KSEA National Mathematics Competition at UB

On Saturday, April 8, 2017, the KSEA National Mathematics Competition was held at the University at Buffalo in the UB Mathematics Building. The local organizers were Jae-Hun Jung (UB), Byung-Jay Kahng (Canisius) and Jaeho Lee (University of North Florida).

Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association

The KSEA Math Competition is an annual national event organized by the KSEA (Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association) to promote Math and Science to young students. This year about 4,000 students participated in the event that took place in 37 US cities, one of which was Buffalo. In the competition hosted by the UB Mathematics department, 24 students of grades 4 to 11 participated from various local schools in the greater Buffalo area.

                  Students in grades 4-8 and 9-11 worked on solving math problems for one hour and 1.5 hours, respectively. The problem solving session was followed by a special lecture delivered by Professor David Hemmer, the chairperson of UB Mathematics Department. Hemmer’s lecture on the Moebius strip included hand-on activities which provided an opportunity for students to explore the mysterious Moebius strip through paper, scissors and tape. Afterwards, Hemmer also answered students’ questions such as “What is the fourth dimension” and “What kind of jobs do people have after they study math?” The event closed with a brief award ceremony, where all students received a certificate of recognition.

                  The event was supported by the KSEA, UB Mathematics Department and Master Chong’s World-ClassTaeKwonDo.