H-ton Trio Tapped for Institute of Creative Problem Solving

Three Huntington UFSD students have been tapped to participate in the Institute for Creative Problem Solving at SUNY College at Old Westbury. They are among 88 students chosen to pursue the study of mathematics and its applications.

The Huntington group includes Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School sixth grader Bennett Wagner, J. Taylor Finley Middle School seventh grader Jacob Boxer and Huntington High School freshman Dylan Wong.

All three students participated in Huntington’s Math Olympiad program. “The entrance exam is intense and the competition is tough, but these students excelled in Math Olympiads,” SEARCH program teacher Jessica Risalvato said. “They also work very hard to understand the how and why behind solving difficult math problems.”

To qualify for one of the Institute for Creative Problem Solving’s three divisions, the 88 students chosen vied in a field of 535 nominated by their teachers from public and private schools.

Each student will spend a total of 50 hours in class over the course of 20 Saturday mornings. The curriculum covers mathematical topics in algebra, geometry, discrete math and number theory in addition to topics not included in the standard courses of study. These topics include problem solving applied to probability, theory of finite differences, science applications and mass point geometry.

Over the years, many of the Institute’s graduates have moved ahead to win highly regarded awards, including national and international math, science and engineering contests.