Math Conferences

Math3ma

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I thought I would pass along information regarding this event as it might be of interest to readers here. Even if you can’t attend the symposium, it might be worth keeping tracking of the work of Math3ma (pronounced “math-e-ma”).

The following information is from the event organizers:

The Math3ma Symposium is June 9–10 hosted at The Master’s University (TMU)

What’s this event?

The Math3ma Symposium invites Christian graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and professionals in STEM throughout academia, industry, and government for a time of fellowship and encouragement as they pursue fidelity to Christ and Scripture in their vocations. Unlike traditional gatherings for Christians in STEM, this symposium is not primarily a venue for apologetics or the topic of origins, per se. Instead, we’re simply inviting faithful Christians working in a variety of scientific disciplines to join us for a time of dialogue, discussion, and the opportunity to meet like-minded believers in the field.

Who’s involved?

Tai-Danae Bradley will be hosting the event. Tai-Danae a mathematician who spent two years at Google X, and now works for a start-up company recently spun out of Alphabet, Inc. She is also a visiting faculty member at TMU where she directs The Math3ma Institute, which is a new hub for research and outreach in the sciences at TMU. You can learn more about her here.

We also have a wonderful line-up of speakers:

  • Jeffrey Williams, NASA astronaut and retired US Army Colonel
  • Tara Sander Lee, molecular and cell biologist at the Charlotte Lozier Institute
  • Abner Chou, president of The Master’s University and Seminary (TMUS)
  • John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, teacher at Grace To You ministries, and chancellor of TMUS

Where can I find more info and buy tickets? Details, agenda, and ticket prices are available at www.masters.edu/math3ma. Live stream tickets are also available for the general public and those in our target audience who cannot attend in person.

What’s The Master’s University, anyway?

Not familiar with TMU or The Math3ma Insititute? Here are some links to explore:

  • Check out TMU’s new Center for Thinking Biblically, a collection of high-quality videos on various topics — culture, politics, education, media, and more — explored from a biblical perspective. You might especially enjoy the series “Thinking Biblically About Science” and “Thinking Biblically About Mathematics” released earlier this year.
  • Earlier this month, we published the second issue of The Journal of The Math3ma Institute, which features expository articles on original research in the sciences targeted at lay audiences. Our motivation? To explain our work with simplicity and clarity so that wide audiences can more easily see God’s handiwork and glory in creation. Our latest articles include work in immunology, paleontology, and mathematics: https://math3ma.institute/journal/ We’re now accepting submissions for the next issue. Interested? Simply send me an email!
  • Interested in joining TMU’s science and engineering department? We have a few faculty positions available here.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Hope to see you in June!

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Micah 6:8 Mathematics – ACMS 2022 Conference Talk

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Abstract:

This presentation will unpack how the discipline of mathematics, rightly understood in a Christian context, equips students to do justice, love kindness, and walk in humility with God (Micah 6:8). This presentation will expand on the experience of Regents School of Austin in shaping the philosophy of its mathematics program around several key works: Math for Human Flourishing, Citizen Math, Building Thinking Classrooms, and Beauty for Truth’s Sake. Several practical examples from the Regents curriculum will be shared to demonstrate how the ideal of integrating faith and Christian service into the math classroom becomes a reality that is meaningful for students.

Presentation:

Link to presentation slides

Regents Documents:

Regents Math Department Philosophy

Regents Math Catechism (blog post on catechism in the classroom) (videos of students reciting)

Resources:

Mathematics for Human Flourishing

Building Thinking Classrooms

Citizen Math

Beauty for Truth’s Sake

Something They Will Never Forget

Cultivating Soulful Mathematicians

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UPDATE (4/1/20): To ensure the health and safety of both attendees and speakers during the coronavirus pandemic the difficult decision has been made to cancel the Cultivating Soulful Mathematicians Conference for this summer. Be on the lookout for a rescheduled conference in the summer of 2021. 

It has been a while since I have posted here (and it seems like I start more and more posts with that caveat). In the past year I have been blessed with my dream job of overseeing the K-12 mathematics program at a Christian school. I have spent a lot of time on vertical alignment, evaluating our curriculum and proposing changes, teacher training, and running a social media public relations campaign to increase our parent community’s understanding of what we do in our math program. The work has been good and rewarding, but also time consuming.

Oh, and in my “spare time” I have been working with some amazing colleagues and brothers in Christ to launch a math conference. That is what I would like to share with you today.

The name of the conference is “Cultivating Soulful Mathematicians” and information along with registration details can be found here. Francis Su will be the keynote speaker and every conference participant will receive a copy of his forthcoming book Mathematics for Human Flourishing.

Where does the name of the conference come from?

Well, my colleagues and I had kicked around a few ideas including “math for human flourishing,” “cultivating mathematical affections” (if you’ve read anything on this site then you can guess who suggested this theme), and “math class as soul craft” (an homage to the book Shop Class as Soul Craft). These themes were close to what we were aiming for but none were perfect fits. Then I began reading the book Where Wisdom may be Found: the Eternal Purpose of Christian Higher Education. I have included this book on the “Resource” page and hope to post a review of it at some point (in my “spare time”).

I began reading this book because one chapter is entitled “The Joy of Mathematics.” While I thoroughly enjoyed that chapter it was actually another chapter that motivated this conference theme: “Becoming a Soulful Wordsmith.” Here is the apt excerpt:

Liberal arts learning has always emphasized the importance of discovering who we truly are, over and above acquiring practical skills that can be applied in a work context. Students who are dedicated to liberal arts learning, from a Christian perspective, will develop an enduring interest in their souls, especially as they are enlivened by the living Word Jesus. To be soulful, biblically speaking, is to be aware of, and participate in, the transforming work of redemption by the Lord who promises to bring life, and bring it “more abundantly” (John 10:10). This is the Christian version of seeking “the good life,” which is the prime directive of secular liberal arts.

This struck a chord with me as it seems to touch on all of the previous themes we had thrown out there but not been satisfied with.

  • “cultivating mathematical affections” – discovering who we truly are, over and above acquiring practical skills that can be applied in a work context
  • “math class as soul craft” – developing an enduring interest in their souls
  • “math for human flourishing” – the Christian version of seeking “the good life,” which is the prime directive of secular liberal arts

What do we hope to achieve at this conference?

From the conference description: Teaching and learning mathematics orients ourselves and our students in a posture of wonder and gratitude, with a desire to worship God and serve one another in community. Mathematics is the language through which we describe the natural world and give expression to our exploration of even the most abstract relationships between shapes and numbers. This is realized as teachers carefully attend to students through instructional practices and deliberate classroom liturgies that draw students into enduring understandings. In our time together, participants will assume the role of students as they exercise their mathematical imagination, experience collaborative problem solving that is both accessible and challenging, and communicate meaningful connections between multiple representations of ideas. Teachers will be led through the process of backward design, development of provocative anchor tasks, and composition of assessments that reflect the chief aim of cultivating mathematical affections.

I hope you’ll consider attending or at least spreading the word to others.