Program for Women and Mathematics to Explore Aspects of Algebraic Geometry

This May, Program for Women and Mathematics will mark its twenty-second year by bringing together research mathematicians and undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral women studying mathematics for an intensive residential mentoring program. The 2015 series, which will explore aspects of algebraic geometry, will take place May 11–22 on the campus of the Institute for Advanced Study and is sponsored by the Institute and Princeton University, with support from the National Science Foundation.

The Program for Women and Mathematics aims to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to continue their mathematics education and address issues of gender imbalance in the field. In addition to lectures and seminars focused on aspects of algebraic geometry, the program includes mentoring, discussions on peer relations, an introduction to career opportunities and a series of seminars about women in science.

“We are very excited to welcome a large group of extremely accomplished and promising undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral scholars to this year's program,” says Christine Taylor, a Member and Visitor (2010­–13, 2013–14) in the School of Mathematics at the Institute and Lecturer at Princeton University, who is one of the organizers of the program. “We have a very strong international presence this year with women coming from universities all over the globe including Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Russia.”

In addition to Taylor, the 2015 program is organized by Sun-Yung Alice Chang, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University; Antonella Grassi, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania; and Dusa McDuff, Helen Lyttle Kimmel ’42 Professor of Mathematics at Barnard College, Columbia University.

The course will feature lectures by Elizabeth Beazley of Haverford College, Lucia Caporaso of the Università degli Studi Roma Tre and Wei Ho of the University of Michigan. Claire Voisin, of the Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu, who led this year's special program on “The Topology of Algebraic Varieties” as a Member in the School of Mathematics, will deliver a lecture as well. In addition to mathematical lectures and seminars, the program will also feature a public lecture by Claudia Perlich, Chief Scientist at Dstillery, a violin performance by an undergraduate participant and professional development and career planning workshops.

For more information, visit http://www.ias.edu/math/wam/2015.