Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2005

Contact: Lisa Merkl
713.743.8192 (office)
713.605.1757 (pager)

HOUSTON, Jan. 24, 2005 – A math competition at the University of Houston will multiply scholarship chances for Houston-area high school students. Eighth through 12th graders are invited to register for the Saturday, Feb. 19, event to test their skills and vie for prizes.

Open to qualifying students in the Houston area, the contest is an opportunity for students to strut their stuff on any or all individual exams in algebra I, geometry, algebra II, precalculus, statistics, calculus and TI-83 and TI-89 calculator usage. For those with team spirit, a team project competition also will be held.

“Prizes and scholarships will be awarded to the best students,” said Jeffrey Morgan, chair of the department of mathematics in UH’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. “The contest is an opportunity to encourage kids to develop strong math skills, to show off what they know and to have fun at the same time.”

The top students from the statistics and calculus exams will receive UH scholarships. Additionally, the top six students in each individual category and the team project will receive trophies, and individual schools will receive awards based on overall student performance. Numerous miscellaneous door prizes will be awarded to both teachers and students. Hosted by the university’s mathematics department, the event will be staffed by UH faculty and graduate students.

Students will have 50 minutes to complete an exam, and calculators will be permitted for the statistics and calculus exams. For the TI-83 and TI-89 usage exams, students must bring their own calculators. Participation in the algebra I, geometry, algebra II or precalculus exams require students to be currently enrolled in the corresponding course at their school. No requirements are necessary to take the other exams.

The contest will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a registration fee of two dollars per student per exam and eight dollars per team. Further details and contest registration forms are available at http://www.mathcontest.uh.edu/. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

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