The UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) is proud to host the 2006 Governor's Institute in the Mathematical Sciences. Thirty of the most outstanding mathematics and science high school students from across the state of Vermont are enjoying the fascinating subject of "mathematics." These students are thrilled — "Oh my god, it is so much more fun than I expected!" "Both academically and socially it surpasses my expectations." "I see the benefit of knowing the math for my future classes and life." Why are these students so excited about math? Here are just a few of the fascinating presentations during the week:

• Astronomy — Just how many stars are there out there and are there any other planets like earth?
• Probability and Statistics — Wonder what it takes to win the lottery?
• Number Theory — Secret codes!!!
• Scheduling Tournaments — Wonder how sports tournaments are organized?

This is the second annual Governor's Institute in the Mathematical Sciences; the first, in 2005, was a huge success. The program has been running continuously since 1993 as the Mathematics, Science, and Technology Summer High School Enrichment Institute. In past years, this Summer Institute was organized through the partnership of the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition, the University of Vermont, and a consortium of sponsors from businesses and organizations in Vermont. We are honored to have the Governor's Institutes of Vermont as the primary sponsor. Students will participate in a series of courses and seminars that will take them far beyond their experience in high school mathematics and science courses, engaging them in applications of mathematics and computing to a wide range of scientific and technological endeavors. This summer's topics include probability and statistics, number theory, introduction to Mathematica, topics in astronomy and tournament scheduling. There will also be a special emphasis this year on problem solving techniques. The faculty for the Institute include: Donald Richards (Professor of Statistics, Penn State University), Mercedes Richards (Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University), Qifu Zheng (Dept. of Mathematics & Statistics, The College of New Jersey), Tony Trono (Burlington High School), and UVM Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty Helen Read, Jonathan Sands, Jeff Dinitz and Dan Archdeacon. Students were selected on the basis of excellence demonstrated on the Vermont Mathematics High School Prize Exam given by the UVM Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the Mathematics Talent Search conducted by the Vermont State Mathematics Coalition, the Vermont High School Mathematics League competitions, by teacher recommendation, and by application to the Governor's Institutes of Vermont. By any standard of judgment the students selected for the Institute are truly exceptional. The Institute is directed by Tony Trono, retired Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Burlington High School, and Jeffrey Dinitz, Professor of Mathematics at UVM. Click here for a description of the Institute program and a list of participants. For more information, contact Institute directors Tony Trono (phone: 863-4363) or Jeff Dinitz (phone: 656-4292).