STUDENT DELEGATE OFFICERS

STUDENT DELEGATE OFFICERS

I would like to welcome you to the 2011 National Convention in Frisco, Texas. The Council consists of governors of each of the four regions, representatives of our sponsoring organizations and members of the national office. I welcome questions and comments about our organization from students and sponsors.

I encourage you to stop and talk to any of us about your vision for Mu Alpha Theta.
I would like to thank Todd Taylor, Bonnie Campbell, Paul Kustos, and Thom Morris for putting this convention together. It is an incredible amount of work. Please extend your thanks to them when you get a chance. The weather will be hot but I think the competition will be hotter. Our hosts have a wide variety of events to test our math skills including a new Relay. The chalk talks will have a Texas aspect to them that will be very enjoyable. If you get a chance, I urge you to listen to some of them during the finals on Tuesday. There are several interesting talks scheduled for Monday afternoon – many from local speakers.
Lastly, one of the best parts of the convention is the opportunity to share with other students and sponsors. We share ideas for chapter practices and activities and our plans for the future. I urge you to use this convention to begin or renew friendships, and to share our common interest in mathematics.
I wish you all good luck and hope you enjoy the convention!
Sincerely,
Tom Tosch

National Mu Alpha Theta President

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Monday, July 18, Speakers First and Second Sessions

Frisco 8 Title: Radioactive Ping-Pong Balls

Presenters: Brittany J. Wells and Brenna Peltier, Raytheon Company

Max. 50 participants. Photos may be taken.

Although the object of this competition is to be the first team to successfully move all the “radioactive” ping pong balls from one brown paper bag to the other, the deeper significance is to show that an engineering project often depends on teamwork. In this activity, students will devise a system for transporting all the balls from one bag to another without contamination leaks, using only the supplies provided.

Brittany J. Wells currently serves as a Systems and Reliability Engineer supporting Fielded Improved Target Acquisition Systems with Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System processes. Brittany has worked for Raytheon for six years, working first as an engineering intern in 2005. Her portfolio includes rotations in mechanical drafting for the NCS Hardware Center, the environmental testing lab, Six Sigma specialist training, Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Task Force research, and supporting producibility engineering as a part of the Electronics Product Development Team. As a senior technical co-op, Brittany supported the Thermal Weapon Sight IIB Program as a reliability engineer.

Brenna Peltier has been with Raytheon for three years and over that time has served as reliability engineer on five different product lines: Commander’s Independent Viewer, Thermal Weapon Sight, Single Piece Flow, Enhanced Night Vision Goggle, and Improved Target Acquisition System. Brenna gathers and interprets all data generated during product testing, leads investiga­tions into root cause/corrective action, identifies ways to improve production efficiency, and interfaces with suppliers as well as customers.

Prior to joining Raytheon, Brenna was an undergraduate research assistant for University of Texas San Antonio in conjunction with Cancer Therapy Research Center working on several projects involving DNA analysis.
Frisco 3

Title: An Introduction to TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire Navigator

60 participants max (The latest from Texas instruments!)

Presenter: Holly Larson Sponsored by Texas Instruments

See a demonstration of the newest TI calculator. Each member of the Sweepstakes-winning team will receive a free TI-Nspire CX CAS handheld calculator, including the team coaches.

Holly Larson is a teacher at McKinney North High School, in McKinney, Texas. She has worked giving talks for TI and has taught mathematics since 2000.

Title: Study Buddy Online Tutoring

Presenters: Mountain Pointe High School Mu Alpha Theta members, Phoenix, AZ and Julie Cox, Study Buddy

Students from Mountain Pointe High School won a Motorola Foundation Grant for their outstanding work as tutors on Study Buddy. See a demonstration of the online tutoring system and learn about opportunities to help students around the country better learn mathematics.

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MU ALPHA THETA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

In 1996, Mu Alpha Theta established the Mu Alpha Theta Educational Foundation to help support the expenses of state, regional, and national mathematics competitions and conferences sponsored by the organization. In July, 2004, the by-laws were amended to also allow the Foundation to provide educational scholarships, awards and grants. In 2005, the Educational Foundation took over the job of running our National Convention each summer. The Foundation is directed by the Governing Council of Mu Alpha Theta.

In 2007, the Mary Rhein Memorial Scholarship was first presented. This $5000 award remembers the dedication of Mary Rhein, who not only served as a sponsor to Lakota West High School, but also as both NCTM Representative to our Governing Council and as a Regional Governor of former Region IV until her death in 2005. This year the Foundation presented seven $4000 and one $5000 scholarship. Mu Alpha Theta contributed another twelve $4000 scholarships.

The Foundation distributes our popular honor cords to students. Honor cords are given to Full members who make a $5 donation to the Foundation and the money raised goes exclusively to support Foundation goals. Last year, we also offered tassels for the first time.

It is hoped that Mu Alpha Theta supporters will provide additional funds for these purposes and to allow the Foundation to add college scholarships for deserving students. We hope you will help us reach our goals. If Mu Alpha Theta has been an important part of your life, why not make a donation in honor of or in memory of someone you know?

Donations are tax deductible and will be accepted in any amount.

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Welcomes from Representatives

Dear Students and Teachers:
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) welcomes you to the Mu Alpha Theta National Convention in Dallas, Texas.
NCTM is the world’s largest mathematics education organization, designed to provide the vision and leadership necessary to ensure a mathematics education of highest quality for all students. We believe every student deserves an excellent program of instruction in mathematics which challenges them to achieve to their fullest potential required for productive citizenship and employment. As Mu Alpha Theta members, you devoted part of your life to promote an interest in mathematics in your community while developing strong scholarship in the subject. You organize mathematics competitions in your schools, states, and nationally. You bring the joy of mathematics to younger students. You help students who struggle in mathematics by tutoring.
Thank you for all your good work! NCTM wishes you a successful convention.
Sincerely,
Tom Kilkelly

NCTM representative to the Governing Council

Dear Students and Sponsors:

Welcome to Frisco, Texas. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA), with over 27,000 members, is proud to play a role in supporting Mu Alpha Theta and its 2011 annual convention.

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The MAA is the largest professional organization devoted to mathematics at the undergraduate level. Our magazine Math Horizons, whose aim is to introduce students to the world of mathematics outside of the classroom, is accessible for talented high school students. Recent articles include “Sudoku: Just for Fun or is it Mathematics?” and “How to Create Your Own Universe in Three Easy Steps.” That is just the beginning of what the MAA can do for you. We are on the web at www.maa.org.

MAA representative to the Governing Council

Dear Students and Sponsors:

next few days will be spent in competition, but be sure to meet as many people as you can and have a wonderful time here in Dallas. Our hosts have put together an outstanding program and you will be sure to take home many memories of your time here.

AMATYC is a proud sponsor of Mu Alpha Theta.

AMATYC representative to the Governing Council

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