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Students Compete in Mathematical Modeling Competition

VWU's LeMar Callaway, Andrew Goad and Cody Little earn highest honors in local competition

Featured News | April 19, 2018

A team of three VWU students competed in a mathematical modeling competition called SCUDEM (Student Competition Using Differential Equations Modeling), earning highest honors in the local competition. LeMar Callaway ‘18, Andrew Goad ‘18, and Cody Little ‘19 were selected as VWU’s team, based on their successes in fields such as mathematics, biology, and engineering.  Kristin Burney, lecturer in mathematics, is the team’s coach.

Callaway, a mathematics major/ biology minor, has plans to continue his education at the University of Michigan after he graduates from Virginia Wesleyan in May. He’s already been accepted and is ready to take the next step in earning his master’s degree.

Goad and Little are both enrolled in VWU’s pre-engineering program, taking courses at Virginia Wesleyan and Old Dominion University (ODU) through the dual degree program. Goad, a mathematics/ mechanical engineering major, will continue his education at ODU to earn his master’s in engineering after he graduates from VWU this spring. Little, currently a junior at Virginia Wesleyan, is majoring in mathemetics and aerospace engineering and looks forward to earning his master’s degree at ODU after graduation from VWU in 2019.

“These three students took on this extra challenge in the midst of a full course load, ongoing research commitments, preparing for final exams next week at ODU, and internships and jobs,” said Burney. “This is also an excellent opportunity for them to develop their teamwork, time-management, and presentation skills.”

VWU was invited to not only participate in but also serve as a local host site for the competition. There are a total of 381 student competitors in this unique modeling with differential equations experience sponsored by the SIMIODE (Systemic Initiative for Modeling Investigations and Opportunities with Differential Equations, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to supporting the use of modeling in teaching differential equations. Audrey Malagon, associate professor of mathematics, is on the advisory board for SIMIODE, and Burney and Lydia Kennedy, associate professor of mathematics, have written materials published by the organization.

The competing teams work at their home institutions for a week developing approaches and solutions to a situation that can be analyzed with a mathematical model. Scenarios are designed so that teams may experience mathematical modeling, enhance their model-building skills, and increase their confidence in modeling with differential equations.

On Competition Saturday, April 21 2018, some 134 teams gather at various locations in the United States and around the world where each team will share a draft executive summary and 10-minute presentation. The student teams will then work on modifications of the modeling scenario they have selected for inclusion in their final submissions.

Congratulations to the VWU team!