (SIGMAA-MKT) and the MAA Committee on the Mathematical Education of Teachers (COMET).

Organizers:
Elizabeth Arnold, Montana State University
Liza Bondurant, Mississippi State University
Kanita DuCloux, Western Kentucky University
Matthew Haines, Augsburg University
Cody Patterson, Texas State University
Brooke Randazzo, Augustana College

Sponsors:
SIGMAA on the Mathematical Knowledge of Teaching (SIGMAA MKT)
MAA Committee on the Mathematical Education of Teachers (COMET)

Innovation, Evidence, and Applications of AI in Teaching and Learning Mathematics

This session examines how generative artificial intelligence is transforming mathematics education through original pedagogical research, empirical case studies, and innovative applications of AI in the mathematics classroom. Presentations explore empirical findings on how mathematics educators integrate GenAI tools, how these technologies reshape relationships among students, teachers, and mathematical content, the development of curricular materials to foster critical thinking with AI, and effective support for educators in GenAI-enhanced teaching.

The session features interactive elements including structured small group discussions and real-time polling to engage attendees in identifying key challenges and opportunities in their own contexts. Topics include teacher learning trajectories with GenAI tools, pedagogical frameworks for maintaining mathematical rigor while leveraging GenAI capabilities, and evidence-based professional learning models.

Attendees will gain insights from current research findings, engage with theoretical frameworks for understanding GenAI's classroom impact, and contribute to identifying priority areas for future investigation. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies, tested materials, and connections to colleagues engaged in similar work, positioning them to be thoughtful leaders in AI integration at their home institutions. This session serves mathematics faculty and administrators, mathematics education researchers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, and practitioners seeking an evidence-based understanding of GenAI’s influence on mathematics instruction.

Organizers:
Kristi Rittby, William Peace University
Darryl Chamberlain, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Ann Edwards, WestEd
Benjamin Gaines, Iona University
Jay Jahangiri, Kent State University
Drew Nucci, WestEd
Victor Oxman, Western Galilee College, Acre, Israel
Tanner Slagel, University of North Carolina
 Jonathan Weisbrod, Rowan College at Burlington County

Sponsor:
MAA Subcommittee on Technology in Mathematics Education

Innovative Modeling Approaches to Teaching and Applying Ordinary Differential Equations Inside and Outside the Classroom

How can we make ODEs come alive for students? This session brings together educators with fresh ideas for engaging students through innovative modeling approaches to teaching and applying ordinary differential equations (ODEs). We invite scholarly contributions that highlight classroom-tested strategies of using modeling to teach students from a variety of backgrounds as well as out-of-classroom applications, including undergraduate research, interdisciplinary modeling, and real-world problem solving. Presentations will showcase modeling scenarios, data-driven projects, application-based lessons, and technology enhanced learning that help students connect mathematics to meaningful contexts and see the relevance of ODEs in the world around them. Contributions may highlight active, student-centered pedagogy, assessment innovations, technology-enhanced methods, AI-enabled interactive learning, and original open-access resources. Presenters are encouraged to develop their talks into articles for submission to the CODEE Journal or modeling scenarios for submission to SIMIODE. Participants will gain concrete examples, adaptable templates, and assessment ideas for use with their own students to add intrigue, enthusiasm, and joy to learning and to teaching ODEs.

Organizers:
Iordanka Panayotova, Christopher Newport University
Viktoria Savatorova, Central Connecticut State University
Michael Barg, Niagara University
Maila Hallare, US Air Force Academy
Therese Shelton, Southwestern University
Tova Brown, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Pushpi Paranamana, FIT, State University of New York
Brian Winkel, SIMIODE

Sponsors:
Community of Ordinary Differential Equations Educators (CODEE)
Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations (SIMIODE)

Inquiry, Conjecture and Discovery: A High-Impact Approach to Mathematical Learning and Problem Solving

The goal of inquiry-based learning is to transform students from consumers to producers of mathematics. Methods emphasizing inquiry, discovery and conjecturing help students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts at all levels of mathematics education, including in proof-based courses, general-audience mathematics courses, as well as other settings that highlight their broader relevance. Students can be guided to discover or rediscover mathematical concepts, explore definitions, observe patterns, justify core results, and take the lead in asking questions. There is a growing body of evidence that inquiry-based pedagogy and discovery learning approaches are effective and important for teaching mathematics and for fostering positive attitudes towards the subject. This session invites scholarly presentations on the use of these methods for the teaching and learning of mathematics. We are especially interested in approaches that integrate conjecturing with AAC&U’s High-Impact Practices (HIPs), such as undergraduate research, senior capstones, collaborative learning, ePortfolios, and service-learning, demonstrating how these experiences foster active inquiry and exploration. Presentations could include – but are not limited to – developing and implementing discovery learning frameworks for lower-division courses, applying inquiry-based methodologies in high-enrollment classes, leveraging technology and creating assessment structures to support these approaches, thus offering insights that can inform practice across courses and contexts.

Organizers:
Lee Roberson, University of Colorado Boulder
Vicky Klima, Appalachian State University
Rebekah Jones, University of Colorado Boulder
Aaron Wangberg, Winona State University
Joe Barrera, Converse University
Miriam Harris-Botzum, Lehigh Carbon Community College
Ana Wright, Davidson College
Vikram Kamat, Villanova University
Kate Owens, College of Charleston
Jordan Kostiuk, Brown University
Drew Lewis, Center for Grading Reform
Steven Clontz, University of South Alabama
Cory Wilson, Oklahoma City Community College

Sponsors:
SIGMAA on Inquiry-Based Learning (SIGMAA IBL)
MAA Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics (CTUM), High Impact Practices Working Group

Lessons Learned from Alternative Grading Implementations

Alternative Grading, an umbrella term for practices including standards-based grading, specifications, and ungrading, among others, has been increasingly used in courses throughout the mathematics curriculum. As awareness of these practices continues to grow, there is a need to share the growing body of knowledge around the effectiveness of and best practices for implementing alternative grading in various instructional contexts.

This session seeks to share innovations and especially, as the title suggests, lessons learned from alternative grading implementations in various math courses. We are particularly interested in presentations presenting scholarly evidence of the effectiveness (broadly defined) of these practices. This could include (but is not limited to) critical reflections on an instructor or instructional team’s own practice, adaptations of an alternative grading system over time, or the results of a scholarship of teaching and learning study. We welcome presentations describing practices relevant to all sizes of courses, institutional contexts, and levels of the curriculum.

Organizers:
Drew Lewis, Center for Grading Reform
Sharona Krinsky, Center for Grading Reform

Looking at Complex Analysis and Geometry through the Lenses of Research, History, and Pedagogy

Complex Analysis and Geometry offer many elegant results and beautiful visual images. In this session, speakers will discuss such results and images. Talks are open to theoretical and applied research results including those done by undergraduate students, historical research and episodes that can be woven into the curriculum, and pedagogical research and approaches to the teaching of Complex Analysis and Geometry.

Organizers:
Russell Howell, Westmont College
Mike Brilleslyper, Florida Polytechnic University
Michael Dorff, Brigham Young University
Beth Schaubroeck, United States Air Force Academy

Mathematical Sciences in Research on the Environment

Environmental challenges continue to play a major role in our society, requiring innovative approaches to understanding and addressing these issues. Analyzing complex data and modeling environmental phenomena are essential to meeting those challenges. The active engagement of the mathematical community can greatly enhance our ability to solve the complex problems that arise in these important systems.

We welcome talks about current research, undergraduate research, and classroom research projects at the intersection of environmental sciences and mathematical methodologies, including but not limited to mathematics, data science, and statistics. Join us in exploring how quantitative approaches can illuminate our understanding of environmental issues and contribute to effective solutions.

Organizers:
Russ deForest, Pennsylvania State University
Amanda Beecher, Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP)

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on Environmental Mathematics (SIGMAA EM)

Mathematics and Sports

The expanding availability of play-by-play statistics, video-based spatial data, and other sports data, for a variety of sports, is leading to innovative kinds of research, using techniques from various areas of the mathematical sciences. By modeling the outcome distributions in certain situations, researchers can develop new metrics for player or team performance in various aspects of a sport, comparing actual results to expected values. Such work often has implications for strategic game management and personnel evaluation. Classic areas of study, such as tournament design, ranking methodology, forecasting future performance, insight into rare or record events, and physics-based analysis, also remain of interest. This session will include both presentations of original research and expository talks; topics related to the use of sports applications in curriculum are welcome. With a broad audience in mind, all talks are requested to be accessible to mathematics majors. Undergraduates and their mentors are particularly encouraged to submit abstracts for consideration.

Organizers:
Filippo Posta, Phoenix College
Paul VonDohlen, William Paterson University
Michael Shuckers, UNC Charlotte

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on Mathematics and Sports (SIGMAA SPORTS)

Navigating and Pivoting: Addressing the Data Science Conundrum in Mathematics Departments

Mathematics departments across the country are increasingly adapting to the growing interdisciplinary demands of data science. This session explores the organizational, pedagogical, and curricular approaches faculty employ as data science initiatives reshape what it means to teach and lead within mathematics. This session presents scholarly work that apply mathematical, statistical, and computational techniques to diverse domains, from health and social data to cultural, linguistic, and artistic analyses.

We invite scholarly presentations and case studies that examine these shifts through four main lenses: (1) Organizational Challenges — navigating interdisciplinary collaboration leading to the creation and implementation of programs in data science; (2) Professional Development — preparing faculty to teach and learn data science effectively; (3) New Perspectives — on data science problems in STEM, business, education, and social sciences; (4) AI’s Influence — addressing the curricular and conceptual impacts of artificial intelligence on mathematics and data science education. Following a series of 15-minute presentations, the session will conclude with a moderated panel discussion featuring selected presenters and invited panelists. The panel will synthesize key themes and foster audience participation in a collaborative exploration of how mathematics departments can best respond to the evolving data science landscape. The session welcomes research projects, curricular innovations, and applications that demonstrate how data science fosters insight, equity, and creativity across fields. Presentations are expected to be scholarly and accessible to a broad audience of educators, researchers, and students.

Organizers:
Immanuel Williams, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)
Monica Deni Morales-Hernandez, Adelphi University
Sherli Koshy-Chenthittayil, Touro University
Helen Burn, Highline College
Mike LeVan, Transylvania University
Mike May, Saint Louis University

Sponsors:
SIGMAA on Statistics and Data Science Education (SIGMAA SDS-Ed)
MAA Mathematics Across the Disciplines Subcommittee (MAD)

Recreational Mathematics, Including Using Games and Puzzles to Enhance Core Math Courses

Puzzles, card tricks, board games, game shows, and gambling provide an excellent laboratory for exploring mathematical strategy, probability, enumeration, and the application of mathematical and statistical theory. Additionally, games and puzzles offer powerful ways to connect playful curiosity with serious mathematical thought, making them fertile ground for both theoretical investigation and effective teaching.

This session highlights both the theoretical investigation and teaching applications of recreational mathematics. We invite talks that show how recreational mathematics can enhance the teaching and learning in core undergraduate courses such as calculus, linear algebra, discrete mathematics, abstract algebra, probability, and combinatorics. Such talks will feature classroom-tested activities, demonstrations, and course examples that connect mathematical concepts with engaging puzzles and games. We also invite talks on general scholarship in the field of recreational mathematics, including submissions that present new problems or novel solutions to classic problems. Submissions detailing recreational mathematics scholarship by or including undergraduate students are welcome.

Organizers:
Paul Coe, Dominican University
Denise Rangel Tracy, Francis Marion University
Sara Quinn, Dominican University
Timothy Goldberg, Lenoir-Rhyne University
Kristen  Schemmerhorn, Concordia University Chicago
Lauren Rose, Bard College
Sayonita Ghosh Hajra, California State University, Sacramento

Sponsors:
SIGMAA on Recreational Mathematics (SIGMAA REC)
AWM EvenQuads Committee

Redesigning Mathematics and Statistics Curricula in the Age of AI-Driven Computing

Advances in artificial intelligence and natural language models continue to make it easier to pose mathematical questions and subsequently access computational results along with explanatory language for standard questions in the traditional mathematics curriculum. These tools are often capable of showing all steps traditionally expected to demonstrate understanding. In response, universities across the globe have created new policies, centers, and trainings, and instructors have modified their teaching. Many of these educator adaptations are attempts to mitigate the unethical or unapproved use of AI as a substitute for students’ original and creative works. However, there is also a movement toward leveraging AI in student learning. And similar to the incorporation of calculators and graphing tools into mathematics curricula, the advent of these tools might instead foretell a need to redesign the fundamental nature of what it means to study mathematics.

This session seeks to provide an opportunity to create a conversation for how such AI-driven computational tools might be proactively incorporated into mathematics and statistics curricula. We seek scholarly contributions at all stages of progress describing how individual instructors, departments or institutions are incorporating the use of computational tools in exploration, problem solving, explanation and assessment by instructors and/or students. Presentations should not assume the audience has prior experience using AI or familiarity with specific tools.

Organizers:
Joshua Girshner, University of Arkansas Fayetteville
Shanda Hood, University of Arkansas Fayetteville

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on Mathematics Instruction Using the Web (SIGMAA WEB)

Rewriting Who Counts: Centering A Broader Array of Mathematicians in the Curriculum

Although many scholars have contributed to mathematics for centuries, the standard curriculum tends to highlight a small number of names and many stories often remain absent. This session brings together colleagues who intentionally make an effort to identify and highlight a broader range of contributors to mathematics—past and present—in their teaching. We invite talks that share practical, replicable ways to feature a wider array of mathematical contributions across all course levels and contexts. We also welcome talks that focus on ideas for courses that are in the early stages of planning from colleagues who would like a friendly audience to explore their ideas further.

Presentations may include:

• Course designs or modules built around the work of a wide array of mathematicians, *Classroom activities or assignments that integrate biographies, research papers, or interviews with a broader constituency of colleagues in mathematics
• Strategies for embedding examples of a full range of contributions into core courses such as calculus, linear algebra, statistics, or discrete math
• Student projects, presentations, or writing assignments that explore the lives and mathematics of a broad group of scholars
• Reflections on student responses, learning outcomes, or impacts on classroom climate

Speakers are encouraged to discuss both successes and challenges: how to find reliable materials, balance content coverage, and create authentic integration rather than token inclusion.

Organizers:
Alison Marr, Southwestern University
Della Dumbaugh, University of Richmond

Structures for Supporting Student Success in Entry-Level Mathematics

Entry-level mathematics courses at two-year and four-year institutions often require collaboration between many stakeholders to support student success. Challenges include placement and advising, coordination within the instructional team, and effective curriculum design, such as corequisite courses. Many programs are implementing varied approaches to these challenges and we invite presentations on any aspect of them.

Presentations may describe placement and transfer policies, the implementation of team-taught instruction, the role of corequisite courses, or other aspects of entry-level mathematics instruction. We welcome reflective or expository accounts of innovations in such teaching environments. We also invite presenters to share data, experiences, and actionable strategies that reimagine how to support students in these courses. Talks can include successes or cautionary tales, research, trends, or results that can increase our understanding of best practices for supporting students and faculty in their first two years.

Organizers:
Junalyn Navarra-Madsen, Texas Woman's University
Chloe Lewis, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
erica Whitaker, Morehead State University
Luke Tunstall,Trinity University
Rachael Lund, Michigan State University
Eric Marland, Appalachian State University
Allan Donsig, University of Nebraska Lincoln
Katharine Mawhinney, Appalachian State University

Sponsors:
MAA Subcommittee on Articulation and Placement (CUPM)
SIGMAA on Quantitative Literacy (SIGMAA-QL)
MAA Subcommittee on Curriculum Renewal Across the First Two Years (CRAFTY)

Teaching and Outreach During Challenging Times

Since January 2025, a flurry of executive orders and policy changes in federal institutions and funding has disrupted the way higher education operates at all levels. Despite being subject to the same federal policy, higher education institutions reacted very differently, depending on factors such as their home state, institution type, and endowment size. These policy changes have had ramifications for how mathematics faculty teach, and for institutions’ outreach and community engagement initiatives.

We are seeking presentations that focus on the use of evidence-based practices in both informal and formal educational settings. We welcome expository talks as well as presentations discussing innovative ideas, projects, and curricular materials developed to address the changing landscape.

The presentation should address implementation challenges within their local context. We invite reflection on the challenges faced, modifications implemented, and lessons learned, including the expected and unforeseen impacts on student populations and communities.

Organizers:
Mary Pilgrim, San Diego State University
Francesca Bernardi, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Amelia Stone-Johnstone, California State University Fullerton
Katrina Morgan, Temple University
Stephanie Salomone, MAA Project NExT
Stan Yoshinobu, University of Toronto
Charles Wilkes II, University of California, Davis
David Clark, Grand Valley State University
Michael Beals, Rutgers University

Sponsor:
The MAA Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics

Teaching Flops: Turning Negative Experiences into Positive Ones

In math, it is easy to turn a negative number into a positive one; we just need to multiply by negative one. But when we actually teach math, it is far more difficult to turn negative experiences into positive ones. We know that we can improve our teaching by analyzing our mistakes and by using our students’ constructive criticism. However, another effective way we can improve is to share our mistakes with colleagues and seek their feedback.

In this session, we invite you to share teaching methodologies and experiences that were not as successful as you expected them to be. Each presentation should describe a time when a pedagogical approach was employed but did not have the expected results, with a reflection on possible causes for this dissonance. We hope that we will all learn from our missteps in order to become better teachers by investigating what hasn’t worked.

Organizers:
Magdalena Luca, Mass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Sandra Zak, Monmouth University
Erin Griesenauer, Eckerd College
Russell Goodman, Central College

Teaching through Time: Historical and Cultural Perspectives on Mathematics

This contributed paper session fosters dialogue among mathematicians, historians, and educators who study the mathematical past and culturally situated practices to enrich both scholarship and pedagogy. Presenters can highlight historical or philosophical case studies, share classroom or outreach activities grounded in primary historical sources, or draw from ethnomathematical perspectives that show how mathematical ideas arise within diverse cultural traditions. We welcome contributions that show how engaging with the past, and with global mathematical practices, can stimulate curiosity, broaden participation, and connect mathematics to its human contexts. Presentations may include descriptions of new archival research, reinterpret classical results, or describe strategies to incorporate cultural and historical insight into instruction. Speakers should help illustrate how the mathematical past continues to influence our present thinking and pedagogy. By bringing together perspectives from history, mathematics, and ethnomathematics, the session emphasizes mathematics as a deeply human, cultural endeavor. Participants will leave with concrete examples, methods, and resources for integrating historical and cultural dimensions of mathematics into their teaching, research, and outreach.

Organizers:
Abe Edwards, Michigan State University
Ximena Catepillan, Millersville University
Cynthia Huffman, Pittsburg State University

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on the History of Mathematics (SIGMAA HOM)

This Research is Knot Fun

Topology—and especially its subfield of knot theory—is an area of math that has a particularly fun vibe. Many mathematicians (and artists!) are attracted to research on topological spaces because of their tactile and visual nature, with objects amenable to 3D fabrication and proofs sometimes consisting of collections of illustrations. Research in topology undoubtedly connects to your other favorite areas of math, too, from combinatorics, algebra, and recreational math to differential geometry, category theory, and logic. In this session, we showcase a variety of fun and interesting research topics in topology. Expository talks, presentations on recent research, and proposed ideas for future work are all welcome, as are submissions from students, faculty members, and other members of the MAA community.

Organizers:
Allison Henrich, Seattle University
Samantha Pezzimenti, Widener University

Mentoring in Practice: Lessons from Undergraduate Research—Successes, Challenges, and Insights

This session explores the multifaceted experience of conducting research with undergraduate students, focusing on both the successes and the challenges that arise in mentoring undergraduate students. As undergraduate research continues to grow in prominence as effective intervention for retention of the diverse talent, it is timely to reflect on what makes these experiences productive, where common pitfalls occur, and how institutions and mentors can better support student researchers. This session aims to foster a discussion among faculty, who engage undergraduates in scholarly work.

• We would invite presentations that are scholarly in nature and grounded in experience, including:
• Case studies of undergraduate research projects (successful or otherwise)
• Innovative mentoring models or program structures
• Assessment methods for undergraduate research outcomes
• Curricular materials or course designs that integrate research
• Reflections on ethical, logistical, or pedagogical challenges
• Strategies for fostering student ownership, resilience, and independence in research
• Approaches to making research accessible to students from diverse backgrounds

Presentations may include original research, expository talks, project demonstrations, or reflective analyses, but should aim to contribute meaningfully to the broader conversation on undergraduate research as a scholarly practice.

Organizers:
Anastasiia Minenkova, University of Hartford
Tori Day, Mount Holyoke College

Research on Undergraduate Mathematics Education

This session, sponsored by the SIGMAA on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (SIGMAA RUME), presents research reports on undergraduate mathematics education. The session features research on the teaching and learning of several mathematical areas including calculus, linear algebra, college algebra, statistics, combinatorics, real analysis, abstract algebra, and mathematical proof. The goals of this session are to foster high-quality research in undergraduate mathematics education, to disseminate results from well-designed educational studies to the greater mathematics community, and to transform theoretical work into practical consequences in college mathematics. Examples include rigorous and scientific studies about students’ mathematical cognition and reasoning, student engagement in mathematical practices, graduate preparation of future college mathematics faculty, equity and social justice, teaching practices in undergraduate mathematics classrooms, design of research-based curricular materials, and professional development of teachers that supports college students’ mathematical thinking and activities. Presentations should report on completed research that builds on the existing literature in mathematics education and employs contemporary educational theories of the teaching and learning of mathematics. The research should use well-established or innovative methodologies for data collection and analysis (e.g., design experiment, classroom teaching experiment, and clinical interview, with rigorous analytic methods) as they pertain to the study of undergraduate mathematics education. Speakers should provide practical implications of their research, such as pedagogical suggestions for instructors based on their findings. This session also welcomes preliminary reports on research projects in early stages of development or execution.

Organizers:
Kaitlyn Serbin, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Brian Katz, California State University Long Beach
Deborah Moore-Russo, The University of Oklahoma
Samuel Cook, Boston University
Gulden Karakok, University of Northern Colorado

Sponsor:
SIGMAA on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education (SIGMAA RUME)

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Collegiate Mathematics

In Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), faculty bring disciplinary knowledge to bear on questions of teaching and learning and systematically gather evidence to support their conclusions. Conducted by and for practitioners, SoTL aims to improve teaching and learning. Work in this area includes investigations of the effectiveness of teaching methods, assignments, or technology, as well as inquiries into student (mis)understandings. The session goals are to: (1) feature scholarly work on the teaching of collegiate mathematics, (2) provide a venue for teaching mathematicians to make public their scholarly investigations into teaching/learning, and (3) highlight evidence-based arguments for the value of teaching innovations or in support of new insights into student learning. This session invites preliminary or final reports of scholarly investigations of collegiate-level teaching methods/tools/curricula or student understanding/attitudes/motivations. Abstracts should clearly state the question(s) being investigated and the type(s) of evidence gathered. For example, questions might concern the nature of student learning or ways that a particular intervention may be effective; and abstracts might refer to evidence such as student work, participation or retention data, pre/post tests, interviews, surveys, or think-alouds.

Organizers:
Karen Stanish, Keene State College
Jackie Dewar, Loyola Marymount University
Celil Ekici, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Jordan Kostiuk, Brown University
Hillary Van Spronsen, Maine Maritime Academy