2025 Nebraska-SE South Dakota Section Meeting of the MAA
On April 11-12, the Department of Mathematics at Creighton University is proud to host the 101st Nebraska-Southeast South Dakota Section Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). This event aims to bring together educators from across the region to engage in discussions and presentations on various aspects of mathematics, ranging from course content to teaching methodologies and research endeavors. Whether you're a teacher or a student, this conference provides an opportunity for you to present your work alongside experienced professionals.
Registration and Abstract Submission
Abstract Submission Deadline April 4.
Register Now (student registration is free!)
Sessions to be held in Hixson-Lied Science Building at Creighton University.
Friday, April 11th
12:30–2:30 p.m. – Project Next Workshop
3–5:30 p.m. – Session 1: Participant talks, TBA, half hour talks
5:30–6:45 p.m. – Student Estimathon and Pizza Party (for students only)
7–8 p.m. – MAA Pólya Speaker, Steve Butler, presents “Juggling Counts”
8–9 p.m. – Reception
Saturday, April 12th
8-9 a.m. – Breakfast Banquet
9 a.m.–12 p.m.
- Parallel Session 2A: Graduate student talks for an undergraduate audience - This session will consist of graduate students giving half-hour talks on their research areas aimed at an undergraduate audience.
- Parallel Session 2B: Participant talks – Half-hour talks
12–1 p.m. – Business Meeting
MAA Pólya Speaker: Juggling Counts
Abstract: Mathematics is a language which can help us describe and explore patterns. One source of patterns that mathematicians have been exploring comes from juggling (the tossing of objects, usually balls or clubs). In this talk we will look at multiple ways to describe juggling patterns that allow us to find new juggling patterns, and to count how many possible patterns exist. We can compare answers to various problems to give a combinatorial proof of Worpitzky's identity. We will also look at a few juggling-based problems that mathematics has not yet succeeded in answering.
Biography: Steve Butler is an award-winning teacher. He has given talks at numerous venues ranging from the AMS-MAA address at Mathfest 2021 to the Iowa State Fair and almost everything in between. Steve particularly enjoys working with young researchers. He regularly participates in the Iowa State REU and maintains a listing of REU sites for students; he is also a lead organizer of the Graduate Research Workshop in Combinatorics. Steve's mathematics was heavily influenced by his mentors, Fan Chung and Ron Graham. His mathematical research includes spectral graph theory, shuffling, juggling, origami, tiling, Apollonian circle packings, parking functions, and more. In 2015, he became the 512th mathematician to have an Erdős number of 1. Steve Butler has been at Iowa State University since 2011 where he is a Morrill Professor and the Barbara J Janson Professor of Mathematics. More information about him can be found online (stevebutler.org).
More information: https://www.creighton.edu/arts-sciences/math/nebraska-se-south-dakota-section-meeting-maa