by

Fred Hollingshead

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Al Riveland, Mathematics

Washburn University

Kansas Delta Chapter

Kappa Mu Epsilon

16 August 2004

 WU-CSI Summer Fellowship

Follow-up Report

Abstract

Every year, many people are faced with choosing between two or more health insurance plans offered by their employers.  Most probably select one for any number of various reasons:  lower co-pays, lower premiums, “better” prescription or co-insurance benefits to name a few.  Perhaps you have even had to make such a choice and your motivation was one from the previous list for economical concerns, or maybe you had another.  Like many, you use your health insurance throughout the year without so much as a second thought, but at the end of the year, you might wonder about what might have been.  Every year, the faculty members at Washburn University make an important financial decision concerning health insurance coverage for them and their families.  Often, this decision is made with little regard as to which of the various offered plans would indeed present the most financial benefit.  This investigation of the different plans will aid each faculty member in determining which plan offers them the most coverage based on expected expenses. 

Conclusion

        These research projects were conducted in anticipation of the bi-annual Kappa Mu Epsilon National Convention to be held in spring, 2005 near San Antonio, Texas.  KME is a national mathematical honor society.  The researchers, Fred Hollingshead and Jo Marie Rozzelle, are president and vice-president, respectively, of Washburn University’s chapter, Kansas Delta.  This competitive math convention will be the primary audience for the papers, where traditionally, Washburn students have faired quite well, often winning the top awards for their presentations.  Students and faculty advisors from colleges and universities across the nation will attend.  In addition, the papers can be selected for publication in The Pentagon, KME’s bi-annual journal of student research. 

         Furthermore, there will be numerous other opportunities for the presentation of each project.  This fall, the 100^th meeting of the Kansas Association Teachers of Mathematics (KATM) will be held at Washburn.  Both Fred and Jo Marie may speak briefly of their experiences as student researchers and the benefits of those experiences, including this summer fellowship, as well as the applications of conducting student research in a classroom setting.  Also, each project has a specific audience in mind.  The insurance investigation will be offered to the benefits committee of Washburn and will be offered as a presentation to the faculty and staff as an opportunity to learn more about the plans offered and to help each employee make a more informed decision about their health care packages in October.  The canoe problem will be considered for presentation at the 2005 Kansas Mathematical Association of America (MAA) meeting to be held next spring.  Finally, the projects will also be presented at Washburn University’s Apeiron.

        We would like to take this opportunity to thank Washburn University and the WU-CSI committee for this summer fellowship award.  It is rare for an undergraduate institution to make opportunities like the WU-CSI program available to its students.  We are appreciative for this opportunity.  The summer stipend allowed us to focus on our research projects without the worry of a summer job.  Indeed, we are honored to have been a part of this program.  We learned a great deal about grant writing, conducting research for real-world applications and about ourselves as well.  It is difficult preparing a budget; we tried hard to stick to our submitted plan, occasionally faltering, but with overall success. 

         We bettered ourselves by conducting our research as a team, something we would recommend to the committee to remain open to.  There are additional learning experiences which are encountered when working in a group.  We are much more prepared for future endeavors having completed our tasks together. 

         Finally, we wish to also thank Dr. Al Riveland.  Dr. Riveland is truly an inspiration and should be commended for his personal time he has invested in our projects, as well as our growth as mathematicians and people.  He provided just the right amount of hands-on and hands-off assistance.  We infinitely appreciate his guidance.