‘Very professional, very prepared, very bright’: Bates math students take on real-world projects

Associate Professor of Mathematics Adriana Salerno teaching her first-year seminar FYS446 "The Communication Equation: A Mathematical Media Tour" in Pettengill 127.Mathematics is everywhere in the news these days, from basic statistics to more sophisticated uses to describe economics, science, and mathematical breakthroughs. Too often we accept numbers and data as the truth, without giving them a second thought. It is therefore important to develop critical reading skills. As creators of information, it also is important to learn to use mathematics and data to support arguments and undertake true scientific reporting. In this course students read breaking news articles and longer features to learn effective uses of mathematics in journalism. They put these best practices to use by writing articles, blogs, and radio pieces. Additional topics may include mathematics in other media such as fiction writing, television, movies, and art. The students discussed "Arcadia," a 1993 play by Tom Stoppard concerning the relationship between past and present, order and disorder, certainty and uncertainty."

Local schools and a regional mental health agency benefited from student work in a new math course created by Adriana Salerno.

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