Lunch in the Time of Covid - 2021 Archives
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2021 EVENTS
“How to write a letter of recommendation” (Monday, November 22, 2021 at 1PM EST / 10AM PST)
Panelists: Pete L. Clark (University of Georgia), Peter Humphries (University of Virginia), Adriana Salerno (Bates College)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
Goldwater Foundation’s letter writing guidance
Adriana’s AMS blog posts on letter writing:
Avoiding gender bias in reference writing, from the University of Arizona
An article on how racially biased language can make its way into letters
Kimball Martin’s advice for postdocs and grad students (scroll down to the section “Letters of Recommendation”)
Ben Schmidt’s interactive chart tracking gendered language in teaching reviews
“Rejection, resilience and redemption” (Monday, October 25, 2021 at 1PM EDT / 10AM PDT)
Panelists: Julie Bergner (University of Virginia), Kim Klinger-Logan (Rutgers University/Kansas State University), Alicia Lamarche (University of Utah), Lola Thompson (Utrecht University)
Notes are available to attendees only - please email the organizers to request access
Extra links:
AMS Notices article “What do I do when my paper or grant is rejected?” by Julie
Kim answered some of our pre-panel questions on her blog
Lola contributed a chapter (Ch. 7: “Nowhere to Go but Up”) to the book Living Proof: Stories of Resilience Along the Mathematical Journey
“On advocating for students of color in mathematics”, hosted by Pamela Harris and Aris Winger (Wednesday, October 6, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Guest hosts: Pamela Harris (Williams College), Aris Winger (Georgia Gwinnett College)
Panelists: Kim Holman (Auburn University), Nikhil Sahoo (Cornell University), Sarah Sword (Education Development Center, Inc.)
Here are Pamela and Aris’ slides from the panel. Notes from Q&A are available to attendees only - please email the organizers to request access
Extra links:
Asked and Answered: Dialogues on Advocating for Students of Color in Mathematics, by Pamela and Aris
Practices and Policies: Advocating for Students of Color in Mathematics, by Pamela and Aris
Lathisms (Latinx and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences), a website and community cofounded and co-organized by Pamela
Pamela and Aris’ podcast, Mathematically Uncensored
Nikhil’s poster “A whole lot of values for pi”, featuring a statement denouncing white supremacy (see the Backdrop section)
“How to talk about race and discrimination in your department” (Monday, September 20, 2021 at 1PM EDT / 10AM PDT)
Panelists: Melissa Emory (University of Toronto), Edna Jones (Rutgers University), Tian An Wong (University of Michigan-Dearborn)
Notes are available to attendees only - please email the organizers to request access
Extra links:
AMS Inclusion/Exclusion blog post “Can mathematics be antiracist?”, by Tian An (check the references for more great resources)
AMS Inclusion/Exclusion blog post “Get out the way”, by Piper H
“Why mathematics (education) was late to the backlash party: the need for a revolution”, by Rochelle Gutiérrez
“Modern mathematics confronts its white, patriarchal past”, by Rachel Crowell
FiveThirtyEight article “Universities say they want more diverse faculties. So why is academia still so white?”
Native-Land.ca, an interactive map of Indigenous territories, treaties and languages around the world
A video on Talk Math With Your Friends on Indigenous mathematicians
Alice Silverberg’s blog, Alice’s Adventures in Numberland, is filled with stories and advice
Grad Subgroups is an online initiative for building community specifically for first-year grad students in math
NSF funding opportunity: Racial Equity in STEM Education
Online edX course The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc
Online course Inclusive STEM Teaching Project
“The role of tenure” (Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Angela Gibney (University of Pennsylvania), Jessica Sidman (Mount Holyoke College), Anthony Várilly-Alvarado (Rice University)
Zoom registration (this is a new recurring link)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
The AMS’ policy statement on tenure
Repository of AMS Notices Early Career articles, edited by Angela; here are some relevant articles:
“Non-tenure-track teaching faculty in research departments” by Hanna Bennett and Rebecca Swanson
Angela’s research statement, which she keeps updated on her website
Book recommendations from the panelists:
Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande
Four Thousand Weeks (Time Management for Mortals), by Oliver Burkeman
David Bressoud’s blog post “The loss of tenure positions: threats to the profession”
Radhika Nagpal’s blog post, on The Scientific American, “The awesomest 7-year postdoc or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the tenure-track faculty life”
MathOverflow thread on getting tenure in mathematics
“Developing a research program” (Wednesday, August 18, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Jennifer Balakrishnan (Boston University), Robert Lemke Oliver (Tufts University), Emily Riehl (Johns Hopkins University), Lori Watson (Wake Forest University)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links - we didn’t have any links shared this time, so I compiled some articles and blog posts relevant to the discussion we had:
“Moving ahead in your research” by Ellen Eischen
“Keeping a problem list” by Alexander Perry
“Finding new problems to work on” by Chris Woodward
“How to proceed in mathematics” by Skip Garibaldi and Daniel M. Gordon, which includes some advice on choose research problems
“Changing focus” by Mark Andrea de Cataldo, on changing your research area
“My research is DUE tomorrow!” by Elizabeth Milićević, on fitting research into your daily/weekly routine
“How I learned to research like the Incredible Hulk (or I’m always angry)” by Robert Vallin
“How to do research in pure math” by Álvaro Lozano-Robledo
“Setting goals as a mathematician” by Anthony Bonato
“Problem solving vs. proving” by Anthony Bonato
“Using the arXiv” by Greg Kuperberg
“How to read a research paper” by Matt Baker
On crafting your research statement:
“Communicating mathematics in a research proposal” by Emily Clader
“How to craft a research statement for a position at a liberal arts college” by Jennifer Schaefer
“Diversity statements and diversity committees” (Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Paul Garrett (University of Minnesota), Jen Guerrero (UC Santa Cruz), Omayra Ortega (Sonoma State University)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
Omayra’s MAA blog post “Who needs a diversity statement anyway?”
Chad Topaz’s post on QSIDE, “Diversity statements in hiring, the American Mathematical Society, and UC Davis”
Adriana Salerno’s blog post on the AMS’ Inclusion/Exclusion blog, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statements in the hiring process”
Homepage of the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM), an organization with a distinguished record of promoting Black mathematicians and mathematicians of color. Omayra is the current president.
Part of the backlash to California’s proposed new Mathematics Curriculum Framework (a revision to a framework in effect since 2013) was this open letter, signed by hundreds of STEM faculty. While some of the claims made in this letter are inaccurate, the part of the proposal that recommended keeping students in the same classes as their peers was met with widespread criticism (see here for a critique by the LA Times editorial board - the original is behind a paywall).
“Stop, Collaborate and Listen: on mathematical collaborations” (Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Aaron Pollack (UC San Diego), Padmavathi Srinivasan (University of Georgia), Libby Taylor (Stanford University)
Zoom registration (NOTE: this is a new recurring link!)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
Rethinking Number Theory, a number theory workshop focused on not just math research, but also uplifting humans in the math community. Aaron and Andrew were project leaders in October 2020, while Manami was a participant in 2020 and will lead a project in July 2021.
AMS Mathematical Research Communities (MRCs)
“Graduate student perspectives: a year in review” (Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Deewang Bhamidipati (UC Santa Cruz), Bernardo Bianco Prado (University of Michigan), Jack J Garzella (UC San Diego), Maryam Khaqan (Emory University)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
paraDIGMS is a network of graduate program directors and committee members whose mission, among other things, includes “energiz[ing] systemic changes in graduate education” with particular emphasis on helping and advocating for historically marginalized groups. Check out the conference they organized in April 2021.
Webpage for the Diversity Committee run by graduate students in the math department at Texas A&M
Maryam’s photography page
Vance’s sense of humor in one comic strip
“Mathematicians’ role in society” (Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Ranthony A.C. Edmonds (The Ohio State University), Nikhil Garg (UC Berkeley), Heidi Goodson (Brooklyn College, City University of New York), Chad Topaz (Williams College / QSIDE Institute)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
Institute for the Quantitative Study of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (QSIDE) has provided this viewbook of information
“Modeling and policy in the COVID-19 pandemic” by Caroline Colijn
“Examining the modeling framework of crime hotspot models in predictive policing” by Heidi Goodson and Alanna Hoyer-Leitzel
Short Wave podcast episode “A Classroom Where Math and Community Intersect”, featuring Ranthony Edmonds
“Doing math in jest: reflections on useless math, the unreasonable effectiveness of of mathematics, and the ethical obligations of mathematicians” by Gizem Karaali
A video from Talk Math With Your Friends on teaching math for social justice
Freakonomics podcast episode “Policymaking is Not a Science (Yet)”
Francis Su’s blog
Just Mathematics Collective, an initiative started in 2020 to “shift the global mathematics community towards justice”
“How to publish your work: choosing and submitting to the ‘right’ journal” (Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Amanda Folsom (Amherst College), Andrew Obus (CUNY Baruch College), Ravi Vakil (Stanford University), Bianca Viray (University of Washington)
Extra links:
Ravi’s pre-panel thoughts on the topic
A blog post by Terence Tao on submitting to an appropriate journal
Several AMS Notices articles on the topic, including:
“Where to submit your paper” by Chuck Weibel
“What do I do when my paper or grant is rejected?” by Julie Bergner
“‘We regret to inform you’: what to do if your paper or grant is rejected” by Karen Lange
“How mathematics research journals select articles” by Harriet Pollatsek
MathOverflow thread on how to select a journal
The AMS Notices publishes an annual report on journal backlogs; here is the 2020 report
Pete Clark’s answer to a question on Academia Stackexchange, “How many papers should a PhD student in math try to publish before graduating?”
“Investing in the future of mathematics” (Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 1:30PM EDT / 10:30AM PDT)
Panelists: Alex Barrios (Carleton College), Keisha Cook (Tulane University), Alessandra Pantano (University of California, Irvine)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
OURFA²M²: the Online Undergraduate Resource Fair for the Advancement in Academia of Marginalized Mathematicians
Letters to a Pre-Scientist, “a collaboration between educators and scientists who want to show kids a more personal view of science”
The MSRI Undergraduate Program (MSRI-UP)
Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), aimed at underserved students in grades 6-12
Two math outreach programs at UC Irvine: the Math CEO program and the UCI Math Circle
Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, a model that has inspired other K-12 outreach efforts
MathCircles.org is a network of math circles and outreach programs in the US
STEM NOLA, a STEM outreach nonprofit in the New Orleans community
MATH FOR ALL in New Orleans, a recent (March 2021) conference on math education and research, co-organized by Keisha
Nova Scotia Math Circles (NSMathCircles)
ComSciCon, “a series of workshops focused on the communication of complex and technical concepts organized by graduate students, for graduate students”
The MAA’s Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching)
Toyin Alli’s YouTube channel The Academic Society, which features TONS of videos on how to navigate grad school and academia
A 2017 report by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) on the number of women in science and engineering in Canada
A video from Talk Math With Your Friends on teaching math for social justice
“Organizing conferences and other academic events” (Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 1:30PM EST / 10:30AM PST)
Panelists: Anthony Bonato (Ryerson University), Jessica Fintzen (University of Cambridge / Duke University), Heidi Goodson (Brooklyn College, City University of New York), Rachel Pries (Colorado State University)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
“So, you want to host an inclusive and accesible conference?”
When considering the diversity of your speakers, panelists and general participants:
Spectra (The Association for LGBT Mathematicians) maintains an “outlist” of LGBTQ+ mathematicians.
Mathematically Gifted and Black is a website created to highlight the work and lives of Black mathematicians.
Info about hosting AMS events, including special sessions at AMS sectionals and AMS conferences
Info about hosting a workshop at BIRS (Banff International Research Station)
The Canadian Mathematical Society’s (CMS) events page
A Room of One’s Own, a funding opportunity for mathematicians with “intense daily human care responsibilities” that was unfortunately suspended due to the COVID pandemic
“Math beyond academia” (Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 1:30pm EST / 10:30AM PST)
Panelists: Candace Bethea (Bain & Company), Jeff Breeding-Allison (Data Scientist), Isabel Leal (Google)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
Mathematically Gifted and Black is a website created to highlight the work and lives of Black mathematicians, some of whom work outside academia.
The Insight Data Science Fellows Program is a bridge program from academia to careers in data science.
Numerous websites, including LeetCode and HackerRank, allow you to hone your coding and problem-solving skills in order to prepare for an interview.
Similarly, CaseInterviewPartner.com and RocketBlocks offer tools to prepare for case interviews, which are common interview formats for consulting firms, as well as tech companies like Google and Amazon.
Weapons of Math Destruction, by Cathy O'Neil (a number theorist turned data scientist), is a book about the impacts of math and algorithms on social structures.
“Balancing family, Covid and Academia” (Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 1:30pm EST / 10:30AM PST)
Panelists: Ignacio Barros (Université Paris-Saclay), Laure Flapan (Michigan State University), Rachel Neville (Northern Arizona University), Christelle Vincent (University of Vermont)
Zoom registration (note: this is a new recurring link for 2021)
Notes are available upon request - contact the organizers for access
Extra links:
A Room of One’s Own, a funding opportunity for mathematicians with “intense daily human care responsibilities” that was unfortunately suspended due to the COVID pandemic.
Lactation resources page at the University of Vermont. Lunch attendees expressed a desire for their institution / department to make resources like this much more accessible.