Pack 77 Den Leader and Southern Illinois University (SIU) associate math professor Wesley Calvert has created a new Nova award based on the mathematics of symmetry, Fearful Symmetry .
A few years ago, SIU began playing host to an annual STEM University event, which gave scouts the chance to earn Nova and other merit awards. During the 2016 event, Calvert met Lisa Balbes, who serves on a national committee charged with reviewing proposals for such awards.
“We talked about the need for additional math awards within the program, and after continued conversations with her and another m