Kermit and Kathleen Schwanke Honors Institute for High School Students

June 17-29, 2012

DEADLINE EXTENDED!  Completed application forms must reach the Davidson Honors College by April 30, 2012.

We are pleased to announce that the Schwanke Institute will be held from June 17-29, 2012. Students will take one of three courses, each of which will be taught by outstanding faculty members associated with the Davidson Honors College. Courses will incorporate a "hands-on" approach designed to enhance learning and invite classroom interaction. Students who successfully complete one of these courses will receive two semester college credits. The courses offered are listed below.

M 191:  Discrete Mathematics

What is the best way to visit all the cities in Montana?

Is it possible to color a map of the counties of Montana with 4 colors so that neighboring

 counties are colored differently?

How does a GPS Navigation system find the “best route” between two cities?

What is the probability of winning the MT Lottery 10 Spot?*

The answers to these and other questions will be studied in this course on discrete mathematics. Students who enjoy solving puzzles, tinkering with problems and being exposed to new ideas and who want to broaden their knowledge of mathematics and increase their problem-solving skills should enroll. Inquiry-based exploration and group problem solving will be emphasized. 

* Aspen Klawitter, a student in the 2010 Schwanke Discrete Math class correctly calculated this probability and fixed an error that appeared on the MT Lottery web page. For more on this story see: http://www.dhc.umt.edu/documents/Autumn2010DHCNewsletter.pdf

Jenny McNulty is the co-author of a textbook on an area of discrete math: Matroids: A Geometric Approach (Cambridge, 2012).  Professor McNulty has many years of experience teaching mathematics at UM as well as in summer math camps at Rutgers University and Duke University. She is currently an Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and a Professor of Mathematics at UM. 

ENCR 195:  Introduction to Creative Writing

This course will focus on the craft of creative writing and the essential components that make up a poem, a short story, and a personal essay. We, as a group, will try to determine what makes creative writing enjoyable to read and to write.  We will discuss published works and student works--sharing writing weekly. To learn more about how one becomes a poet or writer, we will create a publication journey from inception to publication: We will explore the sense, sound, and structure of many kinds of writing; and we will produce an anthology of poems and give a public reading.

Prageeta Sharma is the author of Bliss to Fill (Subpress Collective, 2000), The Opening Question (Fence Books, 2004, winner of the 2004 Fence Modern Poets Prize) and Infamous Landscapes (Fence Books, 2007). She was a recipient of the 2010 Howard Foundation Award. Her forthcoming book Undergloom will be published in early 2013. Sharma’s poems and writing have appeared in Art Asia Pacific, Bomb, Boston Review, Fence, Indiana Review, The Literary Review, Vanitas, Women’s Review of Books and other journals. She is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Montana.

MAR 195:  Understanding and Making Movies

This course will explore, through study and group projects, how filmmaking operates as a story delivery method and also as a prime “language” of today’s world. Students will watch and analyze films, shoot short pieces, edit them, and work as crew members and actors in each other’s works.

Michael Murphy began teaching at UM in 1995 after a career as an actor in theatre film and television, and is now the head of the Graduate Digital Filmmaking program in the School of Media Arts. His latest film, be again, received awards for Outstanding Experimental Film, Outstanding Film Made in Montana and Best Cinematography at this year’s CINE International Film Festival. He is also the recipient of a Fulbright Grant to teach and create new work in Ireland during spring 2012.

Estimated Costs

(Note:  All costs subject to change.)

Tuition

The estimated cost for tuition is $478.60 for Montana residents and $1,676.70 for out-of-state residents.

Lodging 

The estimated cost for lodging (double occupancy for 12 nights) in a UM residence hall will be $204.00.

Meals

Students choosing the dinner plan only will pay $90.75, while those choosing the breakfast and dinner plan will pay $153.75.   Those opting for the breakfast, lunch and dinner plan will be charged $240.75.    Most students choose the breakfast and dinner plan.  Be sure to bring extra money for meals not covered by the plan you select.

Scholarships

The Davidson Honors College grants scholarships that are awarded on the basis of financial need.

Application

Need Analysis Form

For more information, please call Andi Armstrong at (406) 243-2541.