SOU Presents 2016 Kieval Lecture Series

(Ashland, Ore.) —The Harry S. Kieval Lectures Series continues at Southern Oregon University this month with a presentation by Stanford University mathematics professor Dr. Keith Devlin.
Dr. Devlin has written 32 books and more than 80 published research articles. He is the recipient of the Pythagoras Prize, the Peano Prize, the Carl Sagan Award, and the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics Communications Award. He is also known as National Public Radio’s “Math Guy.” Dr. Devlin will give a lecture tailored to the general public on Friday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 151 inside the Science Building on SOU’s main Ashland campus.
The presentation, “Too Good to be True? Unravelling the Mystery of Some Recent Studies of Video Game Math Learning” will focus on how video games can help children learn mathematics. The presentation is free and open to the public.
“We know people are sometimes turned off by presentations like this because they assume it will be over their head or uninteresting,” said Dr. Kemble Yates, professor of mathematics at SOU, “but Dr. Devlin is a great presenter and this lecture is specifically designed for the general public. No particular knowledge of mathematics is necessary in order for attendees to appreciate the material, have a good time, and learn something.”
The Harry S. Kieval Lecture Series was endowed in the early 1980s by a generous gift from the late Harry S. Kieval. The SOU Mathematics Department invites speakers to address broad, popular aspects of mathematics with the goal of attracting undergraduate students and the general public to the lectures.
More information on the Kieval Lecture Series is available at www.sou.edu/math/kievel.
Dr. Devlin’s full bio is available at web.standford.edu/~kdevlin.
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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.
About Dr. Keith Devlin
Dr. Keith Devlin is a co-founder and Executive Director of the university’s H-STAR institute, a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network, and a Senior Researcher at CSLI. He is a World Economic Forum Fellow, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. His current research is focused on the use of different media to teach and communicate mathematics to diverse audiences. In this connection, he is a co-founder and President of an educational technology company, BrainQuake, that creates mathematics learning video games. He also works on the design of information/reasoning systems for intelligence analysis. Other research interests include: theory of information, models of reasoning, applications of mathematical techniques in the study of communication, and mathematical cognition. He has written 32 books and over 80 published research articles. Recipient of the Pythagoras Prize, the Peano Prize, the Carl Sagan Award, and the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics Communications Award. In 2003, he was recognized by the California State Assembly for his “innovative work and longtime service in the field of mathematics and its relation to logic and linguistics.” He is “the Math Guy” on National Public Radio.