Sonia Kovalevsky Day

We hosted our annual Sonia Kovalevsky Day for students in grades 7-12 on Saturday, March 29th, 2025. All activities were held at the University Dining Hall. This annual event is free to our participants. Please check our website in spring 2026 for the date of our next Sonia Kovalevsky Day. Please see this campus map showing the location of the event and the closest parking lots.

Link to a flyer

General Information

The Department of Mathematics is proud to host Sonia Kovalevsky Day each year. The mission of this free event is to empower the next generation of female mathematicians, scientists, engineers and innovators. It is also an opportunity for networking, mentoring, and fun, and a celebration of women in mathematics.

Local area high school and middle school students interested in mathematics, and their teachers, are invited to attend Sonia Kovalevsky Day, where they will explore the world of mathematics and coding outside of the regular school curriculum and take part in fun and interactive activities.

The event is designed to nurture and inspire young students, particularly girls, to recognize their potential and to encourage them to pursue interests in mathematics and related fields. Attending this event will help them connect with mathematically-minded peers, provide them with female role models, and inform them about the limitless possibilities of mathematics. We welcome students of all gender identities and especially encourage girls to attend. 

Sonia Kovalevsky was the first woman to be granted a Ph.D. in Mathematics. She was a great mathematician and an advocate for women's rights in the 19th century. It was her enthusiasm and struggle to obtain the best education available that began to open doors at universities to women. Our event is in her honor.

Although we have come a long way since then, women are still underrepresented in top-level professional positions in math and in STEM fields, in general. Many young women with interest and potential in such careers do not pursue them, perhaps due to unconscious bias, lack of role models, or simply because they don't know that such careers are open to them!

For questions, please contact Dr. Carmen Caprau (ccaprau@csufresno.edu).

Our event would not be possible without the help of many donors and sponsors. Thank you very much to all of you!

The sponsors for our 2025 event:

• Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative at Fresno State
• College of Science and Mathematics, Fresno State

 

2025 Schedule

All activities will be held at the University Dining Hall – East Banquet Room.

Experience math and coding through exploration, play, creativity, and more.