By Jessica Lien
When Iowa City West High School senior Catherine Xu earned a gold medal as a member of Team USA at the 2026 European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad, it marked an extraordinary accomplishment for one of the nation's top young mathematicians.
For Department of Mathematics associate professor Mohammad Farajzadeh Tehrani, it also represented years of patient mentorship through an outreach effort designed to help Iowa youth discover what mathematics can be.
"Catherine Xu was one of our earliest participants," said Tehrani, who directs the Iowa Junior Math Academy, and outreach program offered by the University of Iowa Department of Mathematics. “She and Edward Li have remained active in the program from the beginning.”
Xu's success is one example of a broader pattern emerging from the department's outreach activities. What began with the Iowa City Math Club for local middle school and high school students, has grown into a series of programs that introduce Iowa youth to proof-based mathematics, national competitions, and opportunities that many would otherwise never encounter.
Tehrani launched the Iowa City Math Club in 2020 to give middle and high school students a place to explore mathematics beyond the classroom. Weekly meetings have evolved into a variety of events where students can work through challenging problems, collaborate with peers, and prepare for math competitions.
As the program expanded to become the Iowa Junior Math Academy, Tehrani partnered with Weiyu Xu from the College of Engineering to organize the Math Majors of America Tournament for High Schools (MMATHS) and other outreach events that expose Iowa youth to national-level mathematical competitions.
Between 20 and 50 middle and high school students have participated in these activities since outreach started in 2020. Some have remained involved throughout high school, while others have joined individual competitions and outreach events. Three of the program's strongest students have gone, or are going, to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while several current participants are taking University of Iowa mathematics courses as they continue preparing for national competitions.
Rather than emphasizing speed or memorization, the academy encourages youth to think deeply about mathematics.
"Our goal is to expose Iowa youth to national mathematics competitions, encourage them to engage with proof-based mathematics and deep problem-solving techniques, support them in attending mathematics camps outside Iowa, and help them develop the confidence and knowledge needed to succeed academically and continue their education at top universities," Tehrani said. "We place less emphasis on speed-based competitions or computational techniques and instead encourage students to spend time thinking deeply about challenging mathematical problems."
Former participant Edward Li advanced to the final stages of the USA International Mathematical Olympiad team selection process, earned a Silver Award on the USA Mathematical Olympiad, and qualified for the Math Olympiad Program. He also joined the Department of Mathematics' team after enrolling in university courses.
For Tehrani, those accomplishments demonstrate the value of sustained outreach—not only for individual students, but also for mathematics education across Iowa.
"Looking ahead, we hope these activities will encourage more talented Iowa youth to study mathematics at the University of Iowa and become interested in research-level mathematics," he said.
As students like Catherine Xu earn recognition on national and international stages, Tehrani sees those achievements not as the finish line, but as evidence of what becomes possible when young mathematicians are given the opportunity to explore challenging ideas, build confidence, and discover a community that shares their passion for mathematics.