A team of undergraduate students from the University of New Mexico received top honors at the 2026 Southwestern Undergraduate Mathematics Research Conference, which took place April 17–19 at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Aldo Morelli, a student from UNM, won the individual Problem Contest. The UNM team also achieved first place overall in the competition. Other members of the delegation included Whitney Abbott, Norman Boyd, Chayton Castruita, Ernesto Carrasco, Preston Carter, Jack Cerullo, Silvia Coffey, Brandon Gallegos and Nicolaas Koers. The students participated in various conference sessions and competed in the Problem Contest that challenges participants to apply mathematical concepts under timed conditions.
The conference brings together undergraduate students and faculty from across the Southwest for mathematics research activities and professional development opportunities. Students present their research projects and attend talks by peers as well as invited speakers representing different areas of mathematics. This year’s invited speakers included Kathryn Bryant—a data scientist with expertise in topology and artificial intelligence; Kurt Herzinger—a professor whose work connects algebraic concepts to game theory; and Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez—a UCLA professor specializing in mathematical demography.
Presentations by early-career researchers from multiple institutions were also featured during SUnMaRC. The event is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation to help fund programming and student participation.
The University of New Mexico boasts more than 200,000 alumni worldwide—including fellows of national academies—and has been ranked among top public schools nationally according to its official website. In spring 2023, more than 24,000 students were enrolled across its main and branch campuses. The university serves as a cultural resource through libraries and museums while promoting diversity within its metropolitan campus setting.
