The USS Midway Museum’s educational programs are renowned, not just in San Diego, but around the country and with our international neighbors. Since the department’s inception in 2005, it’s estimated that nearly a quarter of a million students have visited Midway as part of immersive onboard field trips, while tens of thousands of others have participated in the museum’s far-reaching distance learning program, unique overnight adventures and the highly respected Midway Institute for Teachers.
It’s robust STEM, history and leadership curricula have become the standard bearer for all naval ship museums.
Midway’s award-winning program has just added another feather to its cap with the inclusion of a chapter in a prestigious and internationally available math book that features the museum’s distance learning program.
“Mathematics Outreach: Examples and Impact from Across the Globe” showcases diverse, international mathematics outreach programs featuring math circles, museum activities and math walks. The book, published in summer 2026 by Emerald Publishing Limited, focuses on broadening access and engagement in mathematics through hands-on, community-based and technology-enhanced experiences.
“I think having this Midway program highlighted in this publication is amazing,” said Wayne Nuzzulo, Midway’s assistant education director who was the book chapter’s primary author. “It greatly expands Midway’s presence on an international stage and to an audience that is probably not aware of the depth of the programs created here on the Midway for students from around the San Diego area and now the country.”
The chapter is titled “Math on the Midway Museum: From Both Near and Far” and takes an in-depth look at the museum’s distance learning program. Started during the COVID pandemic, the program was seen as a way to stay engaged with students who were no longer able to attend in-person school classes. Since its establishment, the program has reached nearly 25,000 students in more than 800 classrooms, visiting students virtually in all 50 states and two Canadian provinces.
Midway’s inclusion in the book owes its thanks to a serendipitous meeting with a mathematics professor from Cornell University on a cruise through the Panama Canal.
Rudy Shappee, Midway volunteer special projects manager, and his wife were on a 10-day Norwegian Cruise Line trip from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego when they met Professor Mary Ann Huntley at dinner on the ship. Mary Ann mentioned that she and her colleagues were publishing a book featuring a collection of innovative ways to teach mathematics by authors on a worldwide stage.
“As soon as I heard her talking about the project, I jumped right in and told her about the Midway’s innovative distance learning program,” said Rudy, who partnered with Wayne on Midway’s book chapter. “She responded by asking me if we would be willing to submit a proposal for inclusion in the volume.”
When Rudy returned to Midway, he immediately connected with Wayne and gears for the book chapter project started turning.
“After my return to San Diego, I told Wayne about the opportunity,” said Rudy, who has been with the museum’s organization since 2001. “As Wayne was the lead in the development of the distance learning program, I offered to be editor for the project if he was willing to write the bones of the chapter.”
Once Midway’s inclusion in the book was confirmed, Wayne began the lengthy process of writing the chapter.
“It did take quite a while to create the chapter,” said Wayne, who has been with Midway’s education department since 2007. “The chapter went through several edits by the professors. They provided peer reviewed comments requiring supporting information and expanding explanations, as well as shortening some segments while expanding others. The professors were very supportive and thoughtful.”
The entire project took more than two years to complete.
“It took dozens of hours just to create the body of information needed to tell the story,” recalled Wayne regarding the time involved in writing the chapter. “Rudy and I did at least 10 edits of the chapter as it moved through all the phases leading to final submission.”
Midway’s chapter is just one of 18 in the book that features topics supporting mathematics outreach around the world.
“They had dozens of authors from around the world that they brought together to create something meaningful,” said Wayne. “The Midway being included in this volume puts us in good company.”
“This book includes contributions from colleagues in six countries including Canada, Ireland, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and the United States,” said Mary Ann, a senior lecturer of mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at Cornell University. “They have provided rich descriptions of a wide variety of mathematics outreach. We expect these chapters will be especially relevant to organizers of mathematics outreach who may be interested in learning new strategies for encouraging people to engage in mathematical thinking outside of formal school contexts.”
Midway’s inclusion in this volume not only shines a positive light on the museum’s education program, but also provides exposure on a global level.
“The chapter on the Midway is a valuable contribution to the volume on mathematics outreach,” said Mary Ann, who was also one of the book’s editors. “Your outreach location, a retired aircraft carrier, is unique. We appreciate finding ways to exploit mathematics in everyday life aboard the ship. Your candid reflections and sharing of struggles, together with successes in scaling your work to reach more children, has the potential to influence other outreach providers wrestling with similar issues.”
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