Sonia Kovalevsky Middle School Mathematics Day

Sonia Kovalevsky Days have been organized by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and institutions around the country through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) since 1985, when AWM sponsored a symposium on Sonia Kovalevsky. They consist of a program of workshops, talks, and problem-solving competitions for female high school or middle school students and their teachers, both women and men. The purposes are to encourage young women to continue their study of mathematics; to assist them with the sometimes difficult transitions between middle school and high school mathematics, and between high school and college mathematics; to assist the teachers of women mathematics students; and to encourage colleges and universities to develop more extensive cooperation with middle schools and high schools in their area.

Who was Sonia Kovalevsky?

Sonia Kovalevsky is regarded as one of world's best mathematicians of her time. She was the first woman member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the first modern European woman to attain full professorship. Sonia Kovalevsky established the first significant result in the general theory of partial differential equations, won the Prix Bordin (the second most prestigious award given out by the French Academy of Sciences), was an editor of a prominent mathematics journal, and was also a gifted writer. Although society at that time did not allow women to succeed in academia, Sonia Kovalevsky had positive mentors in her life that supported her pursuit of a career in mathematics.

Sonia Kovalevsky Day at St. Mary s

Unfortunately, many young women do not pursue careers in the sciences due to a lack of role models, or because they don't know what career options are available to them, or because our culture still encourages them to strive for physical beauty instead academic excellence in math and science. In 2011, Dr. Ian Martines, on behalf of St. Mary s Mathematics Department, applied for and received grant money from AWM to host the first Sonia Kovalevsky Day (SK Day) here at St. Mary s University. He and his wife, Dr. Teresa Busse-Martines (Mathematics, San Antonio College), invited the seventh-grade girls from the Young Women s Leadership Academy (YWLA) to a day-long program, featuring workshops and opportunities for social interaction among college students and professors who share a passion for math. The second annual SK Day at St. Mary s was March 6, 2012.