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WIMSIG NEWSLETTER — February 2019


Promotions

Congratulations to WIMSIG Chair Jessica Purcell (Monash) on her promotion to Professor and to Birgit Loch (LaTrobe) on her appointment as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Coursework in the College of Science, Health and Engineering at La Trobe University after a 7 month period of acting in the position.


WIMSIG Executive Committee

Thanks to all who nominated and voted in the recent election for the WIMSIG Executive Committee. As of February 1, the members of the Executive Committee are:

  • Jessica Purcell (Monash) — Chair (2019–2020)
    (previously Incoming Chair)
  • Yvonne Stokes (Adelaide) — Immediate Past Chair (2019)
    (previously Chair)
  • Jennifer Flegg (Melbourne) – Secretary (2019–2020)
  • Valentina Wheeler (Wollongong) – Treasurer (2019–2020)
  • Ordinary Members (2019–2020):
    – Julia Collins (AMSI)
    – Sevvandi Kandanaarachchi (Monash)
  • Kimberly Becker (Adelaide) – Student Member (2019)

In addition, Joanne Hall (RMIT) will continue as the Newsletter Editor and Amy Glen (Murdoch) will continue as the Website Editor. Both Joanne and Amy have served WIMSIG since its formation in 2013 and we are very thankful for their continued service.

On January 31, the terms of the following people came to a conclusion.

  • Giang Nguyen (Adelaide)
    (Treasurer since the formation of WIMSIG, 2013–2018, 3 terms)
  • Catherine Pennington (Macquarie)
    (Secretary, 2017–2018, one term)
  • Deborah Cromer (UNSW)
    (Ordinary Member, 2015–2018, two terms)
  • Natalie Thamwattana (Newcastle)
    (Ordinary Member, 2017–2018, one term)

A big thank you to all of these wonderful women who have given time and effort in service to WIMSIG and best wishes for your future endeavours.


Maryam Mirzakhani Award

A new AustMS-WIMSIG Award — the Maryam Mirzakhani Award — has been approved by the AustMS Council and will be offered for the first time this year. This Award honours the late Prof Maryam Mirzakhani (Fields Medallist) and is designed to support international female students pursuing a postgraduate degree in mathematics in Australia. The first round for this award is now open and will close on April 1, 2019. Application forms and other information are available on the Award page.


Athena SWAN Awards Announced

Science Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) announced the first batch of Bronze Athena Swan Awards in December 2018. Congratulations to the fifteen organisations that were awarded Bronze Athena SWAN Accreditation.

Good luck to those organisations in the second cohort who are busy finalising their Athena Swan Applications.


Women in STEM Decadal Plan

The Australian Academy of Sciences is calling for photographic submissions to the Women in STEM Decadal plan. Submissions close February 4.


PhD Interns Help Defence Research Surge Ahead

The national APR.Intern program is now in full swing, placing PhDs from all disciplines into short-term 3-5 month industry internships across all sectors. A bevy of Australia’s brightest PhD students have begun undertaking internships at Defence Science and Technology Group (DST), including RMIT PhD student, Ana "Daysi" Ruvalcaba Cadenas. Daysi was matched with DST to explore object recognition using deep learning techniques, and flourished at the opportunity to put her PhD theory into practice. Read more.


EVENTS

Her Story: Inspiring Women in Science

  • 10am — 5pm daily (until November 15)
  • Main Foyer, South Australian Museum
  • More information


International Day for Women and Girls in Science

The UN has declared February 11 to be the International Day for Women and Girls in Science. Perhaps you could grab some STEM colleagues and have an impromptu celebration.


OPPORTUNITIES

Cheryl E. Praeger Travel and Anne Penfold Street Awards

The tenth round of the AustMS WIMSIG Cheryl E. Praeger Travel Awards and Anne Penfold Street Awards is now open and will close on April 1, 2019. The Cheryl E. Praeger Travel Awards are designed to provide full or partial support for Australian female mathematicians to attend conferences or to visit collaborators. The Anne Penfold Street Awards provide additional financial support to Australian mathematicians, regardless of gender, for their caring responsibilities while they travel for conferences or research visits to collaborators. Also note that conference organisers may apply for Anne Penfold Street Awards. Application forms and other information are available at http://www.austms.org.au/Praeger+Travel+Awards and http://www.austms.org.au/Street+Awards.


International Study Program Offers Mathematical Sciences with a Dose of Mexican Culture

Mathematical Sciences Semesters in Guanajuato (MSSG) is an international program open to undergraduate students with a strong grounding in mathematics who want to increase their knowledge of data science, modeling, and partial differential equations from a comprehensive, forward-looking, and cutting-edge perspective while acquiring a solid theoretical foundation and exploring the rich culture of Mexico.

The program offers two independent semesters: Mathematical Tools for Modeling in the Fall, and Mathematical Tools for Data Science in the Spring, plus a separate Summer program in Partial Differential Equations. All three are taught entirely in English. The credits are transferable to American and Canadian colleges and universities submitting the proper documentation.

The semesters and Summer program have been developed with an integrative approach to mathematics with emphasis on applications. In addition, this international academic experience offers optional courses in Spanish and Mexican culture while students immerse themselves in the cultural life of Guanajuato.

You can find more information at http://mathsciencesgto.cimat.mx or on Facebook. There's also a promotional video.

The deadline for applications for the 2019 Fall semester is April 30, 2019.


University of Wollongong Australia


MEDIA


Have you read an interesting article? Have some news? Have an opportunity available?

Please send items to WIMSIG-news@women.austms.org.au.

Note: Newsletters are published on the 1st day of each month (or soon after). The deadline for submitted items is the 27th day of each month.


Updated: 03 Feb 2019
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