In this talk, I will describe a project based assessment created for an abstract algebra course that centers the mathematical work of women algebraists highlighted in the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) EvenQuads playing card project. Rather than presenting algebra as a finished body of results, this assignment invited students to explore topics such as geometric group theory, elliptic curve groups, and tropical algebra through the work of mathematicians whose contributions are often absent from traditional undergraduate coursework.

Students completed individualized structured problem sets connected to each honoree’s research area, developed a short biography, and gave a presentation linking the mathematics to the mathematician’s contributions. I will discuss the goals of the assignment, share examples of the algebraic tasks designed for the project, and reflect on how integrating these mathematicians into assessment broadens the historical narrative students encounter in upper level mathematics.