Math teams from the Kiski School arrive in the Penn State New Kensington Conference Center March 1 for the final round of the annual Math League competition. Kiski earned its eighth title by defeating Freeport High School.
Seven consecutive titles for
Saltsburg boarding school
UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- The Kiski School captured its seventh consecutive championship of the WEDIG Math League competition March 1 at Penn State New Kensington. Kiski has earned eight titles overall.
The college preparatory boarding school in Saltsburg compiled 55 points to win by 28 points over its nearest rival, Freeport High School, which took second place with 27 points. Armstrong High School claimed the bronze medal with 21 points. Yunzhe Li of Kiski Prep was the top individual scorer with 19 points (out of a total of 32). Li was the top individual a year ago.
The two-day competition, spread over the fall and spring semesters, featured more than 120 students from eight area high schools answering mathematical questions. Sponsored by WEDIG (Westmoreland Economic and Development Initiative for Growth), the annual competition brings together students from Apollo-Ridge, Armstrong, Burrell, Freeport, Kiski Area, Kiski School, Leechburg and Valley high schools, and gives them the chance to go head-to-head in an academic competition.
Each school is allowed three teams of five students, competing against all the other teams in each round. Students answer two sets of eight questions within the 25-minute limit for each set. The questions in algebra, geometry and other areas of mathematics are developed by the campus’ husband-and-wife team of Xiang Ji, assistant professor of mathematics, and Ge Mu, instructor in mathematics.
“It is very encouraging to witness the younger generation participating in the contest with strong passions towards mathematics,” said Mu, fourth-year director of the event. “As we all know, the whole nation is working very hard on the education in STEM fields.”
The STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) focus is meant to prepare Pennsylvania students for global competitiveness through a strategy of enhanced education and career development opportunities. The initiatives are designed to increase the number of students, especially females, minorities and the underrepresented, in the STEM fields.
The Math League competitions began in 1986 under the direction of David Wells, associate professor of mathematics at the campus, who retired in 2012. Mu replaced Wells on the campus faculty and as head of the math competition. In the 28 years of competition, five schools have hoisted the championship trophy. Kiski Area earned 14 titles, including a record eight consecutive wins from 1999-2005. Kiski School follows with eight. Burrell owns three trophies and Apollo-Ridge has two. Valley was the inaugural winner.
“The Math League serves as a wonderful way to motivate our students to achieve their best study potentials in mathematics,” said Mu, a native of China.
Ge Mu and Xiang Ji
Mu holds a master of arts in mathematics degree from Penn State University Park, where she taught mathematics for two years before arriving at the New Kensington campus. She has written two books: “Being an Undergraduate in the U.S.” that was published by Heilongjiang Education Press in 2006 and "Comprehensive College Algebra – Building Mathematics Insights through Logic and Exercises" that was published by Cognella Academic Publishing in 2013. The first book was written when she was an undergraduate and is based on her experiences at Louisiana State University. She was recognized for her publication at LSU’s commencement ceremony in 2008.
Ji joined the New Kensington faculty in 2013 after earning his doctorate in mathematics from Penn State. He secured a master’s degree in mathematics from Beijing University in China. He was a graduate teaching assistant at the University Park campus for four years. Ji’s research interests are differential geometry and mathematical physics. He wrote a book, "Comprehensive College Algebra: Building Mathematical Insights Through Logic and Exercises," that was published this year by Cognella Academic Publishing. Mu is the co-author.
Mu and Ji are residents of Plum Borough.
For additional information, contact Mu at 724-334-6749 or gxm929@psu.edu