Volume 37, Number 2 NEWSLETTER March–April 2007 President’s Report To AWM Members: Greetings! I have the pleasure of announcing the following: n Rebecca Goldin is the first Michler Prize winner. The Michler Prize provides a fellowship for the awardee to spend a semester in the Mathematics Depart- ment of Cornell University without teaching obligations, thanks to the generos- ity of the Michler family. n In May, Lai-Sang Young will give the Kovalevsky Lecture at the Applied Dynami- cal Systems Activity Group meeting in Snowbird, Utah. IN THIS ISSUE n In July, Pauline van den Driessche will give the first Olga Taussky Todd Lecture at the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 4 From the Past President Congress in Zurich. This lecture is organized by AWM and European Women in Mathematics. 7 AWM at the JMM n At the same meeting, Nancy Kopell will give the John von Neumann Lecture. 18 ICM Madrid At this year’s Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans, there were AWM 24 Book Review events each day. The AWM panel “Women Advancing to Leadership: When and How” was organized by our now past president Barbara Keyfitz. The topic of this 26 Education Column panel seems very fitting for someone who is a leader twice over, as president of AWM and as director of the Fields Institute. The panelists were: Lisa Fauci, pro- fessor of mathematics at Tulane University, also founder and associate director of the Center for Computation at Tulane and Xavier; Joan Leitzel, president emeritus of the University of New Hampshire; Carolyn Mahoney, president of Lincoln University; Johanna Levelt Sengers, National Institute of Standards and Technology; and myself. A W M I will describe just one aspect of this very interesting panel. Johanna Sengers is a physicist, winner of the L’Oréal–UNESCO Award, and a co-chair of the panel that wrote “Women for Science: An Advisory Report.” Barbara has summarized this report in her President’s Report for September 2006. I will reiterate just one of its recommendations: Change needs to occur at the academy level; that is, national scientific bodies need to attend to the “good man- agement practices” advocated by the report. “Essential features of good management practice are commitment by the top tiers of the organization, The purpose of the Association for Women in Mathematics is creation of an open and transparent management structure, regular review of • to encourage women and girls to study all policies and procedures for their gender implications, leadership and to have active careers in the mathe- training and mentoring, and routine monitoring of progress.” Note that matical sciences, and the report was commissioned by the Interacademy Council, which was created • to promote equal opportunity and the “to mobilize the best scientists and engineers worldwide to provide high equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences. quality advice to international bodies—such as the United Nations and AWM was founded in 1971 at the Joint the World Bank—as well as to other institutions.” Meetings in Atlantic City. Prior to the panel, the Schafer Prize winners were honored. Ana Cara- The Newsletter is published bi-monthly. iani of Princeton received the Schafer Prize (I was pleased to see that this was Articles, letters to the editor, and announce- announced on the Princeton mathematics department website). The runners- ments are welcome. up were Tamara Broderick and Yaim Cooper. Alyson Deines received an Circulation: 3500. © 2007, AWM honorable mention. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE After the panel, the “passing of the silver bowl” President Cathy Kessel ceremony and the AWM busi- Apt. C ness meeting were held. 2627 Etna Street The Noether Lecture, Berkeley, CA 94704 [email protected] “Automorphisms of Free Groups, Outer Space, and Past-President Barbara Lee Keyfitz Beyond,” was given by Karen Vogtmann and followed Treasurer Rebecca Herb by lunch with the lecturer. In conjunction with this Former AWM President Barbara Keyfitz passes the At-Large Members silver bowl to incoming president Cathy Kessel. Fern Y. Hunt Alice Silverberg splendid lecture, three Krystyna Kuperberg Abigail Thompson sessions on geometric group theory were organized by Vogtmann and Dawn Lott Ann Trenk Helen Moore Betsy Yanik Ruth Charney. In the afternoon was the prize session. Among the honors: Clerk Maura Mast n AWM Executive Director Jenny Quinn received a Haimo Award for Distinguish- Meetings Coordinator ed Teaching. (Note that she won the Beckenbach Book Prize last year!) Bettye Anne Case; [email protected] Newsletter Editor n Ginger Warfield received AWM’s Louise Hay Award for contributions to Anne Leggett; [email protected] mathematics education. Web Editor Holly Gaff; [email protected] n Claire Voisin received AMS’s Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize for an outstanding contribution to mathematics research during the previous five years. 2 Newsletter Volume 37, Number 2 • March–April 2007 A W M n Karen Uhlenbeck received the AMS’s Steele Prize for a seminal contribution to mathematical research. MEMBERSHIP AND NEWSLETTER INFORMATION Membership dues (Membership runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) n Donna Beers, Janet Barnett, Sister Jo Ann Fellin, and Individual: $55 Family (no newsletter): $30 Contributing: $125 First year, retired, part-time: $30 Marilyn Repsher received Certificates of Meritorious Ser- Student, unemployed, developing nations: $20 vice from the MAA. Friend: $1000 Benefactor: $2500 All foreign memberships: $10 additional for postage n Dues in excess of $15 and all contributions are deductible Lee Lorch received the MAA’s Gung and Hu Award for from federal taxable income when itemizing. distinguished service to mathematics. Institutional Members: Level 1: $300 Level 2a or 2b: $175/$150 That evening, those attending the Gibbs Lecture See www.awm-math.org for details on free ads, free student memberships, and ad discounts. spilled into the hall for the AWM reception. The next even- Affiliate Members: $250 ing, I had the pleasure of meeting the mentors, graduate Institutional Sponsors: Friend: $1000+ Patron: $2500+ students, and post-docs for AWM workshop, and the next Benefactor: $5000+ Program Sponsor: $10,000+ day, seeing some of the mentees’ posters and talks. The See the AWM website for details. workshop included a panel on “Critical Career Decision Subscriptions and back orders Stages: Research and Funding Opportunities.” Mod- All members except family members receive a subscription to the newsletter as a privilege of membership. Libraries, women’s studies erator Claudia Polini and panelists Michelle Wagner, centers, non-mathematics departments, etc., may purchase a sub- scription for $55/year ($65 foreign). Back orders are $10/issue plus Valentina Harizanov, Barbara Keyfitz, and Kathy O’Hara shipping/handling ($5 minimum). discussed topics that ranged from research program con- Payment siderations to timing of children. Many thanks to the Payment is by check (drawn on a bank with a US branch), US money mentors and to the workshop organizers, Claudia Polini, order, or international postal order. Visa and MasterCard are also accepted. Jeanne Clelland, and Moira McDermott, for giving their time and energy so generously. Thanks also to the workshop Newsletter ad information AWM will accept advertisements for the Newsletter for positions funders, the Office of Naval Research and The National Se- available, programs in any of the mathematical sciences, professional activities and opportunities of interest to the AWM membership curity Agency. Many thanks also to Jenny Quinn, Jennifer and other appropriate subjects. The Managing Director, in con- Lewis, and Bettye Anne Case for their work in making the sultation with the President and the Newsletter Editor when necessary, will determine whether a proposed ad is acceptable un- AWM events happen. der these guidelines. All institutions and programs advertising in the Finally, I wish to acknowledge the accomplishments Newsletter must be Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity designated. Institutional members receive discounts on ads; see the AWM web- of my predecessor Barbara Keyfitz. I believe that each AWM site for details. For non-members, the rate is $100 for a basic four- line ad. Additional lines are $12 each. See the AWM website for president enriches AWM in her own way. In addition to the Newsletter display ad rates. usual activities of AWM presidents, Barbara has overseen Newsletter deadlines AWM’s transition to STAT, our association management Editorial: 24th of January, March, May, July, September, company, and the hiring of Jenny Quinn as our executive November Ad: 1st of February, April, June, August, October, December director. I feel very fortunate in becoming president after this transition. Jenny Quinn and Jennifer Lewis, our manag- Addresses Send all Newsletter material except ads and book review material ing director, are now familiar with the intricacies of AWM to Anne Leggett, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Loyola and its many programs—and form a remarkably harmoni- University, 6525 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60626; e-mail: [email protected]; phone: 773-508-3554; fax: 773-508- ous and effective team. 2123. Send all book review material to Marge Bayer, Department of Mathematics, University of Kansas, 405 Snow Hall, 1460 As each president does, I come to AWM with my own Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045-7523; e-mail: bay- particular concerns and connections. I intend to put most [email protected]; fax: 785-864-5255. Send everything else, including ads and address changes, to AWM, 11240 Waples effort into continuing the implementation of our strategic Mill Road, Suite 200, Fairfax, VA 22030; phone: 703-934-0163; plan and smooth functioning of our current programs. fax: 703-359-7562; e-mail: [email protected]. Volume 37, Number 2 • March–April 2007 Newsletter A W M At the same time, I hope that AWM can reach out a little more. AWM Executive Director Jennifer Quinn As Ginger Warfield’s column on non-standard careers has documented, phone: 253-879-3630 women don’t always follow a standard career path.