Clarkson University Student Oliver Hennigh of Longmont Studies Ancient Math in Mexico

2013 Apr 4

Clarkson University student Oliver Hennigh of Longmont, Colo., a junior majoring in mathematics and physics, attended a study abroad course to Mexico through a SUNY Potsdam study abroad program.

Under the instruction of Prof. Jeanna Matthews from Clarkson and Prof. Blair Madore and Prof. Cheryl Miller from SUNY Potsdam, eight students traveled to Mexico to participate in hands-on learning experiences involving Meso-American culture and mathematics.

SUNY Potsdam has a partnership with The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo in Mexico, but this was the first time that students were able to travel there. The math component of the trip made this one of the most unique study abroad programs Potsdam has offered to date.

Several aspects of a normal classroom setting were integrated into the curriculum of this 100-level course. However, the class was always on the move: Quizzes were taken during car rides, discussions were posed over dinner, and unlike Potsdam, sunscreen and comfortable shoes were necessities.

Some of the highlights of the trip included visiting the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, the Tula Archaeological Site and Museum in Hidalgo

and the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacán. The students also got several chances to interact and explore with students from UAEH.

Class work included scavenger hunts, tours of museums and other math puzzles and projects. Focusing on Meso-American culture, students learned about the history of mathematics in several cultures, including Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. The students' experiences helped them gain a greater understanding of mathematics and a greater appreciation for its contributors.

Math students at Clarkson University and SUNY Potsdam know all about numbers and symbols, but when they traveled to Mexico, the Meso-American culture had them learning all over again. The opportunities that were available to them through this program were incomparable; students got to use and study real life artifacts, places, structures and symbols to gain a better understanding of math.

The SUNY Potsdam Department of Mathematics hopes to continue the program in the future with the support of UAEH and continued involvement from Clarkson University.

Clarkson University also has formal exchange agreements with numerous colleges and universities in multiple countries around the world. Students may choose to visit an exchange school for either a semester or a full academic year. More information about the study abroad program, and a full list of exchange schools, can be found at http://www.clarkson.edu/career/students/study_exchange. Current students who are studying abroad are sharing their experiences by blogging at http://clarksonabroad.blogspot.com.

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.

PHOTO CAPTION 1: L to R: Clarkson student Oliver Hennigh, University of Hidalgo student Christian Hernandez and SUNY Potsdam students Emma Doolittle, Myriah Dengel and Katelyn Jessie at the Pyramid of the Sun.

PHOTO CAPTION 2: L to R: Blair Madore teaches students Britney Livingston, Oliver Hennigh, Emma Doolittle, Katelyn Jessie, Kathleen Morrissey, Myriah Dengel, John Jadlos and Alicia Salmon at the Museum of Anthropology.

PHOTO CAPTION 3: Following one of their day trips, the students, faculty and chaperones posed for a photo outside the Palacio de Mineria.