Outstanding Students win Somerville Math Fund Scholarships

Erica Voolich congratulates (back) Samuel Saron, Desmond Feldman, Benjamin Novik, Nicolas Ragusa, (front) Saja El-Saudi, Lizbeth Figueroa, Mekhribon Otajonova, Mei Mei Collins on winning Somerville Math Fund renewable scholarships for outstanding work in math & science.

The Somerville Mathematics Fund is pleased to announce the winners of their renewable mathematics scholarships for 2018.  The Math Fund was founded to celebrate and encourage math achievement and these students deserve to be celebrated for their work in math and science while in high school. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and a few organizations, this year we were able to award a record 8 scholarships, totaling $32,000 over four years.

Mei Mei Collins will attend Harvard College; Saja EL-Saudi and Mekhribon Otajonova, U Mass Boston; Desmond Feldman, Ithaca College; Lizbeth Figueroa, Boston College; Benjamin Novick, U Mass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College; Nicolas Ragusa and Samuel Saron, Tufts University.

Their scholarships of $1000 are renewable for up to a total of four years as long as they maintain a B average and take mathematics or courses which use mathematics.

One of the scholarships was given in the memory of an outstanding woman mathematician, Dr. Alice T Schafer.

Erica Voolich congratulates Mei Mei Collins
on winning the Dr. Alice T Schafer Scholarship
 from the Somerville Math Fund for outstanding work in math & science.

Mei Mei Collins won the Alice T Schafer Scholarship.  Mei Mei is planning to study environmental engineering.  Dr. Schafer (1915 - 2009) was orphaned as an infant and raised by two aunts.  When she went to college at the University of Richmond of Virginia, women students weren’t allowed in the library and she was discouraged from majoring in mathematics.  She won prizes, earned a PhD, taught at colleges (including Wellesley) and among the things she is known for is helping start the Association for Women in Mathematics (1971).  Less known about Dr. Schafer was her helping to start the Somerville Mathematics Fund in 2000 -- attending all of the planning meetings and contributing to their work as long as she was able.  She is remembered for her passion and work to insure mathematical opportunities for women. Since Dr. Schafer was committed to the education and supporting women in mathematics, Mei Mei’s interest in studying environmental engineering is a wonderful way to honor Dr. Alice Schafer's memory.

The Somerville Mathematics Fund was chartered in 2000 to celebrate and encourage achievement in mathematics in the city of Somerville, Massachusetts. It May 2011, it was recognized as the outstanding Dollars for Scholars Chapter in New England.  Since it's founding in 2000, it has awarded $324,000 in mathematics scholarships to outstanding Somerville students.  Next fall, The Somerville Mathematics Fund will be seeking applications from teachers who teach in the city of Somerville who would like funding for classroom mathematics activities.  In October, the Math Fund will also be seeking high school students to compete in the annual Scrapheap Showdown.  For more  information, to volunteer, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Erica Voolich (617-666-0666 or mathfund@gmail.com) or go to www.somervillemathematicsfund.org.