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    Calcu-Solve Super Bowl Challenges, Encourages Students with Math

    Duquesne University will host its first Calcu-Solve Super Bowl, a regional math championship, on Thursday, Jan. 31, starting at 9 a.m. in the Duquesne Student Union Ballroom.  

    Approximately 100 middle school students will compete for trophies and honors in this landmark Calcu-Solve event.

    "The competition is for students who love a math challenge," said Dr. Robert Furman, a former math teacher, coordinator of the Calcu-Solve program and director of the master's in school administration program in Duquesne's School of Education. "The problems take thought and, many times, a calculator to solve. Students must think quickly and be accurate."

    Fierce competition is expected. The Calcu-Solve Super Bowl contestants will include the top 10 individuals and teams from the three regional contests. In the past year, Calcu-Solve has expanded to the Grove City area and Intermediate Unit No. 1 in Fayette and Washington counties. This first Super Bowl has been developed through this expanded competition.

    Participating districts include South Fayette, North Allegheny, Chartiers Valley, Moon Area, Peters Township, Upper St. Clair, Albert Gallatin, Slippery Rock Area, Wilmington Area, Valley Grove, Greenville, Hermitage, Quaker Valley  and Uniontown area, as well as the Winchester Thurston City Campus.

    Calcu-Solve first got its start at Boyce Middle School 22 years ago as a small competition for local school districts. Partnering with the II-VI Foundation, Duquesne has expanded the venture to include grades 5-12.  

    The program encourages local elementary, middle school and high school students to accept the challenges math offers with over 18 different middle schools in 14 districts throughout the region. Furman sees the competition as one way to encourage students' science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) interest.

    "Math skills are of central importance to the creation of critical thinkers" Furman said. "It enables the next generation of innovators.  Students who  build their math skills will build our country's future."

    Duquesne University

    Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic research universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. The University is nationally ranked by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review for its rich academic programs in 10 schools of study for 10,000-plus graduate and undergraduate students, and by the Washington Monthly for service and contributing to students' social mobility. Duquesne is a member of the U.S. President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for its contributions to Pittsburgh and communities around the globe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Princeton Review's Guide to Green Colleges acknowledge Duquesne's commitment to sustainability.

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