Greg Handy Makes Math Relatable in Outdoor Spaces

As a mathematician, I have long despaired of making my discipline interesting to people outside of my field of study. Most people freeze up or turn away when I’ve approached them with the beautiful concepts of mathematics.

Now, however, I am an alumnus of the STEM Ambassador Program and the University of Utah Mathematics Department. During my time with STEMAP, I engaged with young men and women in Splore, a non-profit organization that aims to provide access to the outdoors for everyone, regardless of age or physical ability. I attempted to do the same with mathematics during Splore’s outdoor adventure trips. I incorporated mathematics into multiple outdoor excursions, ranging from cross-country skiing (e.g., what can your coefficient of friction do for you?) to rock climbing (e.g. how much force can those rope sustain?).

I joined Splore trips as a participant where I shared my enthusiasm for the outdoors and discussed the math behind outdoor sports. I also partnered with STEMAP staff and Splore guides to co-create accessible hand-outs (single-page, notecard size, and credit card size: a size for every adventure!) so Splore guides could easily incorporate math talking points into their future trips.

The success of this activity was made possible by the great resources and training I received from STEMAP. Talking to audiences outside my field can be a daunting task. However, it became significantly less daunting after the STEMAP workshops, which gave me a formula on how to craft effective engagement activities. I still reference the binder of materials provided from STEMAP today, as I consider incorporating engagement into my new postdoctoral position at the University of Pittsburgh. Finally, the ability to talk to non-scientists has helped hone my ability to discuss my work concisely and clearly, a necessary skill when I draft grants that are read by broad scientific audiences. I highly recommend all researchers considering conducting an engagement activity apply to STEMAP for invaluable training opportunities and access to an established network of community partnerships.