Jay Landers, Adrianna Keefe, Jennifer DiPersio, Joytika Bhargo, and Erica Voolich. —Photo by Arthur Ingalls, Geskus Photography

The Somerville Mathematics Fund is pleased to announce the winners of their renewable mathematics scholarships for 2014. The Math Fund was founded to celebrate and encourage math achievement and these young women deserve to be celebrated for their work in math and science while in high school.

Joytika Bhargo will attend Tufts University, Jennifer DiPersio will attend Stonehill College, and Adrianna Keefe will attend Fitchburg State University. Their scholarships of $1000 are renewable for up to a total of four years as long as they maintain a B average and take mathematics or courses which use mathematics.

Two of the scholarships are given in memory of two outstanding women, Adrianna Keefe won the Alice T Schafer scholarship and Jennifer DiPersio won the Lt. Catherine M. Landers scholarship.

Adrianna Keefe won the Alice T Schafer Scholarship. She is planning to study mathematics education at Fitchbury State University. Dr. Schafer (1915 – 1909) was orphaned as an infant and raised by two aunts. When she went to college at the University of Richmond of Virginia, women students weren’t allowed in the library and she was discouraged from majoring in mathematics. She won prizes, earned a PhD, taught at colleges (including Wellesley) and among the things she is known for is helping start the Association for Women in Mathematics (1971). Less known about Dr. Schafer was her helping to start the Somerville Mathematics Fund in 2000, attending all of the planning meetings and contributing to their work as long as she was able. She is remembered for her passion and work to insure mathematical opportunities for women. Since Dr. Schafer was committed to the education and supporting women in mathematics, Adrianna becoming a math teacher is a wonderful way to honor Dr. Schafer’s memory.

Jennifer DiPersio won the Lt. Catherine M Landers Scholarship. She is planning on majoring in biology and psychology to eventually become a genetic counselor. When Lt. Landers (1920 – 2012) wanted to go to nursing school (graduating in 1942), her grandmother opened a cedar chest were she had been saving dollar bills to help pay for her granddaughter’s education. Lt Landers won a Bronze Star for her service during WW2, where she ran a field hospital outside Paris; she was about to be shipped to the far East when WW2 ended and so she boarded a transport ship for the USA instead. Jay Landers and Jasper Lawson donated a scholarship in her memory, honoring her commitment to education. Jennifer DiPersio’s interested in genetic counseling is a wonderful way to honor Lt. Landers’ commitment to nursing and education.

The Somerville Mathematics Fund, is affiliated with the national scholarship organization Dollars for Scholars, was chartered in 2000 to celebrate and encourage achievement in mathematics in the city of Somerville, Massachusetts. It May 2011, it was recognized as the outstanding Dollars for Scholars Chapter in New England. Since its founding, it has awarded $216,000 in mathematics scholarships to outstanding Somerville students. Next fall, The Somerville Mathematics Fund will be seeking applications from teachers who teach in the city of Somerville who would like funding for classroom mathematics activities. In October, the Math Fund will also be seeking high school students to compete in the annual Scrapheap Showdown. For more information, to volunteer, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Erica Voolich (617-666-0666 or mathfund@gmail.com) or go to www.somervillemathematicsfund.org.