Kalispel students experience international conference at WSU

Mathematicians and statisticians from around the world descended onto Pullman to attend the regional conference of the International Biometric Society (IBS) in early June. Joining leading experts in data science and biometrics were several special guests: high school students from the Kalispel Tribe in northwestern Washington.

The eleven students from Cusick are participants in a collaborative tutoring program between the WSU Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Camas Learning Center (CLC), an in-school and after-school program managed by the Kalispel Tribe. They were invited to the IBS conference by Regents Professor Jan Dasgupta, department chairperson and the current president of the IBS western North American region. Dasgupta saw an opportunity to share the Pullman academic experience with both leading researchers and the students tutored by her undergraduate students.

"The IBS conference includes an Access and Opportunity workshop focused on engaging local students, and we wanted them to experience WSU and see the possibilities that exist in STEM education and careers," Dasgupta said.

Undergraduate students from the WSU "Future Teachers of Math" club typically tutor the high schoolers via one-on-one Zoom consultations, supported by CLC staff. The tutoring program has evolved since 2023, but the focus has always remained on student math preparation, for those learning and those teaching the subject. The partnership creates stronger pathways to both higher education and STEM opportunities for students in rural and tribal communities across Washington.

Integrating high school students into the IBS conference proceedings is not a new concept. In 2024, the annual conference's Access and Opportunity Workshop invited community college students from the Denver area to network with attendees and participate in a data skills seminar. The next year, the workshop invited students from around Whistler, B.C. to the conference proceedings. This year, it was time for the students from Cusick.

Eleven students and four chaperones made the trip from Pend Oreille County to Pullman, where they stayed in Stimson Hall as an on-campus dormitory experience. While the students' conference activities included hands-on experiences with biostatistics, data science, and biometry analysis, they were also treated to a campus facilities tour. Physics professor Guy Worthy provided a tour of the WSU Planetarium, and Squeak Meisel from the Department of Art led students on a tour of the art facilities and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at WSU. Other tour locations included the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the University Recreation Center for some earned relaxation time in the pool.

Cross-discipline researchers also sat down for a panel discussion with the students, discussing their education, career, and life experiences. The speakers included Denise Dillard, director of the Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH); Mikaela Nishida, PhD scholar in statistics from University of California, Irvine; and Courtney Meehan, Dean of the WSU College of Arts and Sciences.

"One of the most important things we can do as a university is help students see new possibilities for themselves," said Dean Meehan. "Hosting international conferences like this on our campus creates powerful opportunities for students to interact with researchers and explore potential career paths firsthand. These connections can have a lasting impact long after they leave Pullman."