Winners of the 2024 Mathstory Competition

First Place

Samuel Haw Wei Aern

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

(Having won the competition for the second time) My passion for mathematics remains unwavering. Recently, I’ve been exploring unconventional topics that have expanded my perspective on geometric concepts and mathematics as a whole. This new outlook has reshaped my understanding of the world, since mathematics is, at its core, a universal language. The knowledge of mathematics has not only enriched my everyday life but also broadened my approach to physics and engineering. Throughout history, humans have used mathematics to accomplish remarkable feats even till this day where we continue to discover new equations and achieve new milestones. I love to see the timeless beauty of mathematics as its applications and discoveries are always advancing and we need to share more stories to highlight the art within it.

Second Place

Sydney Hee Poh Hui

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

Sydney Hee  is currently pursuing a Diploma of Accountancy. Her interest in mathematics stems from its real-world applications, especially in understanding geometric principles. In her video, Geometry Angles in Gym, Sydney explores how geometry plays a role in exercises and gym equipment. She decided to participate in this competition to challenge herself and to showcase how mathematics can be both practical and engaging. Sydney believes that a strong foundation in math is essential for her studies and future career in accountancy.

Third Place

Faten Jando

Swinburne University of Technology and Monash University (Australia)

Faten participated in the MathStory competition to show in a creative way how mathematics is part of everyday life. Her entry explored how maths shapes the world around us in ways we often overlook. She hopes to inspire others to see maths as not just a subject, but a tool for understanding and solving real-world problems.

We acknowledge with gratitude the judges of the 2024 competition:

  • Dr. Bettina Pfaendner
  • Dr. Eirini Kouvela
  • Dr Kim Locke

We also acknowledge the support and sponsorship of the School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies at Swinburne University of Technology.

Winners of the 2023 Mathstory Competition

Second Place

Laura Brearley &
Orlando Yen

Swinburne University of Technology
Monash University

Laura is a film student at Swinburne University studying a Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours) with a particular interest in cinematography and editing. While pursuing the creative arts, they still enjoy and are curious about mathematics. Therefore, the Mathstory Competition provided a unique opportunity to delve into this hybridised project. Orlando is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Science at Monash University with a keen interest in physics. Orlando wanted to contribute to this competition in collaboration with Laura because he is passionate about sharing his love for maths. Their complementing specialties in arts and engineering ultimately facilitated their strength as a team.

Notice: This year, the first and third prizes were not awarded due to these submissions breaching the competition’s Terms & Conditions in relation to copyright issues.

We acknowledge with gratitude the judges of the 2023 competition:

  • Assoc. Prof. Wendy Goff
  • Dr. Bettina Pfaendner
  • Dr. Eirini Kouvela

We also acknowledge the support and sponsorship of the School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies at Swinburne University of Technology.

Winners of the 2022 Mathstory Competition

First Place

Samuel Haw Wei Aern

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

Sam is currently pursuing Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Robotics & Mechatronics). His love for mathematics comes from his enjoyment of creative problem-solving like innovation and composition. He believes that knowledge of mathematics has helped him in his everyday life, to manage a budget, to plan his schedule and to make sense of the world around him.

Second Place

Teo Jia Ming

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

Jia is pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Robotics & Mechatronics). He loves the sense of accomplishment whenever solving maths questions and also when helping his schoolmates understand maths. Mathematics means a lot to him as it was the first subject where he got high marks in Secondary school, which built up his confidence in learning and studying other subjects. He believes that having a good understanding of maths opens up a lot of choices in future careers.

Third Place

Jason Thomas

RMIT University (Australia)

Jason studies Applied Mathematics and Statistics. He is often (daily) surprised that he enjoys mathematics since he left school being sure he would never use algebra or trigonometry. He realised mathematics was interesting after learning that Group Theory could be applied to solve Rubik’s Cube. After graduation Jason hopes to solve real-world problems with mathematical modelling.

We acknowledge with gratitude the judges of the 2022 competition:

  • Prof. Billy Todd
  • Dr. Bettina Pfaendner
  • Dr. Michelle Dunn

We also acknowledge the support and sponsorship of the School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies at Swinburne University of Technology.

Winners of the 2021 Mathstory Competition

First Place

Deepa Selvamuthu Raja

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

Deepa is currently pursuing Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical). She has been fascinated by Mathematics since the moment she was introduced to it as she believes it allows her to decipher the universe in a whole new perspective. She is eager to uncover more mathematical theories and concepts as maths is inevitable!

Second Place

Wang Cheong Hii and Natalie Tham

Swinburne University of Technology (Sarawak)

Wang and Natalie are studying Foundation degree in Engineering.

Mathematics is one of Wang’s favourite subjects since he considers it fascinating. He believes Mathematics is important in our daily lives and he applies it all the time. Natalie likes Mathematics because she finds interesting how there could be many solutions to solve a particular equation, and how one develops critical thinking skills through it.

Third Place

Kyran Benedict Soriano

University of Arizona

Kyran (Kai) studies Mathematics and Physics. He started to get interested in Mathematics as a way to complement his Physics knowledge. He is interested in Mathematics Education, Mathematical Physics, and Analysis and its applications.

We acknowledge with gratitude the judges of the 2021 competition:

  • Assoc. Prof. Clare Dyson
  • Dr. Bettina Pfaendner
  • Dr. Louise Olsen

We also acknowledge the support and sponsorship of the School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies at Swinburne University of Technology.

Winners of the 2020 Mathstory Competition

First place

Anita Sharma

Swinburne University of Technology

Second place

Sania Mahajan

Swinburne University of Technology

Third place

William Owen

Swinburne University of Technology

We acknowledge with gratitude the judges of the 2020 competition:

  • Assoc. Prof. Clare Dyson 
  • Dr. Tim Kitchen
  • Dr. Nathan Clisby

We also acknowledge the support and sponsorship of Adobe through the Innovation Grant “Digital storytelling to communicate the relevance of mathematics”.

For more information, contact the organisers:

Assoc. Prof. Paul Hernandez Martinez (Swinburne University of Technology) at: phernandezmartinez@swin.edu.au

Prof. Therese Keane (La Trobe University) at: t.keane@latrobe.edu.au

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