UHV to host annual math, robotics event
Registration has officially opened for students in the Victoria and Crossroads area to attend the University of Houston-Victoria’s Mathematics & Robotics Awareness Day this coming April.
UHV’s Mathematics & Robotics Awareness Day is an annual event that welcomes local high school students to UHV’s campus to engage in math and computer science competitions. The students not only compete in contests, but also attend STEM presentations, discover career opportunities, talk with STEM professionals and enjoy hands-on activities.
The free event will start at 8 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 at UHV University North, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St.
“It’s the best day of the year for me,” said Ricardo Teixeira, UHV associate professor of mathematics. “I’m so happy because it’s so nice to see all the young students having fun with mathematics and robotics at our university.”
This will be the 27th year that UHV has hosted the Math & Robotics Awareness Day. Since 2010, Teixeira has been overseeing and organizing the event with help from multiple departments across campus. The event will be funded with part of a $32,000 grant provided by Alcoa Foundation. The grant not only funds the event, but also STEM summer camps and an after-school robotics class for high school students that goes on throughout the year.
“UHV is so appreciative of the longtime support of Alcoa Foundation for the Math & Robotics Awareness Day,” said Amber Countis, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. “This event serves as a valuable platform to present our campus and faculty to prospective students. We are planting seeds for these young scientists, and it is inspiring to see the community, UHV and a generous partner in Alcoa Foundation come together to make this happen.”
Kicking off the event this year, students will be treated to something special, Teixeira said. To welcome students and guests, Teixeira will perform a magic show, incorporating math elements, at 8:30 a.m. at UHV University North. Lunch will be provided at 11:50 a.m. to all participants.
Math competitions will begin in the morning and will be judged before the 1:20 p.m. awards ceremony, Teixeira said. Thanks to Alcoa Foundation, special prizes will be awarded to students who place, he said.
Students who want to attend will need to register by April 2 at: www.uhv.edu/stem-events/math-robotics-events/registration. The event is limited to 200 registered students.
“The students will have a blast,” Teixeira said. “At the end of the day, the visit to the university is not only important for us, but for them. We have an amazing group of faculty here, and hopefully some of these students will become our students someday.”
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.