Math in Paris and Berlin

Room and Board

Room and Board  

Housing in Paris will be in a hotel with breakfast included daily.  In Berlin, students will live with host families who will provide breakfast and dinner.

Academic and Cultural Program

Academic and Cultural Program  

Students will spend approximately one week in Paris and three weeks in Berlin studying the French and German schools of mathematics and the great mathematicians from those regions.  They will take courses that fit naturally into STEM programs at VMI, one on the history of mathematics (MA331X which focuses on mathematics in Europe) and either MA311: Differential Equations or a 300 level math elective (to be determined based on cadets in the program who may have already taken MA311).  In addition, they will visit sites related to their studies, interact with professionals and citizens of France and Germany and will explore areas in and around Paris and Berlin.

Program Directors

Program Directors

Col. Troy Siemers is the Head of the Applied Mathematics program at VMI.  He earned his Ph. D. from the University of Virginia and previously led a summer program abroad in Lithuania.

Mrs. Patricia Hardin will serve as the Co-Program Director.  Mrs. Hardin was born in communist Romania, immigrated to Germany when she was 10 years old and spent many years living and attending school in Germany until coming to the US to attend college at Wake Forest University in 1984.  She received her Master’s degree in Germanic Languages and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  She has led VMI summer programs in Germany since 2010.