YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — On February 21, Tomas Kidd ’29 and Skylar Moorman '29 attended the 2026 YSU Pi Mu Epsilon Regional Conference at Youngstown State University, where undergraduate students from different schools came together to share their work and explore how math applies to the real world.

Kidd described the conference as focused on giving students a chance to present what they’ve been working on and show “the application of mathematical theorems.” Throughout the day, attendees sat in on a wide array of presentations, covering topics like statistics, computer science, analysis, and even the history behind certain proofs.

Moorman (left) and Kidd at the 2026 PME Conference

While some of the talks were challenging to fully understand, Kidd said there were several that stood out. One presentation connected math and music by assigning numbers and formulas to musical notes. “They assigned different note numbers and formulas, which was interesting,” he said, highlighting a creative side of math that many people don’t often think about.

Another presentation explored the connection between mathematics and music, assigning numerical values and formulas to musical notes. He shared this session emphasized how math can intersect with creative disciplines in unexpected ways.

One of the biggest takeaways from the conference was the diversity of the field of mathematics. “The difference in people’s routes of mathematics was super interesting,” he said. From highly technical research to creative and historical perspectives, the event showed just how many directions math can take.

Overall, the conference gave Mount Union students a chance to learn from others, see new perspectives, and experience the wide range of possibilities within mathematics. Learn more about the University's mathematics degree.