High school students have fun with math and science

EDITORS: This year’s Michigan Math and Science Scholars are listed by hometown at the end of the release. For more information about the students, the courses they took, and the MMSS program, call (734) 764-0335, mmss@umich.edu.

ANN ARBOR—It’s summer time and the camp season is in full swing. Wrestling camp, cheerleading camp, computer camp, writing camp—there’s something for everyone.

One of the most popular and well-established camps at the University of Michigan is the Michigan Math and Science Scholars (MMSS) program, which this year attracted 103 high school students from Michigan and 11 other states from Texas to Connecticut.

Students who came to the camp for one (or both) of its two-week sessions were able to choose classes that covered topics from microbiology, to geology, to physics, astronomy, and statistics. They took field trips to study geological processes along the Lake Michigan shoreline, stayed up late to investigate the sky using the U-M observatory’s telescope, and used computers to carry out molecular analyses of DNA sequences. Many developed Web sites to post the results of their experiments.

In the process they learned a lot about working with others, about the scientific method, and began to see what could await them in the scientific world of the future. “When you’re still in high school, it can be hard to visualize what scientists really do,” says program coordinator Annie Marshak Dowling. “MMSS gives kids the chance to work with university professors and kids from all over the country, to learn about the fields they’re interested in—and have a lot of fun.”

Many of the students receive full or partial scholarships to attend, while others are sponsored by Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP). This year the MMSS program was able to award $23,525 in financial aid, based on need and academic qualifications.

The MMSS program, an outgrowth of U-M’s popular “Math Camp,” is a collaboration among seven academic departments, sponsored by the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the Office of the Provost, and administered by the Department of Mathematics. Additional funding is provided by the American Mathematics Society, the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Chemical Society, and contributions from U-M mathematics alumni.

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Michigan Participants

AKRON—William Van Hove, Unionville Sebewaing Area ALMONT—Danielle Bojanzik, Almont High School ANN ARBOR—Maggie Klein, Eric Smith, Community High School; Adrienne Grant,Rajiv Ghosh, Andrew Hanosh, Ross Warren, Svetlana Yegorova, Pioneer High School; Emily Helton, Michelle Kampfner, Ben Powers, Greenhills School; Christopher Blair, You-You,Duanmu, Carissa Orizondo, Ayesha Rahman, Elisa Snyu, Adam Was, Zachary Yates, Huron High School; Zainab Saiyed, Michigan Islamic Academy; Joseph Lim, Taejeon Christian International Academy (Seoul) BATTLE CREEK—Shaan Ghandi, Harper Creek High School; Michael Collins, Nick Mank, Lakeview High School; Jason Hall, Pennfield High School BELLEVILLE—Jennifer Pitts, Belleville High School BLOOMFIELD HILLS—Philip Chang, Seema Shah, International Academy; Christin Chae, Adam Goodman, Lahser High School; Jessica Perkins, Mercy High School (Detroit) CANTON—Kflom Iskias, Neel Patel, Canton High School; Staci Liyanaarachchi, Salem High School CHELSEA—Sarah Kaminsky, Chelsea High School CLINTON TOWNSHIP—Michael Gratson, De La Salle Colligiate High School CLYDE—Nicole Furay, Port Huron Northern High School DAVISBURG—Alison, Harris, Holly High School DETROIT—Charnice Alexander, Academy of Michigan; Arin Adams, Tearah Kemp, Cass Technical High School; Darla Williams, Harper Woods High School; Ashley McLeod, Mercy High School; Edwin Andrews, Jamilla Tabor, Myra Tetteh, Renaissance High School; Erika Ward, St. Agatha High School; Ryan Stevens, St. Martin de Porres High School; Andre Bach, Sean Tilson, University of Detroit Jesuit High School DEXTER—Kevin Dyer, Rob Macnee, Dexter High School EAST GRAND RAPIDS—Nick Timkovich, East Grand Rapids High School EAST LANSING—Serge Voronov, East Lansing High School ESCANABA—Chris Marsh, Escanaba High School FARMINGTON—Jenia Vinogradskiy, Roeper High School FARMINGTON HILLS—LaTonya Waller, Harrison High School; Juliette Smith, Marian High School FLINT—Sirisha Manyam, Richmond High School FRANKLIN—Andrew Hiller, Detroit Country Day School GLADWIN—Andrew Szerdi, Gladwin High School GRAND BLANC—Victoria Lucas-Perry, Powers Catholic High School; Evelyn Lucas-Perry, The Valley School GRAND RAPIDS—Chris Osborn, Forest Hills Northern High School GROSSE POINTE WOODS—Andrea Hawksley, Grosse Pointe North High School GRASSLAKE—Jennifer Huntington, Chelsea High School HOLLAND—Kevin Lin, Macatawa Bay School IDA—Michael Kubiske, Ida High School LATHRUP VILLAGE—Shoshona Brown, Southfield-Lathrup High School MT. PLEASANT—Duncan Kochhar-Lindgren, Mt. Pleasant High School MUSKEGON—Matthew Hassen, Mona Shores High School NORTHVILLE—Joe Lee, Detroit Catholic High School NORTON SHORES—Ashley DeHudy, Mona Shores High School NOVI—Alexander Kazanis, Novi High School OLIVET—Ben Stroud, Olivet High School REDFORD TOWNSHIP—Valyncia Norman, Lincoln High School ROCHESTER HILLS—Jonathan, Regal, University of Detroit Jesuit High School ROCKFORD—Eric Kieft, Rockford High School SALINE—Anna Kissell, Saline High School SOUTHFIELD—Ashley Goe, Lauren Jefferson, Vanessa Lucas, Southfield Lathrup High School TAYLOR—Mark Cook, Gabriel Richard High School TEKONSHA—Darryl Klein, Tekonsha High School TROY—Hoyt Chang, Jordan Keoliean, Prakash Vempati, Troy Athens High School WEST BLOOMFIELD—Joel Snedeker, West Bloomfield High School WHITMORE LAKE—Pierre Cornell, Whitemore Lake High School YPSILANTI—Farrah Moulvi, Central Academy; Chinyere Obimba, Huron High School; Kayleigh Lebak, Lincoln Consolidated High School; Jacqlin Baylis, Ypsilanti High School

Out of State Participants

CALIFORNIA: CERRITOS—Roland Peer, The Philips Academy (Andover, MA)

CONNECTICUT: WESTON—Max Sklar, Westover High School

GEORGIA: ATLANTA—Hariharan Vasupuram, Lakeside High School

ILLINOIS: LAKE FOREST—Philip Stanton, Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy                    KENILWORTH—Alexander Gordon, New Trier High School

INDIANA: DECATUR—Ashley Hovenkamp, Decatur High School

KANSAS: TOPEKA—Jonathan West, Topeka High School

MASSACHUSETTS: WESTWOOD—Emily Burton, Westwood High School

MARYLAND: MILLERVILLE—David Cha, Old Mill High School                         POTOMAC—Zachary Brennan, Winston Churchill High School                         SILVER SPRING—Andrew Herman, Georgetown High School

NORTH CAROLINA: GREENVILLE—Amar Verma, J.H. Rose High School

NEW YORK: NEW YORK—Casey Starr, Elizabeth Irwin High School                         YONKERS—Katrina Laperuta, St. Barnabas High School

OHIO: CINCINNATI—Gregory Brown, American School in Japan (Tokyo)               SPRINGBORO—Michelle Simkins, Springboro High School               SYLVANIA—Kathryn Schuessler, Central Catholic High School               XENIA—Brad Loesch, The Miami Valley School

TENNESSEE: BRENTWOOD—Cliff Roberson, University School of Nashville

TEXAS: EL PASO—Adrian Prieto, Cathedral High School

Michigan Math and Science ScholarsDetroit Area Pre-College Engineering ProgramCollege of Literature, Science, and the Arts