Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

The 22nd iteration of the Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics (NCUWM) will be hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from January 31st through February 2nd, 2020, while the 23rd and 24th installments will take place in late January or early February in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Women remain an underrepresented population in the mathematical sciences, and the mission of the conference is to encourage and support undergraduate women mathematics majors in order to help them pursue graduate education and careers in mathematics. NCUWM achieves it goals through a variety of activities. Plenary talks given by successful women mathematicians showcase different kinds of mathematics and different careers made possible by a mathematical education. Three panel discussions and a range of small group discussions disseminate information on a number of topics involving graduate school and career options. A significant percentage of conference attendees have completed original research projects, and the conference provides a venue for students to share this research in 48 talk slots and a poster session. Additionally, the schedule includes a variety of networking activities that help participants connect with peers and mentors. Undergraduate attendees benefit from learning cutting edge mathematics from the presentations of the plenary speakers as well as from undergraduate research presentations, and student presenters have the opportunity to share their research with supportive and welcoming audiences. NCUWM has won the AMS Award for Mathematics Programs that Make a Difference and has received exemplary feedback from an independent assessment. The conference has seen an ever-increasing breadth of applicants each year and has been recognized as a model for other undergraduate conferences. These outcomes have occurred because of the guidance of an overall mentoring philosophy that features active involvement of mentees and role models at a variety of career stages, thoughtful matching of conference activities to specific mentoring needs, enthusiastic support from the Department of Mathematics and the University of Nebraska administration, and the leadership of faculty who have dedicated a portion of their careers to making NCUWM a success. The conference webpage is available at https://www.math.unl.edu/~ncuwm/ This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.