MC math team wins American Mathematical Association grand prize for electric car study

For their research on the cost-benefit analysis of electric vehicle usage, Midland College students earned the grand prize at the 2022 American Mathematical Association (AMATYC) of Two-Year Colleges competition, the college announced.

The competition began last spring, when teams nationwide had 18 days to research and prepare a report analyzing the costs and benefits of using electric vehicles to users, the economy and environment. Basing its research on personal use of electric vehicles, the MC team consisting of  Arnoldo Montanez, Jael Ornelas and Parker Tew examined the cost of milling/foraging lithium batteries, manufacturing and transportation of materials and also environmental and economic impacts.

They concluded that the focus “should not be on requiring government step-ins and huge alternative incentives, but rather to let technological advances in the electric vehicle industry guide consumer interests,” according to MC.

“They also concluded that as technology advances in hybrid systems, it will allow for more electrical usage and less gasoline consumption, thereby giving more mileage range, faster charging and cheaper consumer options,” the college stated.

The MC research team learned it was regional finalists in July. Then on Wednesday, Sept. 14, AMATYC delivered word on the grand prize.

In the email, AMATYC commended the MC team’s “well-researched data points, explanation of assumption and equations, and the easy-to-understand and thorough timeline.”

“The competition was tight this year, so you should be very proud of your students,” Vinodh Chellamuthu, AMATYC Student Research League coordinator, wrote in the email.

Grand prize-winners Montanez, Ornelas and Tew were all enrolled in college-level math courses while attending Early College High School at Midland College.  Jamie Kneisley, MC associate professor of Math, mentored the students during the competition.