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Gateway Establishes Partnership with NYU's Courant Institute
Summer Program in Mathematics for Gateway Students
August 2, 2005
Gateway began working with the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at NYU in the Spring, to plan a summer program for Gateway students with a strong interest in mathematics. For five weeks (July 12-August 11), twelve Gateway 10-12th grade students from five Gateway programs, are spending their Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in a seminar room at Courant with Michael Damron, a PhD graduate student. Damron is covering modular arithmetic, basic number theory and combinatorics, probability, and linear geometry if there is time. The program also includes three specially designed lectures by faculty of the Courant Institute, followed by a question and answer period. Professor Steven Childress, discussed fluid mechanics and the mobility of Pteropods in Antartic waters, based on research he has done in Antarctica; Professor David McQueen spoke about blood flow through the heart and modeling this flow using the Navier-Stokes equations; and Professor Kenneth Perlin's presentation was on computer graphics and programming.
Elisabeth Iler, Director of Gateway, commented that Gateway is especially pleased to add the Courant Institute to its list of academic partners and looks forward to further joint endeavors. "Advanced mathematics is a wonderful way for students to begin to explore abstract ideas that can be applied to the world. Many of the Gateway participants are interested in medicine or engineering. Courant's interest in nurturing young students is very inspiring."
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click images to enlarge
 The Courant Institute |
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Gateway students listen as Michael Damron (top), a PhD graduate student, explains key elements in upper level math. The students were amazed to learn that at the doctoral level, students must undertake nine hour exams. Undaunted, they asked Damron how he prepared and if he had any tips for their own exams.