By Andrea Arauza Rivera

Exploration - meeting our wonders with action and forging a path forward. 

The Research for Undergraduates on the Mathematics of the Bay Area (RUMBA) program, supported by an MAA Tensor-SUMMA grant, gives students at Cal State East Bay the opportunity to explore their communities via mathematical projects. Nine undergraduates, a graduate student mentor, and a faculty advisor comprise the RUMBA team of explorers. 

Cal State East Bay is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and is one of the twenty-three California State University campuses. We can find societal challenges that can be studied mathematically right outside our door, such as complex traffic patterns, housing displacement, and a shortage of resources. Together, the RUMBA team delves into three such research projects which apply students’ quantitative skills to studying the cultural, social, and political systems of the Bay area. 

The principal goal of the RUMBA program is to engage women and members of underserved groups in mathematical research. To do this, RUMBA seeks to address two phenomena that occur in mathematics departments. (1) Often students who are engaged in research projects are “in the know” meaning that they are aware of the benefits of engaging in research and have the confidence to approach faculty about these opportunities. (2) Many students do not engage in research until the last one or two years of undergraduate study. The RUMBA program actively and intentionally recruits students who would not normally seek research opportunities or who may not already have the confidence to approach faculty. Recruitment is especially focused on students who are in the early stages of their mathematical training, Precalculus or Calculus. 

The RUMBA projects began virtually in Fall 2020, and it was my great pleasure to serve as the Program Director. After recruiting a talented and diverse group of students, we set up weekly meetings and were on our way! During weekly meetings, teams formulated and dove into their projects. 

Bay Area Food Deserts

First, students work to explore the different ways in which one may define a food desert. Upon arriving at a definition, students use a Python Jupyter Notebook to analyze data collected by the US Department of Agriculture. By experimenting with different plots, students learn the fundamentals of data visualization and interpretation. The focus on cities like Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, and Fremont means that students are especially invested in their findings, as they are studying their own communities. 

Disparities in Healthcare Availability

With the pandemic at the forefront of everyone’s minds, students were especially interested in studying healthcare availability.  The Health Resources and Services Administration has data on areas designated “Medically Underserved.” Students combine this data with demographic data to find disparities in healthcare availability. 

Hayward Unified School District (HUSD) and Standardized Tests  

Inspired by conversations with leaders of the Hayward Promise Neighborhood, this project asks students to explore how HUSD compares to other districts in terms of performance on standardized tests. Students define criteria to determine districts comparable to HUSD and study differences in test performance. Students also explore the history of standardized tests and discuss the shortcomings of using test scores to determine a district’s success.

RUMBA projects are sponsored by an MAA Tensor-SUMMA grant. The RUMBA program primarily uses the MAA Tensor-SUMMA funds to provide a stipend to each undergraduate researcher and the graduate student mentor.  

The MAA Tensor-SUMMA grants seek to fund projects “designed to encourage the pursuit and enjoyment of mathematics by students who are members of groups historically underrepresented in the field of mathematics.” An application for the grant consists of (1) CVs for all Director/co-Directors, (2) a project description, and (3) a letter of recommendation from a department chair or dean expressing institutional support. Specifications for the project description can be found on the MAA Tensor-SUMMA site. The 2021 application deadline is February 12, 2021.

It has been a great privilege to serve as Program Director for the RUMBA projects. Students are excited to engage with mathematics in a way that feels undeniably relevant to their lives and interests. Students also speak with great pride about being a part of an MAA Tensor-SUMMA sponsored program. The MAA Tensor-SUMMA grants play a special role in the mathematical community, as they continue to sponsor programs which highlight the work of a diverse range of mathematicians, invite and support young learners into mathematical circles, and engage students in rich mathematical projects/training. Let an MAA Tensor-SUMMA grant sponsor that fantastic project you’ve been wanting to start. Submit an application today!