September 18, 2007
U.S. participation in the 2007 China Mathematical Olympiad for Girls will be highlighted on the popular National Public Radio show Science Friday on Sept. 21. Melanie Matchett Wood, one of the coaches of the two U.S. teams, will be on the program to discuss, among other things, the team's success at the recent competition in Wuhan, China.
Competing for the first time in the China Mathematical Olympiad for Girls, five U.S. high school students earned medals, including Sherry Gong, who received a gold medal and finished in a tie for first place in the competition. Teammate Wendy Hou received a silver medal, while Wendy Mu, Patricia Li, and Mariana Mao garnered bronze medals.
The second hour of the upcoming Science Friday program will be devoted to the topic of women in mathematics.
Joining Wood on the program will be U.S. team member Jennifer Iglesias, who will speak about the trip to China, which began with three weeks at a summer math camp. In addition, mathematician and actress Danica McKellar will talk about her new book Math Doesn't Suck, which encourages middle school girls to excel at math. Also appearing is Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College.
You can go to www.sciencefriday.com and click "Listen" to find a station near you and learn when Science Friday is broadcast in your area. You can also listen to a live or archived version of the show by visiting the website. There will also be video footage of the interview with Wood available on the Science Friday website after the broadcast airs this Friday.