COMAP joined mathematics educators, researchers, students, and organizations from across the country at MathFest 2026 in Boston for several days of conversations about mathematical modeling, teaching, collaboration, and the future of mathematics education.

Throughout the conference, COMAP staff and members of our community participated in panels, workshops, minicourses, and other events exploring how modeling can help students connect mathematics to real-world questions. From practical advice for faculty coaching their first modeling teams to new approaches for teaching calculus and differential equations, MathFest offered plenty of opportunities to share ideas, learn from one another, and put mathematical modeling into practice.

Coaching Mathematical Modeling Teams: Insights and Resources from Experienced Advisors

The panel brought together five advisors who have experience coaching mathematical modeling teams: Marilyn Vazquez Landrove of Simpson College, Jennifer Hoxworth of Rowan College of South Jersey, Peter Kramer of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Eric Marland of Appalachian State University, and Guangming Yao of Clarkson University. Kristin Fetherston-Arney of Saint Martin's University moderated the conversation.

The advisors all approach coaching a little differently. Some prepare students by looking at past problems and strong papers. Others involve former participants or work with other faculty so the responsibility doesn't fall on one person.

Building the team itself was also part of the discussion. Students from computer science, engineering, and other fields can bring different skills and perspectives to the team. The panelists also talked about looking beyond academic strengths when forming teams. Students have to spend a lot of time working together, so personalities and expectations matter.

And for anyone hesitant to advise because they don't feel like a modeling expert, the panelists made it clear that isn't a requirement. Advisors can help students prepare and be there to support them, but during the competition, it's the students who have to figure out where to take the problem.

Workshop: Insights into Teaching the Modeling Process: Structuring Courses and Assessing Progress

In an interactive workshop, Eric Marland and COMAP's Amanda Beecher explored how instructors can help students learn mathematical modeling as a process rather than simply build a collection of models they know how to use.

Participants worked through activities designed to isolate different parts of that process, from defining a problem's purpose and brainstorming possible approaches to identifying assumptions and considering when a model is, and isn't, appropriate. One exercise demonstrated how changing the purpose of a problem can quickly change the assumptions behind it and the resulting model.  Additionally, they shared an activity to showcase sensitivity analysis and the importance of it in a modeling scenario.

The workshop also considered how instructors can see what students are learning before they get to the finished model. That might mean keeping a record of early ideas and changes, having someone take notes while the group works, or simply talking with students about where their model is headed. There was also an emphasis on letting students try things that may not work and learn from those attempts, since that trial and error is an important part of modeling.

Modeling-First DE: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn

As part of the larger Innovative Modeling Approaches to Teaching and Applying Ordinary Differential Equations Inside and Outside the Classroom session, this presentation highlighted the growth of SIMIODE and the community that has developed around a modeling-first approach to teaching differential equations.

Therese Shelton of Southwestern University presented the session, with co-authors Corban Harwood of George Fox University, Brian Winkel of SIMIODE, Pushpi Paranamana of FIT at the State University of New York, and Rosemary Farley and Patrice Tiffany of Manhattan University. 

The presentation traced how SIMIODE has grown over the years. Along with developing modeling scenarios and other classroom resources, SIMIODE has built a community of educators who share what they're doing and learn from each other. Some educators who first got involved by attending professional development workshops have since come back to lead workshops and share their own ideas.

This session also gave attendees a look at SIMIODE's collection of modeling scenarios, videos, student activities, and other resources that can be adapted for the classroom. Differential equations also bring together students from mathematics, engineering, physics, and other STEM fields, making them a natural place to introduce modeling. As SIMIODE makes its transition to COMAP, these resources and the community behind them will have a new home at COMAP.

Putting Mathematical Modeling Into Action With MMCM

MathFest wasn't only an opportunity to talk about mathematical modeling. Attendees also had the chance to experience it firsthand through the Mathematical Modeling Challenge at MathFest (MMCM), hosted by COMAP.

Participants worked in teams to tackle a real-world problem, with opportunities to work independently or join a dedicated working session during the conference. Top teams were recognized during an awards session on Friday.

This year's challenge turned the MathFest exhibit hall itself into a mathematical modeling problem. See the challenge in action and meet the Outstanding and Finalist teams in our full MMCM at MathFest recap.

Connecting at the MathFest Networking Fair

The MathFest Networking Fair offered another opportunity to connect with colleagues and mathematical partner organizations outside the formal sessions.

COMAP’s Amanda Beecher and Eric Marland of University of Montana (Emeritus from Appalachian State University) represented COMAP at the Networking Fair, connecting with attendees and sharing information about COMAP’s programs and resources. Eric and Amanda, who serve on the board of the MAA’s Environmental Mathematics Special Interest Group (SIGMAA EM), also represented SIGMAA EM at the event.

The Networking Fair also gave attendees a chance to step away from the formal sessions, meet people from other organizations, and catch up with colleagues from across the mathematics community.

More Modeling and Mathematics Education at MathFest

COMAP staff and collaborators also contributed to several additional sessions throughout MathFest.

Modeling First Calculus: Mathematical Tools and Storylines for Life Scientists

The two-part minicourse showed how calculus can be taught through problems drawn from biology and medicine. Using examples such as predator-prey dynamics, the insulin-glucose system, and HIV viral load, instructors from Harvard, UCLA, and UC Santa Cruz shared activities they use with their own students and ideas for bringing a modeling-first approach to calculus courses at other institutions.

The work is also gaining broader attention as undergraduate mathematics programs consider how calculus and other foundational courses can better serve today's students. The Modernizing Undergraduate Mathematics vision statement identifies "modeling-first calculus for the life sciences" as a Ready to Adapt project, recognizing it as an approach that is ready for broader implementation.

Participants also learned about materials developed at UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, and Harvard that are available for instructors to use and adapt at their own institutions.

COMAP Executive Director Ben Galluzzo was among the organizers of the minicourse, along with Brendan Kelly, Jennifer Czocher, Marty Weissman, Alan Garfinkel, Eric Deeds, and Greg Kestin. COMAP also sponsored the minicourse.

Bridging Communities: Modeling Education at the Intersection of Math and Statistics

The panel looked at the overlap between mathematical and statistical modeling and what that means for students. While the two approaches use distinct methods and forms of reasoning, panelists agreed that they share many important features and that real-world problems often require students to move between both.

The discussion also connected classroom learning with the skills students will need beyond college. Sophie Bertram of Oliver Wyman shared that modeling skills are essential to the work her firm hires for, but are too often not a central part of students' education. She described a partnership with MIT designed to bring more of those skills into the classroom and encouraged stronger connections between industry and higher education.

COMAP's Ben Galluzzo introduced Modeling Mindsets, a flexible framework for supporting modeling teaching and learning across disciplines. Ray Levy also emphasized the importance of connecting mathematical and statistical modeling as work moves forward on GAIMME 2.0, while Patti Frazer Lock discussed the upcoming GAISE II report supporting statistics instruction at the college level.

The session was organized by Galluzzo, Lock of St. Lawrence University, and Brendan Kelly of Harvard University.

SIGMAA on Teaching Advanced High School Mathematics (SIGMAA TAHSM): Business Meeting and Guest Panel

The SIGMAA TAHSM Business Meeting included the guest panel Calculus in High Schools and Colleges: Perspectives and Strategies Across Instructional Contexts, with Ralph Pantozzi of NCTM/MAA, Justin Hancock of Harvard University, Katey Arrington of the Dana Center, Alan Garfinkel of UCLA, and Lewis Hosie of WestEd.

A central theme of the discussion was the importance of keeping the transition from K–12 to higher education in focus as undergraduate mathematics curricula evolve. Ralph Pantozzi discussed how collaboration across grades 9-14 can bring together expertise from both sides of that transition to better support students' mathematical development.

Alan Garfinkel shared how UCLA's modeling-first calculus approach can extend that connection further because the course carries no calculus prerequisite and can therefore be accessible to high school students. Lewis Hosie presented preliminary work examining the calculus content actually needed by students pursuing computer science and engineering, pointing to opportunities to rethink the curriculum around conceptually rich material. Katey Arrington discussed efforts to establish clearer mathematics pathways aligned with students' interests and aspirations.

Together, the perspectives raised a broader question: as mathematics education changes at the college level, how can high schools and colleges work together so students encounter pathways that are coherent, relevant, and connected to where they want to go?

Looking Back at MathFest 2026

Across the workshops, panels, challenges, and conversations at MathFest, there were plenty of different ways to think about teaching and learning through mathematical modeling. But much of it came back to giving students the chance to work with real problems, try different approaches, and see how mathematics can be used beyond the classroom.

Thanks to everyone who presented, joined the discussions, stopped by to see us, or participated in MMCM. We came away from MathFest with plenty of ideas and conversations that we hope to carry forward in our work with educators and students.