Department of Mathematics and Statistics Honors Five Outstanding Students

Over commencement weekend, mathematics and statistics faculty announced the winners of their annual departmental prizes.

Isidora Bailly-Hall ’24 has been named the 2024 winner of the Linn Smith Prize for Excellence in Mathematics. The Linn Smith Prize is awarded annually to the graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence in the discipline and great promise for continued contributions to the fields of mathematics and statistics.

As an undergraduate, Bailly-Hall conducted summer research at Michigan State University, San Diego State University, and the University of Minnesota, in addition to completing Mentored Advanced Projects with Grinnell mathematics faculty. She has presented her work at the 2024 Joint Mathematics Meeting, hosted in San Francisco by the American Mathematical Society, and at the 2022 Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics. For three years, Bailly-Hall has also worked as a peer tutor in Grinnell’s math lab. At Grinnell Commencement, she received the Archibald Prize, awarded annually to the senior/s who have achieved the highest grade-point average during four years of study

Kate Bartz ’25 and Samantha Hall '24 (December graduation) were honored with the Pamela Ferguson Endowed Prize in Mathematics, while Hyeyun Jung ’25 and Lilli Lewis ’25 received the Pamela Ferguson Endowed Prize in Statistics. The Ferguson Prizes honor up to two mathematics and two statistics majors entering their senior year and recognizes and encourages mathematical potential among students of all genders, particularly those traditionally under-represented in the discipline. Its winners are judged by the department to have demonstrated the greatest achievement and promise, as measured by such criteria as performance in mathematics or statistics courses (particularly upper-level courses), independent research projects, posters and other presentations, publications, competitions, etc.

Congratulations to Bailly-Hall, Bartz, Hall, Jung, and Lewis! The math and stats department is grateful for your impact!