Spring 2026, Central Florida Math Circle
News: Our Central Florida Math Circle was awarded the Dolciani Mathematics Enrichment Grant from the Mathematical Association of America. This grant enables us to collaborate on program improvement with Orange County Public School teachers Dr. Julia Keith who obtained their Doctor of Education degrees (EdD) from the Noyce program at UCF in 2024.
Click to Register.
If you have any inquiries, then please contact Dr. Michelle Kwon at Seongchun.Kwon@ucf.edu
Further updates will be posted on X.com. You can access the Central Florida Math Circle X site if you have a Gmail account. You don’t need to create a separate account.
We’re excited to welcome so many enthusiastic students! We’re working hard to accommodate as many as we can and share the joy of math with middle schoolers alongside UCF faculty, our undergraduate and graduate students, and local teachers.
The Central Florida Math Circle is an effort of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Central Florida to offer the middle school students of the Central Florida region an opportunity to have fun with mathematics.
The Math Circle is not directed towards a particular curriculum; it is not a class, a lecture or a tutorial. It is a directed experience in the encouragement of student discovery of mathematics. We are happy to be part of a national effort “The National Association of Math Circles” to encourage and develop mathematical insight in students.
Our Sessions
All sessions are guided by math faculties, regional teachers, educators, and graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. Each session consists of two parts. In the first part of each session (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm), faculty members will give talks on the intriguing topics of mathematics or lead mathematical explorations. In the second part of each session (3:30 pm – 4:30 pm), students will be engaged in problem-solving and discussion activities with the curriculum-related enrichment topics which will sharpen their understanding of the curriculum-related materials.
Group 1(Grade 6 Math-Grade 6 Accelerated Math-Grade 7 Math) and Group 2(Grade 7 Accelerated Math – Grade 8 Math- Pre-Algebra) will be led by UCF undergraduate and graduate students, Mr. Athanasios Dimitriadis (Graduate Student), Mr. Jose Huaman (Graduate Student), Ms. Chanda Obregon (Undergraduate Student), Mr. Coen Ross (Undergraduate Student, Past Math Circle Participant in 2018 and 2019).
Group 3(Algebra 1-Geometry) will be led by three UCF faculty: Dr. Alexander Tovbis, Dr. Monica Selva Soto, and Dr. Joseph Brennan.
All sessions will be held on Saturdays, 2:00 pm-4: 30 pm, in the Mathematical Sciences Building on the UCF campus. The locations will be announced later.
| Session | Date | Speakers | Title of the talk |
| 1 | January 31 | Dr. Julia Keith and Mrs. Sabrina Robinson (OCPS) | Prove It! Understanding the Role of Mathematical Reasoning Across Grade Levels Session Description: Mathematical proofs are more than exercises in logic—they are the foundation of how we know what’s true and accurate in the field of mathematics. This session will guide students through the evolving role of proofs from middle school to high-school mathematics. We will explore how early reasoning skills, such as noticing patterns and explaining “why,” grow into formal proofs in geometry, algebra, and beyond. Through engaging examples and grade-level mathematics, students will see how proofs help build deeper understanding, support clear communication, and develop problem-solving skills that extend far outside the math classroom. By the end of the session, students will understand not only what proofs are, but why they matter in every stage of their mathematical journey. |
| 2 | February 7 | Mr. Athanasios Dimitriadis (UCF) | What do mathematicians do? |
| 3 | February 14 | Dr. Gerrit Welper (UCF) | TBD: About Artificial Intelligence |
| 4 | February 21 | Dr. Zixia Song (UCF) | TBD |
What should students bring?
Students will bring a notebook and pencils. Students will come with a desire to see mathematics differently.
Faculty Team
Archives
Spring 2025, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018