News from the AMS

On a recent trip to Washington, DC, Jennifer Taback had the extraordinary opportunity to meet with both of her senators to discuss federal science and education policy.

Determining spending levels for government programs is a challenging task for lawmakers. Revenue, deficits, and politics all play a huge role. Critically, Congress can rely on a few guides: past budgets and the President?s budget request. President Trump?s ?skinny? (i.e., brief) budget was released on May 2 and more detailed budget items were released on May 30 (available here). Learn more about the federal budget process.

On May 22 staff from several congressional offices gathered with mathematicians for a briefing: "Mathematical Foundations of AI Innovation and Trustworthiness," by Dr. Rebecca Willett, Professor of Statistics & Computer Science, University of Chicago. This event was hosted by the American Mathematical Society and the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI). See a video recap of the gathering.

The AMS holds annual congressional briefings to illustrate the importance of federal investment in basic research in math and science for decision-makers on Capitol Hill. This year's briefing took place while Congress reviews the president's proposed 50% budget cut to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and prepares their formal budget appropriations.

Dr. Willett wrote in her abstract, "Investing in applied artificial intelligence (AI) without understanding the underlying mathematical foundations is like investing in healthcare without understanding biology..."

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has provided the majority of funding for fundamental research... The AMS encourages you to contact your elected officials and ask that they reject the cuts...

Contact: AMS Communications

Jacob "Jaap" Korevaar, Dutch mathematician, died March 18, 2025, at the age of 102. He received his PhD in 1949 from the University of Leiden under the direction of Hendrik Douwe Kloosterman. Korevaar’s research broadly fell into the areas of complex analysis and approximation theory. An emeritus professor at the University of Amsterdam, he was a faculty member and chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1953 to 1964, UW-M reported in a memorial. Named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1960, Korevaar held roles in the Royal Netherlands’ Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), including chairman of the mathematical section from 1994 to 1996. A Fellow of the American Mathematical Society and an AMS member, he joined the AMS in 1949. Read more in this memorial.

Contact: AMS Communications