Commerce, TEXAS (May 9, 2012)—The mathematics department at Texas A&M University-Commerce celebrated a successful 92nd annual Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America meeting April 14th at El Centro College in Dallas.

“I am very pleased with the way A&M-Commerce was well represented at the conference,” said Dr. Eileen Faulkenberry, assistant professor and interim mathematics department head. “I had several faculty members from across the state tell me how great our students are, and I agree with them.”

The calculus bowl team placed second in the state out of 28 teams from across Texas. There were ten student presentations and six faculty presentations at the conference. Ruston Pennington, A&M-Commerce honors senior, received the Outstanding Student Award.

“This was my first sectional meeting. I enjoyed it very much from the student presentations to the graduate and faculty ones, as well as a student forum on analysis and calculus,” Pennington said. “I gave a presentation over some of the research I have done for my honor's thesis entitled Polygonal Numbers, which are very old figurate numbers and one of the oldest topics in number theory.”

Pennington was chosen as one of three who was recognized for their presentations.

The MAA is a non-profit, independent, membership organization created in 1915 for people who love mathematics. It hosts professional development conferences and provides resources for mathematics faculty across the country.

For more information on MAA, go to www.maa.org. For information about mathematics programs at A&M-Commerce, email Judy.Smith@tamuc.edu or call 903-886-5157.

Pictured left to right: Vallery Schmidt, senior; Ryan Woodward, junior; Kaci Mohon, senior; Douglas Boney, junior; and Adam Bowden, junior. The calculus bowl team placed second in the state out of 28 teams from across Texas.