Posted on Friday, December 15, 2006
Twenty-nine Westminster College students recently competed in the 67th annual Putnam Examination for mathematics.
"The Putnam Exam is a challenging individual mathematical exam, which is taken by thousands of undergraduate students in the United States and Canada on the first Saturday in December each year," said Dr. Natacha Fontes-Merz, Westminster College assistant professor of mathematics and proctor of this event. "The five highest ranking individuals are designated Putnam Fellows by the Mathematical Association of America."
Earlier this year, several students participated in informational sessions led by Fontes-Merz.
"The Putnam Exam is noted for its rigor," Fontes-Merz said. "There have been years when the median score was zero nationally. Students were challenged by the questions and emerged feeling pretty well drained after the all-day event, which consists of two, three-hour sessions."
The Putnam Exam was established in memory of William Lowell Putnam, an 1882 Harvard graduate, who believed in organized team competition in regular college studies. The event is administered by the Mathematical Association of America.
Contact Fontes-Merz at (724) 946-7290 or e-mail fontesnc@westminster.edu for more information.
