PULLMAN, Wash. — More than 400 students from 32 schools throughout Washington and northern
Idaho will compete for Washington State University scholarships at the eighth annual WSU Math Day,
Thursday, Oct. 22, on the Pullman campus.
Math Day will open with a general meeting featuring a welcome address by Ronald Brosemer,
associate dean of the College of Sciences. The students then will take a PROBE Exam (Problems Requiring
Original or Brilliant Effort), while their teachers view and discuss online, in-class demonstrations designed
for calculus and linear algebra classes at WSU.
During midday, the students will separate into 61 teams and compete for first, second and third place
prizes along two divisions: small school and large school. At the concluding meeting, Provost Gretchen M.
Bataille will present the 1998 outstanding teacher award, as well as the team and PROBE awards.
At the 1997 Math Day, $6,500 in scholarship awards were made to winners in both the PROBE and
team categories. About half of the 1998 participants come from schools with less than 600 students.
The WSU mathematics department provides numerous basic classes to the general enrollment, in
addition to specialized materials for majors. The department has shown a steady increase in enrollment
over the last 10 years.
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EDITORS/REPORTERS: The following WSU Department of Mathematics faculty members are available
to talk about mathematics education: V.S. Manoranjan, chair, 509/335-4918, topics: interactive web sites
established by the department which enable high school students to test math readiness; Sandra Cooper,
Math Day founder, 509/335-3134, topics: goals and history of Math Day; and Jack Robertson,
509/335-3142, topics: Math Day facts. Also available is Jim Haddock, coach of many winning teams,
Potlatch High School, 208/875-0050, topics: benefits of Math Day, motivating students to do well.
