HAYS, Kan. -- 2010 has been a busy year for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Fort Hays State University. Several faculty members and students have presented papers, competed in competitions and attended conferences.

In January, Rita Gnizak, Hays senior, was invited to present "Investigating the Properties of Pruned, Planar, Binary Fractal Trees" at the 12th Annual Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

In March, Daisy Liu, Shengyang, China, junior; Liquen Lin, Licheng, China, senior; Justin Maughan, Hays junior; Jeremiah McEwan, Hays junior; Nolan Trapp, Susank sophomore; and Xiangyu Xiao, Luoyang, China, senior, competed in the problem solving competition in the Kansas section of the Mathematics Association of America Conference in Topeka

Wrapping up March, Janet Stramel, instructor of teacher education, Dr. Germaine Taggart, chair of the Department of Teacher Education, and Dr. Lanee Young (pronounced luh-NAY), assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, presented a poster titled "Western Kansas Math Academy" at the Regional Math Science Partnership in New Orleans, La.

Dr. Hongbiao Zeng, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, presented "Teaching Mathematical Proofs to CS Major Student in the Class of Discrete Mathematics" with Dr. Keyu Jiang, associate professor of informatics, at the 16th Annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges, central Plains Conference in Parkville, Mo., in April.

Sara Mann, Hutchinson senior, Maughan, Joshua Platt, Syracuse junior, and Trapp were inducted into the Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honors Society on May 7 at a banquet in the Stouffer Lounge in the Memorial Union. Dr. Catherine Clewett, assistant professor of physics, presented at the induction.

Zeng will also present his research on algorithms that are related to some math games at the Fourth International Conference on Neural, Parallel and Scientific Computations in Atlanta, Ga., also in August.

For more information about the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, contact the department at (785) 628-4240.