A shared passion for numbers brought together over 250 women at the annual Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics (NCUWM) in Lincoln, Nebraska, from Jan. 31-Feb. 2. 

They represented 100 universities across the country. Three Missouri State University students were among them: 

• Helena Bel Arbunies – senior, mathematics  

• Holly Ford – senior, mathematics (applied mathematics) 

• Anna Thomason – junior, mathematics (actuarial mathematics) 

Assistant professor of mathematics Dr. Yue Cui joined them. 

Despite some progress, there continues to be a shortage of women in math-intensive fields. This conference provides women with meaningful opportunities to network with peers and leaders in the industry and academia. 

The conference also helps raise awareness of accomplishments by women mathematicians in the U.S. Cui notes the event’s relevance to students.  

“The conference stays current with emerging trends in data science and AI, offering panel discussions where students can ask questions and explore these evolving fields,” she said.  

Seeking opportunities

The conference focused on exposing undergraduate women to their career paths and educational opportunities. They attended panels of current mathematicians and students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in mathematics. 

Attendees also got to gain encouragement in breakout sessions with peers and mentors.  

Thomason’s most memorable event was a session called, “Mitigating the Speak of Hospital Acquired Infection through Nursing Model and Hospital Layout: An Agent Based Modeling Study.” Both presenters were in the pre-medical track.  

“This session showed me that connecting mathematics to your interests is very important and possible with support,” she said. 

“I wasn’t aware undergraduate research in mathematics was an option, so attending the conference gave me a much better insight into the various opportunities there are.” \

Department support

The conference was Cui’s first trip as a faculty mentor.  

“Since joining MSU in 2020, I’ve primarily advised graduate students and haven’t had many opportunities to work closely with undergraduates,” she said. “NCUWM provided a perfect chance to connect with undergraduate students in our department and explore more about undergraduate research.” 

The mathematics department at MSU fully funded the trip, including registration, food and travel. Thomason felt supported by this gesture.  

“It was amazing to attend this conference for free with my peers,” she said. 

Learn more about the department of mathematics