Fairfield University students take top math honors at annual induction ceremony | Press Releases

Image: Fairfield University Traditionally, at this time of year, colleges and universities across the country, begin to hold events to honor the scholarly achievements of their faculty and students.

And this year is no exception, as Fairfield University's Connecticut Gamma Chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon, the nation's top mathematics honor society, inducted 27 new members at a formal ceremony held Sunday, April 17, at the Dolan School of Business Dining Room.

University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., welcomed the students, and said, "You have all proven your excellence in the field of mathematics during your time at Fairfield, and we hope you pursue these hard-earned skills as you head out into the world to pursue your careers." In addition, Joan Weiss, professor of mathematics, presided over the ceremony, and Matthew Shugrue, president of Pi Mu Epsilon, performed the induction. Fairfield University's Department of Mathematics has been recognizing the best and brightest math students for 26 years.

Prior to the start of the ceremony, students and parents had the opportunity to listen to a mini lecture titled "Elegant Ideas, and Why You Should Love Them." Featured guest speaker P. Christopher Staecker, an assistant professor of mathematics at Fairfield University, hosted the lecture and discussed the beauty of math and how it relates in the natural world.

New student members include David Brotman, Daniel Caporizzo, Jacqueline Cestaro, William Earls, Brianna Kouri, Brian Seminara, Daniel Sopko, Ali Raad, Abdul Majeed, Kimberly Brown, Kaitlyn Buzard, Jessica Curley, Stephen Flanagan, Janet Fusco, Meghan Grenier, Brian Haswell, Kimberly Kesting, James Pozzi, Kristen Rydberg, Nicole Shagoury, Anne Skorupski, Htet Aung Yangon, Jacqueline Brimley, Laura Gioco, John Kropa, Alessia Laise, John Turini, and Corrinne Wells.

Pi Mu Epsilon is a highly selective national honor society that promotes scholarly activity and recognizes academic excellence in the field of mathematics. Established in 1914, Pi Mu Epsilon currently has over 340 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.