Sample Daily Schedule

8:45 – 12:00 Research Session

The morning session will give you the experience of a collaborative research-like environment. So, what is this “collaborative research-like environment”? Well, it’s working as a team – that’s the collaborative part. And there is “research,” which, at least ideally, means studying something that you really care about. In mathematics, doing research also involves trying to solve some problems and even making up your own problems to solve. (We got you started on this with the SEARCH application problem packet.)
We’ll start off the program by getting to know each other, doing some warm-up problems, and getting some background information about the research topic you’ll be working on.
After the first couple days, you’ll be defining and working on problems, The faculty leaders will present some information, but mainly the faculty leaders and TAs wil be circulating about the room, asking questions about what you’ve tried, asking what conclusions you may have come to, suggesting other possible approaches, and probably saying, “Wow, How did you think of that!”

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Break

1:00 – 2:30 Technology Lab: Using Mathematical Software/Guest Lectures
For three or four days per week you’ll be working with software in this time slot. We’ll introduce you to a spreadsheet program, and have you solve some problems with it. You’ll explore different types of functions, and apply them to some real-world problems. You will also have an introduction to one or two other software programs frequently used by mathematicians.

On some days we’ll have a guest lecture from a visiting or Mount Holyoke mathematician to introduce additional topics and to tell you about the possibilities for a life as a mathematician or scientist.

2:30 – 3:00 Break

3:00 – 4:00 Recreation
We require students to engage in some physical recreation ranging from walking to competitive sports activities. They would join students from the associated SummerMath program at Mount Holyoke at this point in the day.

4:00 – 6:30 Free Time, and Dinner

6:30 – 8:00 Problem Session
On two or three evenings each week you will work independently on some fun problems in groups with the help of TAs.

8:00 – 10:00 Movies/Free Time
We plan to show videos like Fermat’s Last Theorem video, Let Us Teach Guessing, and The Shape of Space, movies or parts of movies, such as Fermat’s Last Tango, It’s My Turn, A Brief History of Time, Antonia’s Line, and some videos produced by the California Institute of Technology. Also, such software as KaleidoMania! and other mathematical and design-oriented software will be available for your use.

We will alternate between having evening movie sessions and giving you free time to interact with other SEARCH students and with SummerMath students more informally, to use computer labs, and to walk on campus and the adjoining “shopping” area.

In addition to the regular faculty, Jim & Char Morrow, we will have guest faculty, each visiting for a week. There will also be one Assistant Instructor and one TA who will be here for the entire program.

Our 2007 guest faculty were:
Dr. Maura Murray, Salem State College (MA)
Dr Reva Kasman, Grand Valley State College (MI)
Dr. Ulrica Parker, Emory University (GA) and Claremont College (CA)
Dr. Shirley Shmerling, University of Massachusetts

Our 2007 Teaching Assistant was Christina Cardone, Mount Holyoke College