Aida Maraj - Service and Outreach

Mentoring and Outreach Activities at the University of Kentucky

Leader and Graduate Assistant in the "Central Kentucky Mathematics Circles", Fall 2018 -- Spring 2019.

CKMC serves pre-college students in Central Kentucky by providing stimulating and engaging mathematical enrichment guided by Faculty Affiliates from throughout the Bluegrass region. In Fall 2018 I served as graduate student assistant. In Spring 2019 I prepared and led the workshops "Power Sets and Combinatorics" and "All About Infinity".

Graduate Scholars in Mathematics Program Assistant, mentoring incoming graduate students, Summer 2018.

GSM provides scholarships to build an inclusive, diverse mathematics community. Provided guide to incoming graduate students in reading Geometric Multiplicities and Gersgorin Disks by Marsli and Hall (2013).

Co-organizer with Julianne Vega of the workshop "If you give a Mouse a Poison Cupcake ... Math to the Rescue", part of the conference "Expanding Your Horizons" to engage middle school girls in STEM, April 21, 2018.

A major goal of EYH is to enable girls to recognize their potential and pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Together with Julie we prepared a math workshop for middle school girls. This workshop provided students with a more accurate understanding of what math feels like at a higher level.

Volunteer at Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, Fall 2017 and 2018.

JRMF events inspire K through 12 students to think critically, to explore the richness and beauty of mathematics through collaborative, creative problem-solving. I volunteered in leading two three-hour sessions which introduced "Euler's Formula" and "How to make Infinity Finite".

Micro-Teaching Leader for the new Teaching Assistants, August 14 -- 15, 2017.

The Graduate School sponsors a two-day workshop for new TAs, which includes giving mini-lessons to the group. I participated by describing my experience, leading discussions, and giving feedback to the new TAs on their lessons.

Service at the University of Kentucky

Treasurer for the University of Kentucky Chapter of Association of Women in Mathematics (AWM), August 2018 – December 2018.
Volunteer in BIO 101 class, part of the STEMCat program, Fall 2018, Fall 2019.

STEMCat is an institution-wide program to transform STEM undergraduate education at the University of Kentucky, by increasing students retention, academic success, and diversity in STEM fields. BIO 101, is a series of seminars to expose freshmen to the variety of careers available to them in STEM fields.

Mathematics Department Representative and Member of the Travel Award Committee in the Graduate Student Congress of the University of Kentucky, August 2016 – January 2018.

The GSC organization has in mission to unify and represent graduate and professional students and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Kentucky in matters affecting quality of life and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration and professional development through seminars, forums, outreach programming, advocacy, and community enhancement.

Panelist in several panels arranged by the Department of Mathematics, Association for Women in Mathematics and Graduate Student Council.

``Job Search'' panel (April 9, 2020), ``Graduate Student Panel Discussion: Summer Schools and Workshops” panel (November 8, 2019) for the early career graduate students,``Graduate Student Panel Discussion: Becoming a Professional” for the incoming graduate students (August 20, 2019), and ``Ask a Grad Student” panel for the first and second year graduate students (October 23, 2017).

Women in Math Trivia Night at the University of Kentucky