Florida Epsilon
University of South Florida
2003-2004 Chapter Report

Advisor and Officers

Advisor: Professor Fernando Burgos

President: Darshit J. Patel

Secretary: Geoffrey Cagle

Number of New Members Inducted:

11.

Number of Continuing Members:

20.

Do any of your chapter members plan to attend or present a paper at the PME national meeting at MathFest in Providence, Rhode Island?

Yes.

Describe the two most interesting or unusual chapter activities this year:

1)The chapter had thirteen regular meetings during the academic year. At each of these meetings we had an invited speaker talk to us about topics ranging from careers in math and issues in mathematical education to membrane computing and applications of mathematics to criptography.

2)The Florida Epsilon Chapter and the University of South Florida hosted the Fall and Spring editions of our traditional Hillsborough County Math Bowl Competition. Each of the 23 county high schools sends four teams of four students each to participate in individual and team competitions in high school mathematics.

3)Dr. Frederic Zerla, Department of Mathematics Professor Emeritus, delivered the keynote adress at the 2004 PME Induction Banquet. The title of his talk was "The Birth of Mathematics".

Do you have any news about current students or recent graduates? For example, scholarships or other awards, acceptances to graduate school, paper presentations at conferences. :

1)Osman Amin and Jaime Gray shared the 2004 Florida Epsilon Chapter Outstanding Scholar Award. Commemorative plaques and book prizes were awarded during the annual PME Induction Banquet.

2)Darshit J. Patel, the chapter president and a double major in mathematics and computer science, won the Council of Honor Societies 2004 Academic Performance Award.

3)Dr. Mile Krajcevski of the math department was named the chapter's permanent correspondent.