UHV prepares to host annual Math & Robotics Day event
Registration is open for students in the Victoria area and surrounding region to attend the University of Houston-Victoria’s Mathematics & Robotics Awareness Day in April.
UHV Math & Robotics Awareness Day is an annual event that welcomes high school students from Victoria and the surrounding region to UHV’s campus to compete in mathematics and computer science tests and learn about topics related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This year’s event will be held on Tuesday, April 11 inside UHV University North, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. The event is funded by a grant from Alcoa Foundation.
“We are grateful for the continued support from Alcoa Foundation that allows us to offer events such as this to the community,” said Ricardo Teixeira, a UHV associate professor of mathematics and chair of the department of natural sciences and mathematics. “Their generosity has left a lasting impact on the university and the lives of students in the region.”
During the event, students will take mathematics tests and have the opportunity to take computer science tests. Prizes for the mathematics tests will be awarded by grade level, and the computer science awards will be judged together. The test results and awards will be announced during an assembly at the end of the day.
In addition to the tests, students will be able to attend several presentations by UHV faculty members that will cover a range of STEM subjects including computer science, gaming and simulation, and mathematics. During the sessions, students will have the chance to speak with faculty members, said Amjad Nusayr, associate professor of computer science and director of the undergraduate computer science program.
“In previous years, students said the breakout sessions were some of their favorite elements of the event, and we are looking forward to offering them again,” Nusayr said. “Each of the participating faculty members present and explain a topic in which they specialize, and we hope the students will be inspired to learn more in their own time later.”
Students also will be able to meet representatives from area STEM employers and industries in expo booths that will feature demonstrations and hands-on activities. There also will be robotics demonstrations by students who are attending a UHV robotics after-school class for high school students as well as a large robot from the Victoria STEAM Alliance.
To register for the event, go to www.uhv.edu/stem-events/math-robotics-events/registration.
“This is an amazing event, and we are grateful to everyone who participates,” Teixeira said. “From the funding provided by Alcoa Foundation to the teachers who bring their students on these field trips and teach the students these subjects every day, everyone contributes to the success of this event.”
In addition to Math & Robotics Awareness Day, the grant from Alcoa Foundation funds several summer camps that teach computer science and robotics to area students in high school and middle school. To learn more about the summer camps and Math & Robotics Awareness Day, go to www.uhv.edu/stem-events.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.