UPR in Humacao to celebrate Mathematics Week with a forum on artificial intelligence, a specialized seminar, and the second edition of the Pi Run
(Humacao, P.R.) – The Department of Mathematics at the University of Puerto Rico in Humacao (UPRH) will celebrate *Mathematics Week* from March 9 to 13, 2026, an academic initiative aimed at fostering analysis, reflection, and enthusiasm for this essential discipline in the STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
The program will begin on Tuesday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m., with the forum *"Use of Artificial Intelligence and its Implications in the Teaching-Learning Process of STEM Areas"*, which will take place in the Business Administration Auditorium (ADEM). The panel will feature Dr. Marcos López, from the Department of Chemistry; Dr. Rogerio Furlán, from the Department of Physics; and Dr. Ollantay Medina Huaman, from the Department of Mathematics. The specialists will address the impact of the increasing use of artificial intelligence in science and mathematics courses, as well as the challenges and opportunities this tool presents for higher education.
Activities will continue on Thursday, March 12, at 10:30 a.m., in room CNL-101, with the seminar "Uses and Abuses of Models," led by Dr. Maytee Cruz-Aponte, a professor at UPR in Cayey.
During her presentation, Dr. Cruz-Aponte will analyze the SIR (Susceptible–Infected–Recovered) mathematical models, widely used in epidemiology and in the formulation of public health policies, and their application in the study of social phenomena such as the diffusion of opinions, behaviors, and information. The objective of this seminar is to offer a critical reflection on the possibilities and limits of the SIR model when it is transferred to social contexts, highlighting the need to make assumptions explicit, justify analogies, and adapt the mathematical structure to the nature of the phenomenon studied.
As a close to the week, on Friday, March 13, the second edition of the "Pi Run" will be held, an activity that commemorates International Pi Day (March 14). The event will take place on the institution's athletic track, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Registration for walks and runs will be free of charge, promoting the integration of the university community and the general public in a celebration that combines mathematics, physical activity, and healthy entertainment. Those interested in participating can register at the link: Pi Day Celebration: Run Event.
Dr. Edwin Mojica Rodríguez, interim rector of UPRH, highlighted that this program reaffirms the institutional commitment to strengthening STEM disciplines and to creating spaces that promote critical thinking, innovation, and enthusiasm for mathematics inside and outside the classroom.
For more information about the activities, you can contact the UPRH Department of Mathematics at matedir.uprh@upr.edu.
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