SUMS Institute - Katie Sisulak

October 17, 2003

Prepared by Nicole Engelke

 

The PFMF group gathered October 17, 2003 to listen to a presentation by Katie Sisulak of the SUMS institute.  Our first question was, "What does SUMS stand for?  We learned that it was Strengthening Understanding of Mathematics and Science.  Katie explained that Dr. Bustoz had started the program in 1985 to address the under representation of minority students in math and science. Today the program is funded by grants from the state, NSF, NIH, and others.  Noting the total cost for the MSHP is around $650,000.

 

We spent the majority of the time discussing the Math-Science Honors Program.  Each summer about 160-175 high school students come to ASU, live in the dorms, and participate in university math and science courses.  These students are sophomores through seniors and can return each summer until they graduate.  The advantage to them is that they earn college credit for these courses.  Students typically are in class from 8 to 3, then spend a significant amount of time on homework (students usually have about 100 math problems to solve each night) and getting additional help from tutors.  There is about a 4:1 student to tutor ratio.

 

To be eligible to participate in the MSHP, students are selected based on academic achievement (minimum GPA of 3.0 and at least a grade of B in their high school math class), placement exam score, letter of recommendation, and commitment to the program.  They are usually from under represented groups in math and science, and special consideration is given to first-generation college bound students.  Income is also a factor.

 

Katie also provided us with some valuable insights on possibilities of projects.  She suggested:

Katie's visit was very informative and enjoyable.  We thank her for spending her Friday afternoon with us.