Increasing Diversity in Mathematics

蒙大拿大学(UM)的这个项目正在改善本科生和研究生的数学教育，为学生提供一个学习环境，为他们提供攻读数学科学学位所需的经济手段、专业指导和社区支持。此外，该项目寻求培养一个多样化的学生群体，其构成反映了蒙大拿州的构成。密歇根大学的许多学生是第一代大学生；更多的学生面临经济挑战。因此，预算中最大的部分提供奖学金；然而，奖学金还不够，所以该项目正在创造途径，吸引来自人口所有阶层的学生进入数学学科，并加强现有的支持结构，以便这些学生一旦进入校园，就可以茁壮成长，并在国家需要的技术领域继续挑战职业。由于美洲原住民是该州最大的少数群体，该项目通过与保留地的七所部落社区学院和蒙大拿州的三所公立社区学院合作，吸引这些人进入该学科。该项目正在通过视频会议将米苏拉数学圈扩展到农村社区。该项目为有才华、经济困难的本科生提供两年期奖学金，并为表现出经济需求的数学专业研究生提供奖学金。研究机会、专业发展、广泛的指导以及同行和教师指导是该项目所有级别的核心。由于数学科学是所有技术学科的基础，更多地获得高质量的数学课程有望改善其他STEM领域的学习和研究环境，因为具有优秀量化能力的学生在所有水平上变得更大和更多样化。

This project at the University of Montana (UM) is improving undergraduate and graduate mathematics education by providing a learning environment that gives students the financial means, professional guidance, and community support they need to pursue degrees in the mathematical sciences. In addition the project seeks to develop a diverse student body whose composition reflects that of the state of Montana. Many students at UM are first-generation college students; many more face financial challenges. Thus, the largest part of the budget provides scholarships; however, scholarships are not enough so the project is creating pathways to draw students from all segments of the population into the mathematical disciplines and strengthen existing support structures so that, once on campus, these students can thrive and go on to challenging careers in technical areas of national need.Because Native Americans form the largest minority group in the state, the project draws this population into the discipline by partnering with seven tribal community colleges on the reservation and three public community colleges in Montana. The project is extending the Missoula Math Circle to rural communities through video conferencing. The project provides two-year scholarships for talented, financially-needy undergraduate students; and provides fellowships for graduate mathematics majors who demonstrate financial need. Research opportunities, professional development, extensive mentoring, and peer and faculty mentoring are central to all levels of the program. Since the mathematical sciences are foundational to all technical disciplines, improved access to high-quality mathematics programs holds promise to improve the learning and research environments in other STEM fields, as the pool of students with excellent quantitative ability becomes larger and more diverse at all levels.