Three University of North Georgia (UNG) students and two faculty members from the Oconee Campus recently had a paper published in the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM) 2024 Conference Proceedings.

Their paper — "Flipped classroom and Supplemental Instruction: Mathematics engagement through multiple modalities" — was focused on the research they presented at the ICTCM Conference in 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Charity Hefner, a junior from Loganville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in communications with a concentration in organizational leadership, was grateful to work on the article about her work with Supplemental Instruction.

"It feels surreal. I'm a First-Gen college student. It's hard to believe I've had this opportunity to be a published co-author as an undergraduate student," Hefner said. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity."

Morgan Daniel, a junior from Winder, Georgia, pursuing a degree in biology, said the publication process was a growth opportunity.

"The experience was really beneficial for me just to gain insight on professional writing, and working with my peers on that was a really meaningful experience," Daniel said. "The conference was great for building my communication and public-speaking skills."

Susanna Poston was a UNG student when the group presented at the conference and is now a student at the University of Georgia pursuing a degree in statistics. Poston still works in Supplemental Instruction at UNG. She marveled at how she, Daniel and Hefner were the youngest people to present at the conference.

"It was neat getting to meet these people who have a passion for mathematics and teaching it better," Poston said.

Dr. Clay Kitchings, assistant dean of the College of Science & Mathematics and associate professor of mathematics, and Dr. Leslie Davidson-Rossier, associate professor of mathematics, were the faculty members who presented with the students and collaborated with them on the article.

"Undergraduate students have a contribution to make, and they should. They have things we can learn from them, and we have things they can learn from us," Kitchings said. "Our college and department leadership recognize that experiences like this are important. We really value our students and their contributions. And we give them opportunities like this."

Davidson-Rossier echoed that sentiment.

"This was a great experience for the students," Davidson-Rossier said. "I wish I had an opportunity like this when I was an undergraduate student."