USD Student Teams Earn Honorable Mentions at Math Competition
Two student teams from the University of San Diego earned Honorable Mentions in the 2025 Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM), a global competition hosted annually by the Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP). The MCM competition draws participants from around the world, challenging teams of students to analyze an open-ended problem and present solutions.
Representing USD were two three-person teams of third year students. One team featured Josh Bassetti, an industrial and systems engineering major; Peter Casaschi, an engineering and math major; and Grant Sobek, an economics major. The second included Arman Aryan, a computer science major; Lila Fowler, a math and physics major; and Roman Medina, a math major. The teams were supported by the Fletcher Jones Mathematics Endowment and advised by Professor and Chair of Mathematics Diane Hoffoss, PhD.
Having been a few years since USD students participated in the competition, there was a buzz around this year’s involvement. “In my first class with Dr. Hoffoss, she mentioned the mathematical modeling competition and I immediately knew I wanted to do it,” said Bassetti. “But I decided to get some more math classes under my belt before I partook in the competition. I still didn’t feel ready, but I think I was, looking back at it.”
Dr. Hoffoss has been advising teams in the MCM competition for over 20 years, and is always excited to support student interest in this ambitious contest. From helping the teams understand the rules, to moral boosting and delivering snacks, the students described her role as “maximal” in the competition and more than appreciated her guidance. “I just show the students that I believe in them and that they are qualified to participate in this,” Dr. Hoffoss said. “That’s my main role.”
As part of the competition, each team selects one problem from the organization’s list. This year, one USD team selected a problem that focused on developing models for sustainable tourism in Juneau, Alaska, and the other chose a problem that aimed at predicting Olympic medal outcomes in 2028. To make it even more challenging, their work is tied to a tight 96-hour time frame.
For some students, participating in this competition directly aligned with their post-graduate trajectory. “I want to go on to get a PhD in computational mathematics and I liked that the open format of this competition gives you the opportunity to think creatively about solutions to a problem that may seem really simple,” explained Fowler. For others, this competition was a way to leave their mark on USD. “I don’t want to sound too pompous,” said Casaschi. “But I just wanted my name on some artifact here.”
The students' participation in this year’s competition highlights their dedication to problem solving beyond the classroom, and their remarkable ability to collaborate and think strategically against the clock. With both teams receiving Honorable Mentions, they are ranked among the top-performing teams internationally. In fact, 21,092 teams participated and only 4,921 earned Honorable Mentions– just 23 percent!
While celebrating this accomplishment, the students also took time to reflect on the impact of the competition that lies in the teamwork that math often demands. “I learned that math can be approached from any discipline,” explained Sobek. “When you combine minds from all different aspects in all different colleges, you can produce something really cool.”
Congratulations to both teams on this outstanding achievement!
- By Laney Green
If you have questions about or are interested in participating in this contest, contact the department at math@sandiego.edu to learn more.