Morehead State University’s math department is putting on a series of colloquia this fall semester. Professors from the department are presenting a wide range of topics, many of which they started researching in graduate school.
Ian Sugrue, assistant professor of mathematics, presented a topic he has been researching most of his career. He said the colloquium acts as a way to show undergraduate students what is possible with math.
“I think that when you go through the math curriculum at a school, you’re limited to the classes that are available to you. And so, it’s not necessarily clear how big the math world is outside of the classes that are presented to you,” said Sugrue.
Subjects range from cognitive dissonance in mathematics to modeling how many ways chess pieces can be arranged on a board to theoretical graph theory.
Sugrue said he intends for the colloquium to be a source of inspiration for students, whether for capstone projects or choosing what to do with their degree.
“You may go through the entire curriculum and say, ‘there is not a single thing in math that I like’. And I think that you just haven’t been presented with the right thing yet. There are so many other things out there. So, the colloquium kind of give students a broader understanding of what else is out there.”
Officials said the department plans to expand in the coming semester by bringing in presenters from national labs and other institutions.
The remaining colloquiums are October 24 and 31, and November 14 and 21. Each is at 12 p.m. in Ginger Hall 206. Attendance is free and open to the public.