Student Opportunities

Outside the classroom learning experiences are often the most memorable learning experiences, and they help us to make sense of the world around us by connecting feelings and learning. These experiences stay with us into adulthood and influence our beliefs, lifestyle and work. They influence our values and the decisions we make. They allow us to transfer learning experienced outside to the classroom and vice versa.

In the Department of Mathematics, there are many opportunities for students to engage with faculty, fellow students, their curriculum and content outside of the traditional learning environment.

Cool Math Talks	Problem of the Week
Kerrigan Research Minigrants Program	Putnam Competition
π/2 Mathematical Competition (or Half-Putnam Exam)	Calculus Bee

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Cool Math Talks

The "Cool Math Talk" Series aims to present some interesting and fun uses of mathematics. The level of mathematics presented in these talks with be such that most undergraduate students with an interest in mathematics will be able to follow along. All interested students are encouraged to attend.

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Kerrigan Research Minigrants Program

The Kerrigan Research minigrants program invites UNO graduate and undergraduate students to apply for minigrants to work on research projects with department faculty members. A minigrant project is for $500 payable at the end of the fiscal year (the fiscal year ends June 30) upon completion of the project.

Eligibility: Full-time UNO undergraduate and graduate students

Application Deadline: February 1st of the current academic year. Late applications will not be considered.

Proposal Guidelines: All applications must include two pages description of the projects. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The project description should:

• Have the student's name (if not taken, write status: available)
• Include the project's start and end dates
• Include the title of the project
• Include an abstract (less than 100 words)
• Include the purpose(s) of the project (i.e. the questions/issues to be addressed by the project)
• Include a timetable (Provide a timetable for completing the work entailed in the project)
• Duration: Either from September 15th or February 1st to June 30th

Application Process: Applications are to be emailed to either Dora Velscov, dvelscov@unomaha.edu or Mahboub Baccouch, mbaccouch@unomaha.edu.

Requirements:

• All students must work with a faculty mentor. The student's faculty mentor must commit to supporting and advising the applicant throughout the research project.

• Each student must submit a final report no later than June 30th containing results of what was accomplished, and a list of papers and/or publications that directly or indirectly result from the grant; otherwise the student will receive no funding.

• Incomplete projects will receive no funding. The mentor is responsible for the completion of the project.

• A student cannot participate on more than one project per year.

• A student cannot participate on more than three projects during their time at UNO.

• Project's will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until February 1st.

• Each faculty mentor may propose up to two projects per year, however only the first will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. The second will be held until February 1st and accepted on that date if there is funding still available.

• Students must be recruited by March 1st. No student will be accepted to a project after this deadline and all unclaimed proposals will be removed on that date.

• In order to be eligible for a Kerrigan minigrant the student must be registered for at least 6 hours if an undergraduate, and 3 hours if a graduate student.
• The minigrant cannot be work that is also counting for an independent study, thesis, or masters project. However, the minigrant may be used to develop an initial idea that will later be developed into a thesis.

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Problem of the Week and Solutions

View the Problem of the Week and Solutions Archive

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Putnam Competition

Each December a group of undergraduate UNO students participate in the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition.

Interested students are encouraged to join the Putnam Study Group on Zoom every Friday from 1:00-4:00 PM! Learn more on the Putnam Study Group website.

The Putnam Mathematical Competition should take place on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022. Mark your calendars!

UNO teams frequently place highly on the prestigious Putnam Competition, held annually for the top undergraduate mathematics students in the U.S. and Canada. The competition began officially in 1938 but has origins as far back as 1933 when 10 students from Harvard competed against 10 students from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The competition consists of two, three-hour sessions of six math problems, which are graded on a scale of 0-10 points. Competitors must show the steps in their work to justify an answer and receive full credit, and partial credit may be given only when showing significant progress towards the solution.

Sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America, the competition has counted many distinguished mathematicians and scientists among its participants over the years, including Nobel Prize winner John Nash, noted for his work in game theory and differential equations and the subject of the 2001 Hollywood film “A Beautiful Mind.”

UNO teams routinely do quite well in this most competitive of university mathematics competitions. Every year since 2012, UNO has placed in the top 22% in the US and Canada. In 2013,UNO’s Putnam team placed 49th out of 557 competing institutions, good enough to be among the top 10 percent of participating North American schools. In 2019, again UNO’s Putnam team placed in the top 10 percent (56 out of 568).

Please contact Dr. Griff Elder for more information.

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π/2 Mathematical Competition (also called Half-Putnam Exam)