Members of the SIAM and AWM student chapters joined the College of Science at this year’s Football Friday events, volunteering to lead hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and engage the community with math and science.
One featured activity, The Mathematics of Sunflowers, invited participants to examine the spiral arrangements in sunflower seed patterns. Depending on the counting method used, three distinct numbers emerged—each corresponding to values in the well-known Fibonacci sequence.
Another station showcased interactive simulations from visualpde.com, where visitors explored partial differential equations (PDEs) such as the heat and wave equations in an accessible, visual way.
The popular card game, Set, proved to be a fun and challenging way to practice logic and reasoning skills.
These activities brought mathematics beyond the classroom and highlighted how math can be both beautiful and approachable, while strengthening the connection between the University and the broader community.