Schedule for: 18w2043 - Impact of Women Mathematicians on Research and Education in Mathematics

Abstract: Sophie Germain was a French mathematician that lived from 1776 to 1831. Growing up, she read the works of famous mathematicians and, despite her parents’ wishes, persisted in studying mathematics. As a female, Germain faced many challenges trying to attain a formal education in mathematics. However, using an alias, she was able to correspond with some highly-regarded mathematicians at the time, such as Lagrange, Legendre and Gauss. Eventually, her true identity became known, but Germain continued to study and pursue mathematics at a very high level. Sadly, Germain was ultimately not respected as a mathematician and she struggled to overcome the societal limitations of being a female in 18th century France. In this talk, I will discuss some of her mathematical contributions and their relevance today. Germain's work has a variety of real-world applications such as in the field of cryptography. Also, her work on the subject of elasticity allowed the construction of the Eiffel Tower to be possible. Studying her work is important in understanding the historical role women have played in the field of mathematics.

About the speaker: Katie Burak is a graduate student at the University of Calgary where she is pursuing her Masters of Science in Statistics study.

Abstract: We explore the life and accomplishments of the biostatistician Frances Elizabeth (Betty) Allan [1905-1952]. Throughout the talk, we will touch on the roles, areas of research, and some of the gender-related challenges Betty Allan faced. We will see how this remarkable woman laid groundwork for statistical analysis in scientific research in Australia, and fought relentlessly to make her voice heard.

About the speaker: Hannah Brown is a BSc student majoring in mathematics and minoring in biology at the University of Alberta. She has done collaborative research on a population matrix model for ringed seals in the Beaufort Sea area, and their interaction with polar bears.

Abstract: It is no secret that in ancient times male mathematicians dominated the field and it was not very common to see a female scientist. However, this should not divert our attention from the revolutionary contributions of ancient women mathematicians. In fact, history remembers the names of the women who made significant advances in those eras. Out of these, we can mention Theano, the wife of the Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras who is best known for devising the Pythagorean Theorem, and Hypatia of Alexandria, the daughter of Theon, a mathematician and Philosopher. These are the first women in the written history to make a substantial contribution to mathematics. Herein, we look more closely into their lives and their breakthroughs in areas like astronomy, algebra, physics and philosophy.

About the speaker: Samira Sadeghi is working in the research group of INVIDI Technologies Corporation as a Data Scientist. She has a PhD in Statistics from University of Alberta, 2015. Samira was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alberta and INVIDI Technologies Corporation through Mitacs elevate program from November 2015 to October 2017.

Abstract: An edge colouring of a graph is an assignment of labels (colours) to the edges of a graph such that adjacent edges are assigned different colours. It is clear that if the maximum degree of the graph is k, and v is a vertex of degree k, then at least k colours are needed to colour the edges incident with v. A famous result by the Russian mathematician Vadim Vizing states that k+1 colours will always suffice to colour the edges of the whole graph. Graphs whose edges can be coloured with its maximum degree number of colours are called Class one graphs and the rest are called Class two graphs.

A snark is a 3-regular Class two graph that satisfies some additional requirements, depending on whose definition one follows. Certainly, they should be connected and bridgeless. Modern authors usually require that they be triangle-free, or even of girth at least 5, and cyclically 4-edge connected. They have been studied since the 1880’s, when the Scottish physicist Peter Tait proved that the Four Colour Theorem is equivalent to the statement that no snark is planar. The popular science writer Martin Gardner gave them the name “snark” in 1975. The name, taken from the elusive creature in Lewis Carroll’s poem The Hunting of the Snark, reflects the scarcity of examples in the years after Tait defined them. The smallest and earliest known example of a snark is the Petersen graph, discovered in 1898. Due to their connection with the Four Colour Theorem (Four Colour Conjecture, at the time), much attention was given to the pursuit of new examples of snarks (with the hope of finding a planar one, perhaps), but a second example was not discovered until 1946. Since then, more examples have been discovered, including infinite families.

I will discuss early examples and infinite families of snarks and their connections to well-known results and conjectures in graph theory, highlighting contributions made by women on snarks (Amanda Chetwynd, Myriam Preissmann, sarah-marie belcastro, Carla Fiori, Beatrice Ruini (all contemporary)) and other topics in graph theory (Henda Swart, 1939 – 2016, whose legacy is the top quality researchers whom she inspired, Fan Chung, Penny Haxell, to mention but a few).

About the speaker: Kieka Mynhardt was born in Cape Town and lived in South Africa until 2002, when she moved to Victoria, Canada. She obtained her PhD from the University of Johannesburg under the supervision of Izak Broere. She started her professional career at the University of Pretoria, moving to the University of South Africa, also in Pretoria, after two years. She now holds a professorship at the University of Victoria.

Abstract: Distance education is best suited to support the learning of adult women who need to accommodate concurrently the needs of their families and their academic aspirations. We will give examples on how Distance Education and in particular Athabasca University contribute to the wellbeing of women and their families.

About the speaker: Maria grew up in Mexico City where she studied her Bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (1978). She obtained her M Sc. (1979) and Ph D (1985) from McMaster University, in the field or harmonic analysis under the supervision of Dr. James Stewart. Later she became interested in distance education and obtained a MDE (2001) from Athabasca University. Before joining Athabasca University in 2005, she was a professor of mathematics, for 20 years at the University of Regina. Currently, Maria is the treasurer of the Alberta Network for Immigrant Women and president of the Latin American Literary Association of Calgary.

Abstract: Philippa Fawcett gained temporary fame when she topped the 1890 Cambridge Tripos Exams. Had Fawcett’s name been Phillip ‘he’ would have had so much more acclaim. To set Philippa’s mathematical brilliance in context we will begin with a description of the Cambridge Tripos Exams. Those who pass the 54 hours of Tripos Exams (two 3-hour exams each day for 9 consecutive week days) are called Wranglers. The top Tripos student is the Senior Wrangler, a truly great honour. This title ensures an immediate position in any University and almost certainly becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Philippa Fawcett the greatest mathematics undergraduate of the U.K. in 1890 was finally awarded a B.A. from the University of Cambridge, in 1948 at the age of 80.

About the speaker: Professor Connolly came from Australia to the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario in fall of 1966. The following year he set off to return home to Sydney, New South Wales. On his way across the US and Canada, he became stranded by a huge snow storm in Lethbridge, Alberta. A new university was about to open, and Professor Connolly signed on for two years (to teach 14 courses), which has led to more than 50 years at the University of Lethbridge. Professor Connolly's interests have changed from Statistics and his PhD thesis in Fourier Analysis to Spherical Geometry, Teaching strategies and the History of Mathematics.

Abstract: By highlighting the contributions of two outstanding female statisticians, Florence Nightingale (1820 -1910) and Nancy Reid (1952-), we will illustrate how the relative young discipline of Statistics has changed in the last 150 years. Nightingale, living in Victorian times, required permission from her father to get an education and work. She devised and applied ideas on how to effectively illustrate and display data. Reid, graduated from Stanford University and is now a professor of Statistics at the University of Toronto. She is recognized internationally as one of the leading theoretical statisticians and made contributions to diverse areas like higher order asymptotics, conditional inference, and Bayesian and frequentist statistical methods.

About the speaker: Dr. Buro completed her PhD in mathematics at the Technical University in Aachen, Germany in 1995. She joined MacEwan University in 2003 as a full-time faculty member in the department of Mathematics and Statistics and became chair of the department in 2013. Her research interests are in statistical design theory and the mathematics of electoral systems. She enjoys an extensive number of collaborations with researchers from various disciplines, providing statistical support for their projects.

Abstract: Contrary to popular belief, women have, throughout history, made important contributions to physics. This talk will introduce the audience to a handful of physicists who helped build the field, yet remain relatively unknown. A brief summary of each physicists’ achievements and diverse background will be provided. The last part of the talk will be dedicated to providing information and resources on how to search for and find historical examples of women who have advanced the study of physics.

About the speaker: Amanda Garcia is a PhD Candidate in Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Giuseppe Sellaroli has a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, where he has been a postdoctoral fellow and sessional lecturer.

Abstract: Riverbank Laboratories - a think-tank outside of Chicago, Illinois - was one of the only U.S. facilities to seriously study cryptology in the early 1900’s. It was also home to several talented women who would go on to become leaders in cryptology. Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Agnes Meyer Driscoll were two of these women.

Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892 – 1980), an English major and poetry enthusiast, began working at Riverbank in 1916. It was here that her love affair with cryptology began. She was hired to analyze Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets in the hope of finding a hidden cipher that would reveal that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare’s work. She would go on to work for the U.S. Navy, Treasury Department, and Coast Guard where she cracked thousands of codes. She is often credited as being America’s first female cryptanalyst and as one of the most remarkable women to ever work for the U.S. government.

Agnes Meyer Driscoll (1889 – 1971), a mathematics major, began her career as a high school teacher and enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War I. She began learning about cryptography in the Code and Signal Section and travelled to Riverbank to continue her studies in 1920. She spent over 40 years in cryptology, led the attack on several Japanese naval systems, and was the Navy’s principal cryptanalyst for many years.

In this talk, we will dive deeper into the lives and careers of female pioneers in cryptology like Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Agnes Meyer Driscoll. We will examine examples of codes they broke and will discuss their impact in the field of cryptography.

About the speaker: Lauren DeDieu is a mathematics instructor at the University of Calgary. She was a MathCEP Postdoc at the University of Minnesota from 2016-2017 and completed her Ph.D. at McMaster University in 2016. Lauren’s research area lies in the intersection of algebraic geometry and combinatorics. She also has a strong interest in tertiary mathematics education. Lauren is wildlife enthusiast and enjoys taking pictures of squirrels and birds.

Abstract: The narratives and anecdotes of women mathematicians are a part of the history to which not often is payed attention. Anecdotal stories may offer a more profound understanding of what being a woman mathematician has meant in various eras. Considering women mathematicians' experiences and stories in relation to their biographies is valuable because it has the impetus to humanize, rather than mythologize the role of women in mathematics. This kind of an approach could also have implications in mathematics education with regards to issues of gender. More specifically, narratives of women mathematicians can provide a path for addressing obscured issues that affect girls' and women's relationships with the field.

In the beginning of the talk, I will propose that studying narrative accounts, can help us gain a better understanding when studying women mathematicians from a historical perspective. I will turn to the narrative accounts of Olga Taussky-Todd (1906-1995), Marjorie Lee Browne (1914-1979) and Maryam Marzakhani (1977-2017), to exemplify the above thesis and to discuss the importance of narratives for understanding the complicated struggle of these women mathematicians within the power relations of their time. Finally, I will propose that narrative accounts of women mathematicians from history can be used towards deconstructing the prevailing discourses about being a mathematician as incompatible with being a woman.

About the speaker: Dionysia Pitsili-Chatzi has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a master's degree in mathematics education from the University of Athens in Greece. As of September 2017, she is a PhD student at the Faculty of Education in the University of Ottawa. Her studies are funded by the Onassis Scholarship Foundation.

Abstract: Mathematical biology is considered to be a young branch of applied mathematics. Although one can trace applications of mathematics in biology back to the nineteenth century, it was only during the second half of the twentieth century that mathematical biology started to become an independent scientific discipline, followed by its full present acceptance as a field of applied mathematics in the twenty first century. A significant part of the development of this interdisciplinary field has taken place in the mathematics departments of several Canadian universities under the leadership, in many cases, of women academics who have had the courage and initiative to validate the importance of describing and quantifying biological processes using the theories and techniques of applied mathematics. In the spirit of recognizing this meaningful pioneering work, this presentation will offer a brief view of the main educational and research contributions from some of the women mathematicians in Canada who have played a major role in developing and shaping the fascinating and fast growing discipline of Mathematical Biology.

About the speaker: Gustavo Carrero obtained both his Bachelor and Masters in Science in Mathematics in Venezuela, from Universidad Simón Bolívar and Universidad de Los Andes, respectively. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from University of Alberta, where he worked under the supervision of Dr. Gerda de Vries in the field of Mathematical Biology. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and is currently working as an Assistant Professor at Athabasca University.

Abstract: This talk will focus on the impact women are making in number theory. The first part will focus on some recent notable contributions to different branches within number theory. The second part of the talk will focus on efforts made to encourage women in this research area. We will pay special attention to one particularly successful venture: Women in Number Theory (WIN). They organize workshops and conferences, publish proceedings from resulting collaborations, connect community members at all stages of their careers and highlight contributions to number theory made by women.

About the speaker: Allysa Lumley is a PhD. Candidate at York University studying analytic number theory under Dr. Lamzouri. She did her BSc and MSc. at the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge AB. Part of her tenure at Lethbridge involved the design and organization of an outreach program called Fun With Math which aimed to introduce abstract concepts to students from grades 7-12. She is currently co-designing training sessions for the Math Kangaroo at York university and a founding member of the student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics. Last year Allysa implemented a Graduate Student seminar with the aim of providing a place for learning about presenting effectively and encouraging collaboration within the department.

Abstract: It is difficult to overstate the effect that Emmy Noether's life has had on the field of commutative algebra. One cannot teach a course on the subject without repeatedly uttering her name, and the way that the subject is thought of is in large part thanks to her perspective. While she was well respected by her collaborators, she of course faced challenges because of her sex, such as being unable to get a paid position in Germany, as well as facing the usual sexism which was rampant during the 19th and early 20th century. In this talk I hope to highlight and explain the mathematics she is known for and how it fits into modern mathematics, while simultaneously giving historical context to give a more complete picture of who she was as both a jewish woman and as a mathematician. I will pay particular attention to her developments in the theory of modules and central simple algebras. Unfortunately, there will not be time to go into detail about her work in physics, but to ignore it would give a wildly incomplete picture of her life, so I will briefly explain her work in that area as well.

About the speaker: Dr. Etroposki received her PhD from Emory University in 2016 and is currently in the second year of her postdoc position at Rice University. Her research area is arithmetic geometry, and her main focus is the study of rational points on higher genus curves. She has a particular interest in the arithmetic of modular curves, whose rational points encode information about elliptic curves in a “uniform” sense.

Abstract: This talk will focus on Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799), Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891), Emmy Noether (1882-1935). I will highlight the important mathematical research work carried out by these women despite being barred from official recognition (and pay) by their universities, enduring mockery for being female, and often being confined to their bedrooms as working spaces, where they literally papered the walls and filled shoeboxes under the bed with their work. The questions are about claiming space -- physical and social, public and private, domestic and professional -- as women in mathematics.

Along with the life and work of these three mathematicians, I will also consider the process of researching and expressing that history to a broader audience via the arts. I am currently writing a mathematics history play about Agnesi, Kovelevskaya and Noether. The talk will include excerpts from the play, and open up to questions about taking space and articulating suppressed histories.

About the speaker: Susan Gerofsky brings experience in a number of fields to bear in an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to mathematics education and curriculum theory. Her research is in embodied, multi sensory, multimodal mathematics education through the arts, movement, gesture and voice. She also works in environmental garden-based education, the language and genres of mathematics education, and media theory. She holds degrees in languages and linguistics as well as mathematics education, and worked for years in film production, adult education, and as a high school teacher.

Abstract: The stereotype of a successful mathematician is someone who has been focused on mathematics from early in life. Many women (and those from other represented groups) do not fit this image. This talk will describe a program that has successfully let women re-enter the mathematics pipeline and the stories of some its participants, who are now mathematicians. The Post baccalaureate program for women in mathematics at Smith College in Massachusetts, USA, was the first of its kind to help women with Bachelor’s degrees who were not prepared for graduate school in math get the support they needed to pursue their goals. It remains a unique opportunity.

About the speaker: Ruth Haas is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She is also Achilles Professor Emerita in Mathematics and Statistics at Smith College where she worked from 1989–2017. At Smith she co-founded and co-directed the Center for Women in Mathematics which received the 2011 AMS Programs That Make a Difference Award for its post-baccalaureate program. Ruth Haas was the 2015 recipient of the AWM Humphreys Award for mentoring undergraduate women to continue to PhDs in the mathematical sciences. She earned her undergraduate degree at Swarthmore College and PhD at Cornell University. She has more than 30 publications in areas of discrete mathematics including both algebraic combinatorics and graph theory. She has served on committees of all the major US mathematical societies. Haas is the President Elect of the Association for Women in Mathematics.

Abstract: In the field of mathematics education, there is a dearth of study of biographies and autobiographies of mathematicians. I contend that these written accounts have been undervalued for the knowledge they contain about the discipline of mathematics, in particular, what is entailed in doing mathematics and in becoming a mathematician. Working from an autobiographical sketch and biographies of Sofya Kovalevskaya (1850-1891), the first woman generally thought to have gained a doctorate in mathematics, and using the Lacanian notion of desire, I examine the forces that shape and influence engagement with mathematics. This work has consequences for bringing women to the forefront of mathematics education in examining the construction of mathematical identity/subjectivity in teachers and students alike.

About the speaker: Veda Roodal Persad teaches mathematics and statistics both face-to-face and online at Langara College and in the Open Learning Division of Thompson Rivers University. Veda holds a PhD in mathematics education from Simon Fraser University.

Abstract: From 2013-2016, I taught a seminar for first-year liberal arts students, The Mathematical Experience, that blended an introduction to number theory, topology, and group theory with an examination of mathematics as a field of study. The course used the stories of women mathematicians to counter popular narratives about the field such as the mathematician as a gifted loner, math as a `young man’s game’, and math as a realm of complete objectivity. These stories served as a launching pad for important discussions and helped students to develop a a more positive view of mathematics. In this talk, I will describe how women’s stories were integrated into the course design and provide evidence that putting women `into the equation’ helped to improve student attitudes and understanding.

About the speaker: Sarah Mayes-Tang is a mathematics educator and commutative algebraist currently at the University of Toronto. For four years prior to joining the faculty at UofT, she was a professor at Quest University Canada, a small liberal arts college in Squamish BC focused on undergraduate education. Sarah completed her PhD at the University of Michigan.

Abstract: Mary Gray is a lawyer, mathematician and statistician who has worked her entire career to promote equity, diversity and fair treatment by all under the law. Amongst her many achievements, she is the founder of the Association for Women in Mathematics and an advocate for women in mathematics. Her advocacy has had a positive impact on the recruitment, retention and pay equity for women in math. In this talk, I will recount some of her notable accomplishments as well as the effects of the fledgling AWM in the 1970’s. On a personal note, I’ll explain how Dr. Gray’s mentorship had a positive effect on me, and discuss mentorship opportunities for women in math.

About the speaker: Dr. Kristine Bauer is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary. Her primary research is in algebraic topology, specifically homotopy functors. She is one of the founding members of the Women in Topology network, which seeks to increase the visibility and retention of women in her field by involving them in high-quality collaborative research projects.

Abstract: In this talk, I will take the audience on a tour of societies of recognition, such as the US National Academy of Sciences and the Fellows of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. I will select some of the eminent female applied mathematicians from these lists, delve into their personal stories and careers, and celebrate the contributions that they made to the field.

About the speaker: Gerda de Vries is Professor in the Department of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences and Associate Dean Undergraduate for the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. She is passionate about teaching at all levels and has won many teaching awards, including the Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the University of Alberta (2006) and the Canadian Mathematical Society Excellence in Teaching Award (2014). Gerda is an advocate of interdisciplinary education, with an eye to making connections between mathematics and its applications to all sciences. She is a sought-after public speaker, presenting on the importance (and joy) of mathematics. Gerda’s research lies at the interface of mathematics and biology, and encompasses applications to cell biology, neurophysiology, the formation of animal groups, and industrial-scale composting.

Working Group A: Mentorship and collaborations for women in mathematics
Over the last few years, a number of collaboration and mentorship opportunities have arisen at many mathematical institutions. In this session, we will look at a sample of these opportunities and then brainstorm ways in which participants can find ways to mentor, be mentored, or enter into collaborative projects with others. This workshop will be focused on opportunities for mathematics students and researchers.
Working Group Leader: Kristine Bauer

Working Group B: Developing a history of women in mathematics course
Taking inspiration from the talks earlier in the workshop, we will discuss appropriate topics that could be considered in an undergraduate curriculum about the history of women in mathematics.
Working Group Leader: Andrew Beltaos

Working Group C: Bringing arts-based approaches to the history of women in mathematics
This participatory workshop will centre on using arts-based approaches (poetry, drama, music, visual arts, sculpture, fibre arts) to highlight the work of historical women in mathematics. We will be reading and discussing excerpts from a new play, The Witch of Agnesi, or The Wallpaper Group and considering the history of the women mathematicians portrayed in the play. We will discuss ways to bring the history of women in mathematics to public awareness through the arts (and the decisions involved in doing so), and delve deeper into the work, stories and words of these mathematicians. Workshop participants may participate in creating a play reading and/or other collaborative expressive forms to bring forward our findings to the larger symposium group.
Working Group Leader: Susan Gerofsky

The panel discussion will be moderated by Lillian Beltaos (Nikola Tesla Historical Society of Alberta).

Closing remarks by Lillian Beltaos (Nikola Tesla Historical Society of Alberta).

Thank you to our sponsors:
- BIRS
- Nikola Tesla Historical Society of Alberta
- NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering National Conference Grant
- University of Waterloo’s Women in Mathematics Committee
- York University Faculty Association