Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix (18401 N. 32nd Street Phoenix, AZ 85032) will host a joint conference with ArizMATYC and the Southwestern Section of the MAA on March 27 – 28, 2026. The conference theme is Mathematics for a Changing World: Inspiring Innovation, Expanding Access.
Call for Presenters
The call for presenters is now open. Please submit proposals by February 20.
Registration
Registration for the conference is now open. To be more inclusive, this conference will also be available virtually. Registration is $45 for faculty attending in person and $15 for faculty attending virtually. Students who wish to attend in person will be charged $5.
Vendors
Vendors may purchase tables ($100 or $175) or a presentation ($100). Sponsorship is also available for the conference. Vendors should follow the link below to register and pay for conference services.
Tentative Conference Schedule
Thursday, March 26
3:15 pm – 6:45 pm FREE Pre-conference workshop presented by COMAP (Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications) on mathematical modeling in the classroom
Friday, March 27
8:00 am – 9:00 am ATF Meeting
8:00 am – 9:20 am Breakfast and Registration
9:00 am – 9:25 am Breakout Sessions 1
9:30 am – 10:20 am Breakout Sessions 2
10:40 am – 11:30 pm Breakout Sessions 3
11:40 pm – 1:20 pm Lunch and Campus Reports
1:30 pm – 2:20 pm Breakout Sessions 4
2:40 pm – 3:30 pm Breakout Sessions 5 & Business Meetings
3:40 pm – 5:00 pm Keynote Address
5:00 am – 6:00 pm Dinner
6:00 pm Optional Excursion
Saturday, March 28
6:00 am Optional Excursion
9:00 am – 9:50 am Breakfast and Registration
10:00 am – 11:20 am Keynote Address
11:30 am – 12:20 pm Breakout Sessions 6
12:30 pm – 1:20 pm Breakout Sessions 7
Friday Keynote Speaker: Tab Hashim
From Phenomena to Equations: A Modeling-First Approach to Teaching Mathematics for the Real World
Abstract: This keynote explores a modeling-first approach to teaching mathematics—one that begins with real, observable phenomena and uses mathematics as the language to describe, analyze, and generalize them. Drawing from both academic experience and professional work in the aerospace industry, the talk argues that students engage more deeply when mathematics is framed as a tool for understanding the world rather than a collection of abstract techniques. By starting with physical intuition and problem formulation, students learn why mathematical structures exist before learning how to manipulate them. This approach not only improves conceptual understanding, but also better prepares students for industry, where problems are rarely presented in textbook form. The talk offers concrete examples and practical ideas for incorporating modeling-first pedagogy across math curricula.
Biographical Sketch: Tab Hashim is a guidance, navigation, and control engineer with over four years of industry experience in aerospace and autonomous systems. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University after beginning his academic career at Paradise Valley Community College, and later completed a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Tab has worked at Boeing, where he contributed to autonomous flight technologies and holds multiple patents in the field. He currently works at JetZero, a startup based in Long Beach, California, developing algorithms for a next-generation blended-wing aircraft. His passion for mathematics education was shaped by a modeling-first differential equations course, which revealed mathematics as a powerful framework for understanding real-world phenomena—an approach he now advocates for in math education.
Saturday Keynote Speaker: Dr. Liz Arnold
Bridging Mathematical Worlds: Connecting K-12 Schools, Colleges and Universities Through Math Clubs and Outreach
Abstract: Mathematicians play a critical role in shaping how students experience mathematics beyond the classroom. At the K-12 level, math clubs foster joy, curiosity, problem solving, and mathematical community. Similarly, undergraduate mathematics programs engage students through departmental clubs and activities. These efforts share common goals and create opportunities to connect schools with colleges and universities. This talk highlights the MAA’s new INTEGRATE Math Club program, including the K-12 Math Club Handbook, a middle school pilot, and possible undergraduate extensions. Dr. Arnold also share examples of university-led outreach and discuss concrete ways mathematicians can help bridge educational gaps and support K-12 mathematics education.
Biographical Sketch: Liz Arnold is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University. She earned a BA and MS in mathematics from Cal Poly Humboldt and an MS in statistics and a PhD in mathematics education from Montana State University. Her research centers on the mathematical preparation and professional learning of K-12 teachers, with an emphasis on mathematical knowledge for teaching, mathematical modeling, and statistics education. She has extensive experience teaching undergraduate and graduate level mathematics and mathematics education courses, as well as providing mathematics outreach to local K-12 schools. Her professional work includes co-leading MAA’s INTEGRATE Math Club project; editing the 2024 MAA Notes volume An Aspirational Approach to the Mathematical Preparation of Teachers; co-authoring NCTM’s Becoming a Teacher of Mathematical Modeling (Grades K-5 and 6-12); and serving as a lead writer for The Mathematical Education of Teachers III report, to be published by CBMS in 2026.
Lodging
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Phoenix North – Scottsdale 4575 E Irma Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85050
- Hilton Garden Inn North Phoenix Scottsdale 4425 E Irma Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85050
- Residence Inn by Marriott Phoenix Desert View at Mayo Clinic 5665 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85054