KNOXVILLE — Registration is now under way for the University of Tennessee Pro2Serve Math Contest scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25, on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Contest participation is open to all Tennessee high school students.
The top 10 contest winners each will receive four-year, $4,000 scholarships to UT. The scholarships are funded by UT Knoxville Chancellor Loren Crabtree and can be used for any major at the Knoxville campus. Winners will receive trophies, plaques and certificates in recognition of excellence at different stages of the competition.
The UT mathematics department and Pro2Serve Professional Project Services Inc. are sponsors of the contest. 2007 marks the contest’s ninth year and Pro2Serve’s seventh year as a sponsor. Last year’s competition drew more than 750 students from 63 Tennessee high schools to campus for the daylong event.
“The competition allows us to showcase our university to some of Tennessee’s most talented students,” said Michael Frazier, head of the UT mathematics department. “We hope this competition and the scholarships will allow us to attract our state’s brightest minds to UT and East Tennessee.”
As part of a commitment to the communities where its employees live and work, Pro2Serve has sponsored the UT Pro2Serve Math Contest since 2001. Headquartered in Oak Ridge, Pro2Serve is a nationally recognized technical and engineering services company dedicated to protecting national security by providing innovative solutions to government and private industry on critical security, defense, facilities and infrastructure, nuclear nonproliferation and environmental projects.
“This is Pro2Serve’s seventh year sponsoring this competition and each year we are amazed at the level of competition and participation from across Tennessee,” said Barry Goss, Pro2Serve’s president. “As a Tennessee-grown business, we think it’s important to develop and retain the intellectual talent of our state. These young men and women are majoring in math, science and engineering. These are the types of skills Tennessee and our nation need to nurture in order to maintain a competitive technological edge for the future,” he said.
On the morning of the contest, each student takes a multiple-choice, machine graded exam, which tests his or her knowledge of Algebra I and II and geometry. Students with the top 50 scores on the multiple-choice exam then take a second, essay-type exam that is hand-graded. Scholarships are awarded to the top 10 scorers on the second exam.
The contest also features a Math Bowl, a double-elimination team competition similar to the old College Bowl. The Math Bowl promotes pride in mathematical prowess through a high profile face-off that recognizes both team and individual accomplishments.
Participation in this year’s UT Pro2Serve Math Contest is limited to 1,000 students and 64 three-person Math Bowl teams. Up to 30 students per school will be allowed to register for the contest, and each school can enter one Math Bowl team. For teams traveling more than 100 miles, funding is available to help with lodging, travel and bus expenses, and for teachers accompanying school teams.
Early registration is open through Oct. 5 and costs $10 per person. From Oct. 8 to 12, registration is $12 per person. Advance registration is required; no onsite registration is allowed the day of the contest. Registration and fees must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern, Oct. 12. Contest details and registration information can be found at http://www.math.utk.edu/MathContest/ or by calling the UT Mathematics Department at (865) 974-2461.
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Contacts:
Jay Mayfield (865-974-9409, jay.mayfield@tennessee.edu)
Monica Sutton (865-805-5152, monicasutton@charter.net)
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