Conference: Topology Students Workshop 2024

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

This award provides support for the 7th biennial Topology Students Workshop (TSW) that will be held at Vanderbilt University during June 10-14, 2024. This is a five-day research and professional development activity for graduate students in the fields of geometric group theory, geometry, and topology, designed to expose graduate students to a wide range of current research, and to build their communication, networking, and problem-sharing skills. Approximately forty graduate students will participate, guided by ten mentors, who come from a wide range of career stages and research backgrounds within this field. The professional development and research sides of the workshop run in tandem, with mentors giving guidance in both areas. The workshop format devotes ample time for active networking and critiquing of research presentations. The primary goals of TSW are to a) expose graduate students to a wide range of current research in topology, b) build their communication, networking, and problem-sharing skills, and c) give guidance on necessary but typically untaught aspects of the profession. The research portion covers a broad array of topics within geometry and topology including contact and symplectic topology, 3-manifolds, hyperbolic geometry, group actions, and complex dynamics. Professional development sessions include topics such as how best to benefit from conference participation and aim to build confidence and research potential among students. The workshop includes structured sessions on networking and etiquette, the job application process, communication skills, and a panel discussion on career paths that involves mathematicians from organizations such as NSA, Amazon, Google and private high schools. Mentors will also give research talks and suggest relevant problems to students who are embarking on a research career. The web site for the conference is http://www.danmargalit.net/tsw24. 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.