Twenty times in the past, undergraduate students have gathered in Huntsville, Tyler, San Antonio, Beaumont, Austin, Nacogdoches and "the cloud" to talk about math, play games, and network with students and faculty from around the state of Texas. This year, we will return to Nacogdoches for the 21st anniversary of the TUMC!
TUMC will be November 6th and 7th hosted at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.
On Friday evening, the events include a social event with food and math games from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM. On Saturday, we will have two plenary talks, contributed students talks, the grad school fair, and panel discussions on topics relevant to undergraduate research in mathematics.
The registration desk and most events will be at the Cole STEM Building (yellow star on the map). The best places to park will be lots 35 and 15, which are adjacent to Cole STEM Building. Some street parking is available on Clark St. nearer to the student center (lot 3). Overflow parking in avaialble at lot 14 (free near the Bush Mathematical Sciences Building, with a pay option via ParkMobile for the portion of the lot nearest Wilson Dr.) and the Baker Pattillo Student Center Garage (also for pay).
From the north on North St., you can turn left onto Griffith Blvd., right around the circle, and then turn left immediately after the STEM Building to reach the lots. From the south on North St., you can turn right on East Starr Ave. and then left on Clark St. or Raguet St. to reach the lots.
Invited talks will be at Kennedy Auditorium (red star on the map), and lunch will be at the new Pinewoods Dining Hall (green star) on the corner of East College St. and Wilson Dr.
Our invited speakers are Dr. Cornelia Van Cott from University of San Francisco and Dr. Victor Moll from Tulane University
Cornelia Van Cott is a professor of mathematics at the University of San Francisco. A native of Indiana, Cornelia earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Wheaton College and her PhD in mathematics from Indiana University. Most of Cornelia's research focuses on topology, specifically knots and surfaces in 3 and 4 dimensions. She also likes the challenge of working with undergraduate students on research projects unrelated to topology. Cornelia enjoys teaching courses throughout the math curriculum during the school year. In the summertime, she enjoys teaching courses on fun, non-standard math topics at MathPath, a national residential summer camp for middle schoolers who love mathematics.
Victor H. Moll was born in Santiago, Chile on Halloween 1956. His father was a doctor in a small mining town, Cabildo. He moved to Valparaiso, the main port city after his father early death. There he studied in a British school, where he learned the language and discovered his love for mathematics. After graduation from Universidad Santa Maria in 1978, he enrolled in graduate school at the Courant Institute in New York City. There he met his (future) wife Lisa Fauci, also a graduate student. In 1986 both moved to New Orleans for a job at Tulane University. The plan was to be there for a short time before going back to the northeast. We never moved from the Big Easy.
He has many mathematical interests, most of them concerning the question how to evaluate integrals and what does one learn from that? He specially enjoys working with students at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, colleagues, amateur and retired mathematicians). He is a strong believer in the unity of Mathematics.
Friday, November 6, 2026
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 - 7:30 pm | Registration and Welcome | Cole STEM Building Atrium |
| 6:00 - 8:00 pm | Pizza and Games | Cole STEM Building Room 401/402 |
Saturday, November 7, 2026
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am | Registration and Welcome | Cole STEM Building Atrium |
| 8:30 - 10:05 am | Contributed Presentations | Cole STEM Building 201, 202, 206, 314, 318 |
| 10:15 - 10:30 am | Welcome Remarks | Kennedy Auditorium |
| 10:30 - 11:20 am | Keynote Address Dr. Cornelia Van Cott The Change-Making Problem |
Kennedy Auditorium |
| 11:30 am - 12:35 pm | Lunch | Pineywoods Dining Hall |
| 12:45 - 1:35 pm | Keynote Address Dr. Victor Moll Integral Tales: Some Unexpected Connections |
Kennedy Auditorium |
| 1:40 - 2:30 pm | Panel Discussions and Graduate Fair | Cole STEM Building Atrium, 201, 202, 206 |
| 2:40 - 4:15 pm | Contributed Presentations | Cole STEM Building 201, 202, 206, 314, 318 |
| Texas NExT activities will be held in Cole STEM Building Room 401/402. | ||
Dr. Cornelia Van Cott, University of San Francisco
The Change-Making Problem
Abstract: When cashiers give us change, we prefer to receive it in as few bills and coins as possible. In the United States, cashiers get this done using the so-called greedy algorithm. But will the greedy algorithm work with a different coin system? This leads to a question in discrete mathematics called the change-making problem. Over the last 50 years, mathematicians have laid the groundwork for understanding this problem, but lots of opportunities for new investigation remain.
Dr. Victor Moll, Tulane University
Integral Tales: Some Unexpected Connections
Abstract: During the process of learning Calculus one observes that there is a well-defined list of rules to compute derivatives: product, quotient and chain rules are among the first taught in every class. On the other hand, when one tries to compute integrals, the student is left with a feeling that now there is simply a collection of tricks. There is no clear reason of why one can integrate \(e^{x}\) is a simple manner, but the integral of \(e^{x^{2}}\) is more complicated. One learns these tricks from the instructor, by talking to older classmates or by searching for them online. At the end, there seems to be no systematic way of doing this.
It is remarkable that, in the search of producing closed-forms of definite integrals, one finds many interesting connections with apparently disjoint parts of mathematics. Examples will include (1) properties of a collection of positive integers appearing in the evaluation of a rational functions, (2) a planar dynamical system connected with a variation of the arithmetic-geometric mean and (3) a list of definite integrals involving the gamma function.
The lecture will be suitable for undergraduates and it will include stories about how the speaker got involved in such projects.
Each panel session will run twice - once from 1:40-2:00pm and then from 2:05-1:25pm, so that participants can attend multiple panels.
abstracts for contributed talks (both sessions)
abstracts for contributed talks (both sessions)
Registration and abstract submission are now closed. Please contact Dr. Nick Long for any inquiries about late registration or abstract submission.
Registration costs:
Registration costs can be paid by mailing a check, paying online at this link, or paying with either cash or check at check-in for the conference.
We will be using three hotels on the south side of Nacogdoches: