Yuma, Arizona - Two former Arizona Western College students were recently awarded third place for their work during a Student Research League (SRL) competition.

Luciana Elizarraras and Khang Van Pham were recognized with a plaque and a monetary award during the American Mathematical Association for Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) annual conference in Orlando in November. The SRL project was the first research-based competition to be held by AMATYC in April.

The team, mentored by AWC Professor of Math Dahwei Chang, completed the research project entitled, “Forces of Nature” to determine where the safest place in the U.S. is, considering natural disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and floods. Through their research, they concluded that the safest city in Arizona is Sedona.

After graduating from AWC in May, Elizarraras is now majoring in civil engineering at the University of Arizona, and Pham will be majoring in computer science at the University of North Georgia.

For more information, contact Dahwei Chang at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (928) 344-7793.