The STEM Talks is a series of short seminars hosted by instructors, students (both current and former), as well as others from outside of the college. The purpose of these talks is to provide students who attend them with an understanding of how STEM can actually be applied in the real world, particularly with examples not often discussed in general STEM courses. The talks also provide an avenue for the host to talk about topics that personally interest them with regard to STEMematics.
The talks were designed to encourage students to return to in-person classes after the COVID pandemic. The STEM Talks were instituted by mathematics Associate Professors Bryan Wilson and Rob Woodward in the Spring of 2023. Since then, attendance for the talks have grown more and more, demonstrating that students want to learn why STEM matters to them and they want to see how it can actually be used.
STEM Talks are hosted every Fall and Spring semester with about 3 or 4 talks planned each semester, typically near the end of each month. Each talk is planned to last about an hour. All talks are given in-person, there is no option for tuning in online.
Upcoming STEM Talks:
DEcember 2026
Math in TV & Movies
Thursday, December 3, 2026
3:30 - 4:30 P.M. | Technology Building, TB 104
Presenter: Bryan Wilson
Occasionally, we will see math used in popular TV shows and movies, even shows that are not necessarily about math. Sometimes a character spouts some jargon in order to sound smart. Other times the math is on a board in the background. How often is the math totally made up? Have the show writers done their research and presented something plausible? Bryan Wilson looks at some cases and breaks down whether Hollywood has given math a fair shake. A majority of the talk will be accessible to students of ALL levels of math.
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