UPEI Math Students take top prizes at regional conference

For the second year running, UPEI mathematics students brought home top prizes from the Atlantic Provinces Council on the Sciences' 31st annual Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science Conference held in Fredericton, New Brunswick recently.

Hosted by the University of New Brunswick this year, the annual conference brings together top math, statistics and computer science students from Atlantic Canada universities to present their research to peers and faculty.

Math student Zachariah Likely, of Charlottetown, took top prize for the "Best Mathematics Talk." Likely is a fourth year student majoring in mathematics who has plans to pursue graduate studies next year. He presented his work on the classification of high dimensional data using wavelets.

The team of Mostafa Fatehi and Jonathan Murley, both of Charlottetown, tied for second in the mathematics competition. Fatehi is a third year student interested in mathematical physics, while Murley is a second year student majoring in math. Both students plan to return to the conference next year and look forward to the opportunity to compete for first place.

"The UPEI Department of Mathematics & Statistics faculty members are proud of their students and congratulate them on a job very well done," says department chair Dr. Dan Ryan.

Dr. Christian Lacoix, Dean of Science, is not surprised that UPEI students did so well in the competition.

"Our math program is top-notch," he says. "There is a real sense of community in that department. Students work one-on-one with faculty to develop their skills and knowledge. We are very proud of them all."