Young Mathematicians Conference

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

The Young Mathematicians Conference (YMC), a premier annual conference for undergraduate research in mathematics, takes place during a weekend in August, from Friday noon until Sunday at noon. The conference has been running since 2003 with the ongoing support of NSF. YMC provides a venue for undergraduate students to present and disseminate the results of their research, discuss mathematics with their peers and with senior researchers, and receive recognition of their research achievements. Another primary mission of YMC is to inspire and encourage students, particularly women and traditionally underrepresented groups, to pursue mathematics as a career. Students submit abstracts, which are judged and ranked by a panel of 40-70 faculty reviewers. Top-ranked students and their mentors are invited to participate in YMC. Besides student talks and a poster session, there are three plenary lectures delivered by world-class mathematicians to introduce students to topics related to high impact innovative research of current interest. Videos of these lectures are posted online. A Graduate School Orientation event invites representatives from PhD programs to provide information and insights about a graduate career in mathematics. YMC is a natural place to exchange ideas focused on undergraduate mentoring. Mentors from different institutions convene at a Mentors' Breakfast where they discuss best practices, previous experiences, and challenges related to supervising undergraduate research and mentorship. A strong online presence allows connections and continuity with past participants. The conference website is https://ymc.osu.edu/. 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.