1202 W. Thomas Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85013
602–285–7500

Math Department Hosts
Mathematics Awareness Event

On March 6th and 7th, students have an opportunity to discover that math can be humorous, entertaining, astounding, surprising, fun, and exciting at a Math Awareness Event at Phoenix College.

The Event features invited speakers who will present mathematics-related talks which are not only entertaining but offer a learning experience for students as well.

The list of speakers includes John Hornsby, a prolific math textbook author from New Orleans, Carol Edwards, known affectionately as "The Bubble Lady" for her work on the mathematics of soap bubbles, Scott Adamson, a faculty member at CGCC known for incorporating videos in his teaching, and Scott Flansburg, a Guinness World Record holder for his computational skills, whom Regis Philbin nicknamed the "Human Calculator."

The Phoenix College Mathematics Department has the unique distinction of being the only department in the Maricopa District to hold a Mathematics Awareness Event which it has done for several years.

The presentations include:

Scott Adamson - Rule Time: Salute to Flight

Scott Adamson, a full-time faculty member in the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Mathematics Department, is well known for his incorporation of video and humor into the classroom. He will answer the question: How does gravity impact a falling "body"? During this presentation, participants will see how acceleration due to gravity is determined and use this constant to determine if the falling "body" will save the day!

Carol Edwards - The Bubble Show

Carol Edwards has taught mathematics for more than 30 years at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, St. Louis University and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She is affectionately known as the "The Bubble Lady" for her work on the mathematics of soap bubbles. You will see fascinating soap bubbles that you may never have seen before! No mathematics background is necessary to understand this fun and exciting presentation. The Show discusses two unsolved mathematical problems in everyday language.

Scott Flansburg - The Human Calculator

Nicknamed the "Human Calculator" by Regis Philbin, Scott Flansburg has shared his innovative approach to arithmetic with millions of people from the classroom to the boardroom. A Guinness World Record holder for his ability to beat the calculator, he fights innumeracy by teaching and demonstrating "number sense," a collection of his entertaining and applicable number techniques. Bring a calculator and challenge the "Human Calculator!"

John Hornsby - The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Rectangle

John Hornsby is a native and resident of Louisiana with 7 years of teaching experience at the high school level and 16 years at the University of New Orleans. He has co-authored nearly 50 college mathematics textbooks. His interests include teaching mathematics with graphing calculators, the history of mathematics and the mathematics for liberal arts students.

All presentations will take place in the Willo Room on the Osborn Campus. Thursday’s session begins at 5:30 p.m. and Friday’s line-up will kick-off at 9 a.m.

For more information, call (602) 285-7885.