Carl Bialik Receives 2008 JPBM Communications Award

January 7, 2008

Providence, RI:

Carl Bialik of the Wall Street Journal is receiving the 2008 JPBM Communications Award. Presented annually by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics, this award recognizes outstanding achievement in communicating about mathematics to nonmathematicians. The JPBM represents the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The award was presented today at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego, California.

The award citation states: "In his regular columns and blogs, Carl Bialik exposes the misuse of numbers and statistics throughout society and in applications ranging over every part of life, from economics and politics to sports and medicine. His writing does more than document the misuse, however, because he gently introduces sound mathematical reasoning in everything he writes. He shows how to use numbers and mathematics in a way that illustrates sound principles of scientific inquiry, paying careful attention to original sources and using professional mathematical scientists to validate his work.

"Carl Bialik exemplifies the best traditions of scientific journalism, bringing mathematics and mathematical thinking to a large readership. The breadth, volume, and quality of his writing are all spectacular."

Find out more about AMS prizes at http://www.ams.org/prizes-awards.

Contact :
Public Awareness Office
American Mathematical Society
201 Charles St.
Providence, RI 02904
Email: paoffice at ams dot org
Phone: 401-455-4000
Fax: 401-331-3842

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.