The 2026 PME conference is pleased to host Dr Lauren Keough from Grand Valley State University.
Dr. Lauren Keough is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). Her favorite activities as a child in Rhode Island were those that allowed room for creativity. At first, she wasn’t a huge math fan because she had the misconception that there was no room for being creative. In fact, when she used her creativity to find patterns to do timed multiplication tests, she thought she was cheating. Her love for math developed over a long time. Now, at GVSU, she spreads her love of math by mentoring undergraduate research, hosting math circles, and teaching as many different courses as possible. In 2022, Lauren was the recipient of an Alder Award. She is currently serving a 3-year term as an MAA-AWM Section Lecturer. Beyond math, Lauren likes to do the NYTimes crossword puzzles and read at coffee shops.
A Tale of Thirds in Three Acts
Abstract: For me, math always has been about finding joy. One of my favorite ways to interact with people is through doing problems that not everyone thinks of as “math”. What if every person who considered themselves “not a math person” is just one joyful math experience away from changing their minds? I aim to provide attendees a joyful math experience, all about the rational number one third. Over 2 talks, there will be three acts, each with a different problem posed.
