Organizing Committee
- Amalia Culiuc
Amherst College - Katharine Ott
Bates College - Ulrica Wilson
ICERM/Morehouse College
Abstract
GirlsGetMath@ICERM is a five-day non-residential mathematics program that is open to high schoolers, regardless of gender, who live in or near greater Rhode Island and who will be entering the 10th or 11th grade in the fall of 2023.
GirlsGetMath occurs in an encouraging environment that builds young students' confidence in math and science.
GirlsGetMath expands participants' understanding and knowledge of mathematics through computations and experimentations.
GirlsGetMath provides expert mathematical training and mentoring.
GirlsGetMath@ICERM encourages 20-25 high schoolers to explore topics such as cryptography, the mathematics of voting, image processing, prime numbers and factoring, and fractals.
The goals of the program are:
- to show young adults that the study of mathematics can be exciting, beautiful, and useful
- to build confidence in students' mathematical knowledge through engaging and expert mathematical instruction
- to provide an affirming environment that introduces high schoolers to a variety of career opportunities in which sophisticated mathematical ability plays a key role
- to emphasize the strategic role mathematics plays for success in STEM careers
- to provide the participants with a support group and expert mentors who are successful undergraduate, graduate students, postdocs, and professionals from the STEM workforce
- to have a positive influence on the way students view their mathematical interest and ability

Program Details
- Instructors
- The faculty organizers will be joined by undergraduate, graduate students, and postdocs who will serve as teaching fellows in the program. Two GirlsGetMath alumni will be chosen to assist during the program as well.**
- Location
- Pandemic permitting, the program will take place at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) on the Brown University campus.
- Participant Requirements
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- Students must not have attended a previous GirlsGetMath@ICERM program
- Students must be in the 10th or 11th grade in the fall of 2023
- Students must live in or near the greater Providence, RI area
- Students must ask one math teacher to submit a letter of reference
- Tuition
- Tuition is $100. Full financial aid is available. Daily lunch included.
GirlsGetMath Schedule
Monday, August 14, 2023
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9:00 - 9:50 am EDTWarm up: LockBox and IntroductionsProgram Overview - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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9:50 - 10:00 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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10:00 - 11:00 am EDTThe game SETGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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11:00 - 11:10 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDTIntroduction to MATLABTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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12:00 - 1:00 pm EDTLunch (provided)Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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1:00 - 2:00 pm EDTLab: Introdcution to MATLABGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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2:00 - 2:10 pm EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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2:10 - 3:30 pm EDTLab: Playing SETGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
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9:00 - 9:50 am EDTIntroduction to Matrices and VectorsTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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9:50 - 10:00 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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10:00 - 11:00 am EDTLab: Matrices and VectorsGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDTData Science in Public Health. Hosted by Dr. Anarina Murillo, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Brown Univeristy School of Public Health11th Floor Lecture Hall
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12:00 - 1:00 pm EDTLunch (provided)Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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1:00 - 3:30 pm EDTData Science in Public Health. Hosted by Dr. Anarina Murillo, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Brown Univeristy School of Public Health11th Floor Lecture Hall
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
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9:00 - 9:50 am EDTRecommendation SystemsTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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9:50 - 10:00 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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10:00 - 11:00 am EDTLab: Recommendation SystemsGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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11:00 - 11:10 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDTTransforming Images with Matrix ArithmeticTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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12:00 - 1:00 pm EDTLunch (provided)Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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1:00 - 1:50 pm EDTLab: Image processing in MATLABGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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1:50 - 2:00 pm EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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2:00 - 2:45 pm EDTImage Filters and EffectsTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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2:45 - 3:30 pm EDTLab: Image Filters and EffectsGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
Thursday, August 17, 2023
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9:00 am - 2:00 pm EDTVisit to Brown campus and Harris Lab, with lunch on campus. Hosted by Dr. Dan Harris, Assisant Professor of Engineering, Brown University School of EngineeringHarris Lab - Harris Lab
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9:00 - 9:10 am EDTGroup PhotoGroup Photo (Immediately After Talk) - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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12:00 - 1:00 pm EDTLunch (provided)Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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2:00 - 2:10 pm EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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2:10 - 3:30 pm EDTLab TimeGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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3:30 - 4:30 pm EDTIntro to Cryptography (optional)11th Floor Lecture Hall
- Abigail Butel, NSA
Abstract
The National Security Agency (NSA) has a well-established history in cryptology, the art and science of code-breaking and code-making. This talk will give a brief overview of the NSA, along with some insight into the work of mathematicians at the agency. We will then define some components of a cipher system and work through multiple examples of ciphers utilized throughout history, including the Polybius square, the ADFGX cipher, the Caesar cipher, the Baconian cipher, the rail fence cipher, the route cipher, and the monome-dinome cipher.
Friday, August 18, 2023
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9:00 - 9:50 am EDTWarm up: Math puzzles and craftsGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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9:50 - 10:00 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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10:00 - 11:00 am EDTIntroduction to Graph TheoryTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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11:00 - 11:10 am EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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11:10 am - 12:00 pm EDTEpidemic Spread on GraphsTutorial - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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12:00 - 1:00 pm EDTLunch (provided)Lunch/Free Time - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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1:00 - 1:50 pm EDTLab: Epidemic Spread on GraphsGroup Work - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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1:50 - 2:00 pm EDTBreakCoffee Break - 11th Floor Collaborative Space
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2:00 - 2:45 pm EDTWrap-up sessionClosing Remarks - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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2:45 - 3:30 pm EDTWhat's next? Panel on college and internshipsPanel Discussion - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
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3:30 - 4:30 pm EDTClosing ceremonyClosing Remarks - 11th Floor Lecture Hall
All event times are listed in ICERM local time in Providence, RI (Eastern Daylight Time / UTC-4).
All event times are listed in .
ICERM local time in Providence, RI is Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4). Would you like to switch back to ICERM time or choose a different custom timezone?
Purpose of Program
Despite the fact that jobs in STEM are multiplying and pay better than other careers, women remain woefully underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math jobs. Some of this imbalance may be traced back to attitudes about mathematics and sciences in middle school and high school. There is a documented decline in girls’ positive feels about mathematics beginning in middle school, and from this point forward girls are far less likely than their male peers to choose elective courses in mathematics and the sciences[1][2]. The absence of girls in mathematics and science elective courses is especially severe among low-income and disadvantaged students. Research has shown that school-aged girls may not realize that their preferred career choice requires coursework in mathematics and sciences[3], so these decisions can have long lasting consequences.
GirlsGetMath@ICERM aims to build knowledge and confidence in mathematics ability early in education, ultimately shaping the way the students view themselves and their mathematical interests and potential. The program will:
- Demonstrate through hands-on activities, games, and computer simulations that the study of mathematics can be exciting, beautiful and useful;
- Introduce the high school participants to a variety of career opportunities for which sophisticated mathematical ability plays a key role, with an emphasis on the central role mathematics plays for success in STEM careers; and
- Provide the participants with a support group of like-minded peers and mentors.
- An outstanding feature of the GirlsGetMath@ICERM program is its commitment to quality. The program content is created by Ph.D. mathematicians who collectively have many years of experience as researchers and educators. The content is chosen to be at the appropriate level for the participants, but at the same time challenging, useful, and engaging to high school students. The Faculty Organizers of GirlsGetMath are college and university faculty in mathematics with experience leading summer mathematics programs for students. The Teaching Assistants are undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics and computer science.
References:
[1] J. Blue and D. Gann, When do girls lose interest in math and science?, Science Scope, (2008).
[2] J. Wilkins and X. Ma, Modeling change in students attitude toward and beliefs about mathematics, Journal of Educational Research, (2007).
[3] L. Pettitt, Middle School Students’ Perception of Math and Science Abilities and Related Careers, 61st Biennial Meeting of Research in Child Development, (1995).