Coastal Carolina University will host the 39th annual Dr. Subhash C. Saxena High School Math Contest on Friday, March 2, from 9:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the James J. Johnson Auditorium of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration. The purpose of this event is to stimulate and promote interest in mathematics among high school students. Eighteen South Carolina high schools will compete for awards, prizes and scholarships in two levels of competition.
The following high schools will participate: A.C. Flora, Columbia; Academic Magnet, North Charleston; Aynor; Ben Lippen, Columbia; Bishop England, Charleston; Carver’s Bay; Georgetown; Early College, Conway; Georgetown; Green Sea Floyds; Hammond School, Columbia; Lake View; Mullins; Scholars Academy, Conway; South Florence; Spring Valley; West Florence; and Williston-Elko.
Coastal Carolina University offers a Coastal Scholars Award to the highest scoring Horry County senior on the Level II test. The Level II test is an assessment of junior and senior students who have taken algebra I and II and geometry.
In addition to the competitions, Coastal Carolina University professor Daniel Abel, Ph.D., will give a presentation titled “Math for a Sustainable Future: Econumeracy and Shark Conservation.” Abel, a professor of marine science, earned a master’s degree from the College of Charleston and a doctorate degree from the University of California – San Diego Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
Tara Craig will be presenting the “Afternoon Brainteaser” activity. Craig, an assistant professor of mathematics at CCU, earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Texas.
Saxena, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, endowed the fund for the annual math contest. He taught mathematics at CCU from 1973 until his retirement in 2001, serving as department chair from 1987-1993.
The first High School Math Contest was held in 1979 and had more than 100 student participants. Over the past few years, the contest has attracted more than 500 students from Horry, Georgetown, Williamsburg, Charleston, Richland, Florence, Berkeley, Dorchester, Marion, Sumter, Barnwell and Clarendon counties.
For more information, contact Coastal Carolina University’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics at 843-349-4074 or visit coastal.edu/math.