AMS at the 2013 AMATYC Annual Conference
The 39th Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) was held in Jacksonville, FL, October 31-November 3. The theme was Math: There's no end to the fun!, and included keynote speakers, posters, sessions, networking opportunities, committee meetings, delegate assembly, and exhibits. The American Mathematical Society hosted an exhibit at the conference.
The AMS exhibit included free posters, including "When Will I Use Math?" (inspired by a poster presentation at last year's AMATYC meeting), Mathematical Moments, 2014 Calendar of Mathematical Imagery, a selection of AMS books, information on AMS membership, materials on careers in the mathematical sciences, AMS Homework Software Survey, and some resources from the American Statistical Society. One AMATYC raffle winner won an AMS tote bag filled wtih gifts and the book, Mathematical Impressions.
The AMATYC conference organizers scheduled several dedicated exhibit times when attendees could visit the exhibits without missing any sessions, providing a nice opportunity for the AMS and other exhibitors to meet conference participants, discuss professional resources and materials for teaching and awareness, and present publications.
There were several visitors in the AMS exhibit booth who said they had been AMS members as graduate students and had lost touch with the AMS's programs and services that are of interest to them now. Many took the AMS membership brochure for information on how to rejoin the AMS--or join for the first time.
Keynote and Breakfast Speakers were Sheila Tobias, Victor Piercey, and David Masunaga, and Featured Speakers were Pat McKeague and Jim Stigler. Session topic tracks included assessment, curriculum redesign, developmental mathematics, department and division issues (such as adjunct issues and mentoring new faculty), instructional strategies, teacher preparation, and teaching wtih technology. There were also addresses by leaders of the Association for Women in Mathematics, Mathematical Association of America, National Association or Developmental Education, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, as well as poster presentations.
See the 2013 AMATYC Annual Conference website for details on the program. The 2014 AMATYC Annual Conference will be held in Nashville, TN, November 13-16. Proposals for the 2014 conference are due by February 1, 2014.
--- Annette Emerson, AMS Public Awareness Officer