WIMSIG NEWSLETTER - October 2015

59th Annual Meeting of the Australian Mathematical Society

It was great see so many members and friends of WIMSIG at the AustMS conference at Flinders University last week.

General Meeting of WIMSIG

On Sunday 27 September, WIMSIG held its first general meeting at the Tonsley Precinct of Flinders University.

Thirty five members and friends attended the meeting and a variety of issues were discussed. WIMSIG's annual report was circulated and there were informal presentations about AMSI’s Choose Maths project and the SAGE Initiative of the Australian Academy of Sciences. Some recipients of the Praeger and Street Awards also spoke.

Minutes of the meeting will circulated with the next newsletter.

Women in Mathematics Dinner

The 2016 Women in Mathematics Dinner was held on Sunday 27 September, the night before the AustMS conference.

Presentations on career paths were given by some of the plenary speakers; namely, Associate Professor Frances Kuo, Professor Ruth Williams, and Professor Aurore Delaigle, as well as the Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Karen Reynolds. Presentations on current projects were given by Professor Nalini Joshi, who spoke about the SAGE Initiative of the Australian Academy of Sciences, and Professor Inge Koch, who spoke about AMSI’s Choose Maths project. Associate Professor Lesley Ward also highlighted the Women in Maths Special Interest Group and there were fruitful discussions around many of the tables.

Special thanks to Professor Nalini Joshi, who funded the dinner from her ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellowship, and to Dr Gobert Lee who coordinated the event.

WIMSIG Executive Committee

The WIMSIG Executive Committee had their annual 'in person' committee meeting on the first day of the AustMS conference.

Below are some photos highlighting the WIMSIG committee members at the conference.

• Immediate Past Chair Asha Rao made a "Hyperbolic Geometry Skirt" to wear to the conference dinner. The skirt uses pentagons as a tiling for a hyperbolic plane. (Photo courtesy of Katherine Seaton.)

• Treasurer Giang Nguyen competed simultaneously against many opponents in the Chess competition. Giang is a chess master and has represented Australia in several chess olympiads. (Photo Courtesy of Birgit Loch.)

Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE)

The SAGE Initiative of the Australian Academy of Sciences recently launched its pilot project. There are 32 research institutions taking part, including half of Australia’s universities. Have a look and see if your institution is participating at https://www.science.org.au/participants-of-sage-pilot-embargo.

EVENTS

Women in Mathematics Get-Togethers in November

There will be a series of Women in Maths Gatherings in November in cities around Australia. Some cities still need a volunteer host.

If you're interested in hosting a Women in Maths get-together in November (or some other future date), please get in touch with the appropriate person below.

• For events in QLD, NSW, NT, or ACT, contact Deborah Cromer.

• For events in VIC, TAS, SA, or WA, contact Lynn Batten.

OPPORTUNITIES

Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS) has the following opportunities available at QUT.

Bayesian Learning for Decision Making in the Big Data Era

• Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow, School of Mathematical Sciences (2 positions)
• PhD Scholarships (3 positions)

The University of Melbourne

Level B Lecturer in Applied Mathematics (Mathematical Biology)
Closing date: Sunday 1 November, 2015

Technical University of Berlin

The International Post-Doc Initiative (IPODI) is part of the gender equality strategy of the Technische Universität Berlin and aims at increasing the number of female researchers in leadership position.  

For further information see http://www.ipodi.tu-berlin.de or contact the IPODI Office.

MEDIA

• Women Working in Statistics - What Has Changed Over the Last Decade?, Dalene Stangl, AMSTATNEWS - Sept 1, 2015
• What it’s like to be a woman working in science, and how to make it better, The Conversation - Sept 16, 2015

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

Please send items to the WIMSIG Secretary, Joanne Hall.