AMS Updates

Apply by March 18 for AMS-Simons Research Enhancement Grants for PUI Faculty

Apply for the 2024 AMS-Simons Research Enhancement Grants for Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) Faculty program by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, March 18, 2024. Applicants will be notified of their status in June 2024, and grants will begin on July 1, 2024. These research grants provide $3,000 a year for three years.

For in-depth information about the program, download the one-hour webinar for prospective applicants from November 9, 2023 [URL below]. In this webinar, Sarah Bryant, director of AMS Programs, describes the program and its eligibility requirements and shares advice on strengthening your application. Bryant and the 2023 committee cochairs, Francis Su and Deborah Lockhart, also field questions from the real-time webinar attendees.

The presentation is available for download at https://www.ams.org/ams-simons-pui-research. This page also contains more information about activities supported by the grant. Questions? Email ams-simons-pui@ams.org.

—AMS Programs Department

An Industry Perspective: Alan Lee of Analog Devices, Inc., Briefs Capitol Hill

The American Mathematical Society (AMS) and the Institute for Pure & Applied Mathematics (IPAM) jointly hosted a Congressional briefing titled “Math Changes Everything—The Importance of Mathematics to the US: An Industry Perspective” on December 6, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The briefing was given by Alan Lee, chief technology officer of Analog Devices, Inc.

The AMS holds annual Congressional briefings as a means to communicate to policymakers the pivotal roles of the mathematical sciences in American life. Speakers bring science directly to Capitol Hill decisionmakers. They explain how federal investment in basic research in math and science pays off for American taxpayers and helps the nation remain a world leader in innovation. Each briefing showcases work connected to one of the National Science Foundation-funded Mathematical Sciences Institutes; this year featured IPAM.

Beginning with the personal story of his start in math, Lee delivered a broad survey of how mathematics is fundamental in a very wide variety of applications. He introduced the audience to the work of mathematicians—Julia Robinson; Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman; Terence Tao and Emmanuel Candès; Karen Uhlenbeck—and how their mathematics have advanced technologies and improved our understanding of the universe.

Lee then connected specific mathematics to topics of current concern to Congress, such as artificial intelligence; financial systems; networks, cybersecurity, and the modern defense ecosystem; human health; the health of our planet; and manufacturing, transport, and infrastructure. Noting that other countries are investing more in mathematics education, he gave direction for opportunities for the nation to grow domestic talent and simultaneously attract top talent from abroad.

In a compelling argument for strategic federal investment in mathematics research, Lee highlighted the role of the NSF-funded Mathematical Sciences Research Institutes in advancing this research and supporting the math community at large. It was a beautiful presentation; the audience was very attentive and Congressional staff asked great questions.

Lee’s slides, as well as further information about AMS Congressional briefings and previous speakers, will be posted at https://www.ams.org/government/dc-outreach.

—Karen Saxe, Associate Executive Director, AMS

Fifty Graduate Programs Participate in 2023 Online Fall Graduate School Fair

Fifty US math graduate programs, as well as Math Alliance, the EDGE Program, and the AMS Programs and Membership departments, exhibited at the annual AMS Online Fall Graduate School Fair, which was hosted on the Gather platform on October 17, 2023.

At the fair, representatives of graduate programs in the mathematical sciences staffed virtual tables and answered questions about their programs. Undergraduates learned about possibilities for graduate study and master’s students explored opportunities for PhD study.

Register in late spring 2024 for the fall 2024 online fair. For more information, visit https://www.ams.org/gradfair or email the AMS Programs staff at mailto:prof-serv@ams.org.

—AMS Programs Department

Introduction to Advocacy: AMS Welcomes Virginia High-School Students

Thirty students from John R. Lewis High School in Springfield, Virginia, visited the AMS Office of Government Relations in Washington, DC, in October 2023 as part of the school’s Lewis Leadership Program.

After exploring the National Mall using the Mathematical Association of America’s Field Guide to Math, the students learned about AMS policy and advocacy work; shared their own experiences and perspectives about mathematics education; and explored the role of mathematics as a tool for positive social change.

The group was hosted by Karen Saxe, director of the AMS Office of Government Relations, and Tyler Kloefkorn, associate director. Saxe and Kloefkorn discussed the value of mathematics and its importance to future progress in science, engineering, and technology innovation, including artificial intelligence. They also taught the young leaders how to influence the legislative process through advocacy. As an example, the students were encouraged to use AMS resources to support legislation for a Congressional Gold Medal for Bob Moses, the late founder of the Algebra Project. Moses was a public education advocate, math literacy educator, and like their high school’s namesake, an influential civil-rights activist.

In its second year, the Lewis Leadership Program provides Lewis High School’s 1,690 students with real-world, hands-on learning about leadership, justice, service, and advocacy inside and outside the classroom. The visit to Washington was part of a broader series of Leadership Program events designed to foster joy and curiosity in mathematics among students who experience systemic barriers to enrichment. Students in grades 9–12 engaged in collaborative learning in Spanish and English with AMS leaders, Fairfax County Public Schools staff from Lewis High School and the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, and community partners from TODOS: Mathematics for ALL.

—AMS Office of Government Relations

Deaths of AMS Members

Lawrence A. Zalcman, of Israel, died on May 31, 2022. Born on June 9, 1943, he was a member of the Society for 55 years.

Asvald Lima, of Norway, died on April 11, 2023. Born on October 1, 1942, he was a member of the Society for 46 years.

Joseph A. Wolf, of Berkeley, California, died on August 14, 2023. Born on October 18, 1936, he was a member of the Society for 66 years.

Eric A. Nordgren, of Durham, New Hampshire, died on August 16, 2023. Born on March 31, 1933, he was a member of the Society for 60 years.

Joseph B. Roberts, of Portland, Oregon, died on August 31, 2023. Born on September 9, 1923, he was a member of the Society for 67 years.

Walker E. Hunt, of San Antonio, Texas, died on September 1, 2023. Born on June 7, 1937, he was a member of the Society for 56 years.

Eugenio Calabi, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, died on September 5, 2023. Born on May 11, 1923, he was a member of the Society for 73 years.

Margaret W. Taft, of Arlington, Massachusetts, died on October 14, 2023. Born on November 4, 1945, she was a member of the Society for 52 years.

Lawrence Hueston Harper, of Riverside, California, died on October 20, 2023. Born on August 1, 1938, he was a member of the Society for 2 years.

Gary M. Seitz, of Seattle, Washington, died on October 30, 2023. Born on May 10, 1943, he was a member of the Society for 57 years.

Gerald T. Cargo, of Windsor, Colorado, died on November 10, 2023. Born on March 1, 1930, he was a member of the Society for 66 years.