A&M-Commerce Calculus Team Wins First Place at MAA Calculus Bowl

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A&M-Commerce students placed first and second at the 98th Annual Conference of the Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Calculus Bowl Competition that took place at El Centro College on April 5. Nineteen teams from universities and colleges across Texas competed at this Calculus Bowl competition. Students from A&M-Commerce formed two teams. The first team won first place, and the second team tied for second place with a team from the University of North Texas.

“A team competition such as the Calculus Bowl increases students’ enthusiasm for mathematics while encouraging team members to cooperate and work together effectively,” said Dr. Mehmet Celik, coach of the calculus team. “It also helps students shape their personality and attitude regarding mathematics. Moreover, the difficulties students endure in training and competition increase their resilience toward challenges they will face in life.”

In preparation, the student teams made time in their tight academic schedules to attend focused and challenging Calculus Bowl training sessions two days a week for 10 weeks. During these intense sessions, students practiced techniques for solving math problems and developing mathematical skill sets. To be successful in competitions such as the Calculus Bowl, attentive preparation without any gaps is key.

The calculus team is coached by Dr. Celik and Dr. Charles Dorsett, with assistance from Rebecca Steward and Adam Bowden. The students on the first place team are Zach Auringer, Jennifer Melendez, Lauren Melcher, Ismael Isak, and Spencer Raney. The second place team includes Rebecca Bosmans, Micalyn Rowe, Nick Arsenault, Isaac Lash, and William Young. Both teams represented A&M-Commerce with the utmost quality of competitiveness and mathematical skills.

The Texas Section of the Mathematical Association of America is a major organization in collegiate mathematics in Texas, and its annual conference usually is attended by about 240 students and 150 faculty members from universities and colleges in Texas.