WIMSIG NEWSLETTER — May 2021

Women in Mathematics Day

May 12 is Women in Mathematics Day! There are lots of events happening around Australia during the month of May. For a complete list of events, see https://may12.womeninmaths.org/2021-list. If you are organising an event, then please register it at https://may12.womeninmaths.org/node/add/event.

Our friends at ACEMS are hosting some events and putting together some videos and posters for sharing. We would love for many people (women and men) to send in messages. Those messages will then be shared on ACEMS social media. For more information, see https://acems.org.au/women-maths-day-campaign.

Here are some highlighted events.

Wednesday 5 May

Online at 12pm – 1pm AEST: Virtual public lecture with mathematician and author Dr Eugenia Cheng

  • Dr Cheng has given TED Talks, written books, and even appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”. Her lecture will focus on how we can make mathematics more inclusive.
  • REGISTER for your free zoom link.

Wednesday 12 May

Online at 12pm – 1pm AEST:  Virtual panel discussion on “The Road Ahead for Women in STEM”

  • The panellists will be Prof Ana Deletic (Executive Dean, QUT Faculty of Engineering), Prof Moira O’Bryan (Dean of Science, The University of Melbourne), and Prof Asha Rao (Associate Dean, RMIT Mathematical Sciences). The aim of the discussion is to be forward-looking and to explore how we can get more women in higher-level positions in universities, as well as more women in STEM, and specifically, the mathematical sciences.
  • REGISTER for your free zoom link.

Online at 7pm – 8pm AEST: Ruby Payne-Scott Lecture by Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger

Brisbane

  • All day at QUT’s “The Cube”: ACEMS is proud to present a digital display of the exhibit “Remember Maryam Mirzakhani”. The digital exhibition will feature 18 original posters celebrating the life of Maryam Mirzakhani, the only woman to ever win the top award in mathematics, the Fields Medal. Registration is not necessary.

Melbourne

  • 10am – 3pm AEST: This year Deakin University will be celebrating Women in Mathematics Day by promoting the collaboration of female mathematicians and celebrating women’s achievements in mathematics. There will be presentations from female academics, industry professionals, and postgraduate students about their research areas and experience of working in mathematics. A movie about the lives of women working in science, including the challenges they face, will also be shown. For more details, contact kerri.morgan@deakin.edu.au.

Sydney

  • 10am – 12pm AEST: The University of Sydney will host a free screening of the documentary “Secrets of the Surface: the Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani”. This will be followed by a discussion with two mathematicians featured in the film — Izzet Coskun (University Of Illinois at Chicago) and Alex Wright (University of Michigan). The discussion will be facilitated by Dr Emma Carberry (Associate Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion). Register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/international-womans-mathematics-day-usyd-tickets-151589404991.

Perth

  • 5pm – 7:30pm AWST: The University of Western Australia will host a viewing of Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger’s Ruby Payne-Scott Medal Lecture and Q&A from the Australian Academy of Science in Mathematics Lecture Room 3. From 6pm, attendees will have a chance to get to know each other, and if interested, go for a meal later or have food at UWA in the Cheryl Praeger Lecture Room.

Monday 31 May

Melbourne

  • 10am – 2pm AEST: The Melbourne Mathematical Biology Group is proud to host an event at The Hotel Windsor in Melbourne. The day will include lunch, a panel discussion with Prof Jessica Purcell, Dr Sevvandi Kandanaarachchi, A/Prof Hamideh Anjomshoa, and Punya Alahakoon, as well as a series of short talks by Dr Norm Do, Dr Rebecca Chisholm, and Prof Asha Rao. To register for your free attendance, please visit the eventbrite page.

Decadal Plan for the Mathematical Sciences — Mid Term Review

The National Committee for the Mathematical Sciences (NCMS) is undertaking a mid-term review of the decadal plan “The Mathematical Sciences in Australia: a vision for 2025”, which was launched in 2016. Members of the Australian mathematical sciences community are invited to provided input into the mid-term review, through an online form. The original decadal plan, and a consultation document, can also be found there. We encourage members of WIMSIG to provide input. The consultation period is open until May 31, 2021.

OPPORTUNITIES

UNSW Sydney

The University of Western Australia

MEDIA

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