The 4th Girls in Math Day @South was April 8th, 2023.
Girls in Math Day is a free half-day of activities for girls in grades 5th through 8th, on the South Alabama campus. The girls will hear from the keynote speaker, then participate in two engaging hands-on math workshops led by women mathematicians. They will gain a new appreciation of mathematics and make new friends. Snacks and lunch will be provided. Registration is now closed.
After registration, download the photo release form here. Upload the signed photo release form here.
Contact: Dr. Elena Pavelescu at elenapavelescu@southalabama.edu or call the USA Maths and Stats Department at 251- 460 -6264
Perfect Sponsors
Fibonacci Sponsors
Donations in any amount are welcome! The Girls in Math @ South program started due to a MAA Tensor Grant for Women in Mathematics (2018-2022). Since the grant ended, the program can only continue with help from local sponsors. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Please contact Dr. Elena Pavelescu at elenapavelescu@southalabama.edu. Perfect sponsors contribute with $496 or more (496 is the 3rd largest perfect number ! ) Fibonacci sponsors contribute with $233 or more ( 233 is the 13th number in the Fibonacci sequence !)
Keynote Speaker : Dr. Krista Mehari
Krista Mehari, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of South Alabama and a licensed clinical psychologist. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on clinical child and adolescent psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has expertise in violence prevention, cyberbullying, and participatory action research. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Government of India, The John Templeton Foundation, the Walmart Foundation, and others.
Girls in Math Day @South 2023 - Workshop Presenters
Mrs. Sheila Wattier
Mrs. Wattier, Senior Mathematics Instructor at the University of South Alabama, teaches freshman math courses. Her favorite committee assignments are heading the Social Committee and being the Department Representative for fundraising campaigns such as United Way. She holds a M.Ed. in Secondary Education (Mathematics), and has taught math for nearly 30 years.
Prior to teaching at USA, she taught Algebra at Phillips Preparatory School in Mobile, AL. There, she co-directed the Annual Mobile County 5th Grade Math Tournament and was the test writer for that contest. She also coached math teams. Her teams usually won the Ala-La-Miss Mathematics League Contest, always won regional MathCounts, and once won the state MathCounts competition.
Sheila likes to serve in the community, do home renovation projects, work with wood, have adventures with her grandkids, and spend time with her husband traveling and doing outdoor activities such as kayaking, mountain biking, camping, and hiking.
Ms. Kristal Webb
Ms. Webb grew up in north Alabama and found her love of mathematics at an early age. She earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and pure mathematics from Spring Hill College and completed a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of South Alabama. Ms. Webb is a math professor at the Alabama School of Math and Science.
Ms. Ryann Firestine
Ms. Firestine is a current graduate student at the University of South Alabama studying mathematics. She will graduate in May! She grew up in the Dothan and Troy area of southeast Alabama and she graduated from Troy University in 2020. From a young age, Ryann has always enjoyed mathematics and creative thinking, so she is very excited to be a part of Math for Girls this spring!
2023 Math Day Schedule:
8:30 am – 9.00 am: Check-in (USA Student Center, Bookstore entrance lobby)
9:00 am - 9:50 am: Introduction and keynote address (Student Center Terrace)
10:00 am - 10:50 am: Workshop 1 - Student Center
11:00 am - 11:50 am: Workshop 2 - Student Center
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch, group photo, and closing remarks (Student Center Terrace)
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Pick up (Student Center Terrace)
What parents say about our program
"Thank you so much for everything. [My daughter] really loved what she learned. We had a long talk about what she learned and she really enjoyed herself.”
"My daughter had a great time today! She came out with a big smile on her face. She loves math and enjoyed the day learning more.”
"Thank you for offering a program that made math fun! My daughter had a wonderful time and will definitely participate if Girls in Math is offered again!"
The 2022 Girls in Math Day was a success! Read about it in the USA Newsletter. We are looking forward to welcoming this year's participants.