{"678762":{"#nid":"678762","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SCI Supports Probability School in Cuba Amid Hurricane Challenges","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Computing Instruction (SCI) is helping to improve global mathematics education through its involvement with the Latin American and Caribbean Mathematics School (Escuela de Matem\u00e1tica de Am\u00e9rica Latina y el Caribe, or EMALCA).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCI Lecturer Gerandy Brito served on the scientific committee for this year\u2019s EMALCA program, which took place in Havana, Cuba, from November 4 to 8. The program focused on recent developments in probability theory and aimed to inspire future mathematics scholars by connecting them with leading researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOvercoming Unexpected Challenges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s event faced major disruptions due to a hurricane that delayed the conference by two days. Power outages affected event logistics throughout the week.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I never thought this would be the experience,\u0022 Brito said, reflecting on the difficulties.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite setbacks, organizers rescheduled sessions and participants adapted to the limited resources. Most local students had to overcome significant obstacles to attend.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The students in Cuba didn\u2019t have a lot of resources to travel. So, they actually had to make an effort to come. And they did,\u0022 Brito said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrito highlighted the students\u0027 and organizers\u0027 flexibility and dedication in managing the challenges. \u0022I was lucky. The people around me were very supportive. We shifted stuff around in the calendar and powered through Thursday and Friday,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding Academic Reach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrito\u2019s involvement in the conference aligns with his mission to strengthen academic ties between Georgia Tech and Latin America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis initiative is part of a larger program led by the Latin American and Caribbean Mathematical Union (UMALCA), which annually funds four to five mathematics schools across Latin America and the Caribbean. These schools aim to spark interest in advanced studies among undergraduate and first-year master\u0027s students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFocused Curriculum on Probability Theory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, Brito and his team developed a curriculum focused on probability theory and its applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have a probability background, so we wanted to do something along the edges of probability and its interaction with all fields,\u201d Brito said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program offered students lectures and opportunities to explore real-world applications of probability theory. However, due to the weather-related disruptions, problem-solving sessions had to be canceled. Instead, students were given problems to work on independently over the following weeks, with the opportunity to reach out to organizers for questions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting with Researchers and Guiding Academic Growth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the problem-solving sessions were canceled, the program still offered students valuable opportunities to connect with researchers from Latin America, France, and the U.S. Through talks and lectures, students explored the intersections of probability and other fields, gaining insights into ongoing research and potential opportunities for collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal was to connect researchers and students from the region. We tried to open avenues for them to collaborate,\u201d Brito said. \u201cWe told the students\u2014if you want to study math and do something beyond your undergrad, these people are working on all these cool problems and ideas. So maybe you want to do a Ph.D. in one of these places.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBrito reflected on his early academic uncertainties. \u201cI was always so lost in those years. I wasn\u2019t quite sure how to find an advisor, find a project that fit, or where to look.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis personal experience motivated him to offer guidance to students in Cuba.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFostering a Globally Inclusive Mathematical Community\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParticipating in events like EMALCA demonstrates SCI\u2019s commitment to fostering an inclusive global academic community. The program\u2019s focused curriculum, emphasis on accessibility, and commitment to connecting students with international researchers highlight the impact of educational partnerships in advancing mathematics education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo ensure accessibility, EMALCA conducted the program entirely in Spanish. Brito\u2019s lectures were also recorded and will be available online, ensuring that students in Cuba and beyond can benefit from the content.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted to reach the people in Cuba,\u201d Brito added, highlighting his desire to connect with students who may have fewer opportunities for international academic experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about the program, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.google.com\/view\/emalca24\/home\u0022\u003Ethe EMALCA website here.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"SCI Lecturer Gerandy Brito served on the scientific committee for this year\u2019s EMALCA program, which took place in Havana, Cuba,"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe School of Computing Instruction (SCI) is helping to improve global mathematics education through its involvement with the Latin American and Caribbean Mathematics School (Escuela de Matem\u00e1tica de Am\u00e9rica Latina y el Caribe, or EMALCA).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCI Lecturer Gerandy Brito served on the scientific committee for this year\u2019s EMALCA program, which took place in Havana, Cuba, from November 4 to 8. The program focused on recent developments in probability theory and aimed to inspire future mathematics scholars by connecting them with leading researchers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The School of Computing Instruction (SCI) is helping to improve global mathematics education through its involvement with the Latin American and Caribbean Mathematics School (Escuela de Matem\u00e1tica de Am\u00e9rica Latina y el Caribe, or EMALCA)."}],"uid":"36613","created_gmt":"2024-12-05 15:15:44","changed_gmt":"2024-12-05 15:21:07","author":"Emily Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675776":{"id":"675776","type":"image","title":"cubaschool1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1733411762","gmt_created":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","changed":"1733411762","gmt_changed":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","alt":"SCI\u0027s Gerandy Brito helps school in Cuba","file":{"fid":"259441","name":"cubaschool1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":933016,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool1.jpg?itok=5qaBqGDY"}},"675777":{"id":"675777","type":"image","title":"cubaschool2.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProfessor Jos\u00e9 E. Vald\u00e9s (center) with four of his past students, including SCI\u0027s Gerandy Brito (right). All were participants at the school earlier in their academic journeys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733411762","gmt_created":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","changed":"1733411762","gmt_changed":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","alt":"SCI\u0027s Gerandy Brito and other participants with a former professor ","file":{"fid":"259442","name":"cubaschool2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":408803,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool2.jpg?itok=mrl3DJQP"}},"675778":{"id":"675778","type":"image","title":"cubaschool3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EParticipants pushed through as a hurricane caused power outages. Photos provided by Gerandy Brito.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733411762","gmt_created":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","changed":"1733411762","gmt_changed":"2024-12-05 15:16:02","alt":"Participants pushed through as a hurricane caused power outages. Photos provided by Gerandy Brito.","file":{"fid":"259443","name":"cubaschool3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":243986,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/05\/cubaschool3.jpg?itok=E2jilBnM"}}},"media_ids":["675776","675777","675778"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660374","name":"School of Computing Instruction"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"193866","name":"school of computing instruction"},{"id":"2699","name":"cuba"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["emily.smith@cc.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}