In March of 2012 the 4th Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) will be held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). This conference which is the only such national meeting to focus on issues related to educating, encouraging and supporting minority women interested in mathematics and statistics will be jointly sponsored by UMBC and the non-profit organization Building Diversity in Science. Building on the last three successful Infinite Possibilities Conferences, the program will include components from past meetings as well as new features designed to broaden the groups able to benefit from the conference. As in past conferences, there will be plenary research talks by established mathematicians as well as shorter research presentations and posters presented by more junior mathematicians. These presentations provide a forum for dissemination of new mathematical ideas at all levels and in all areas of mathematics as well as a way for junior mathematicians to receive feedback on their work and their method of presentation in a supportive environment. Workshops and panel discussions at the conference will include information on acquiring the necessary skills for graduate school; tools for professional development; information on career options in mathematics; and awareness of resources and organizations that are supportive of minority and/or women mathematicians. We also plan to incorporate a workshop on a mathematical "hot topic" which will be presented by a visiting math institute on the day prior to the IPC meeting. Past IPC conferences have included a one-day set of activities geared specifically to high school students. A new addition to the program for IPC 2012 will be a workshop for mathematics teachers for which they can receive accreditation. Teachers will be encouraged to bring their students and activities will be developed to interest both groups during the meeting.
African-American, Hispanic/Latina, and Native American women have been historically underrepresented in mathematics. In 2007, less than 2% of the doctoral degrees in the mathematical sciences were awarded to American women from underrepresented minority groups. The IPC conference provides students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels an opportunity to interact with peers and more established women mathematicians in a supportive and collegial atmosphere that is unique for a professional conference. One of the main goals of IPC is to establish connections between mentors and mentees and to provide role models for junior women mathematicians seeking to enter the field but concerned about the differences they see between themselves and traditional mathematicians. The aim of the conference is to provide a supportive environment in which minority women mathematicians can both learn about the possible career paths available to them should they continue to pursue their options as a professional mathematician and to counteract the pervasive sense of isolation that accompanies anyone seeking to enter a predominantly male scientific field such as mathematics. The Infinite Possibilities Conference seeks to accomplish these goals by making participants aware of the many ways in which mathematicians and statisticians can make valuable contributions to society at large (the importance of mathematics) and by building networks and providing resources for junior women mathematicians to encourage and support their aspirations towards such a career.
African-American, Hispanic/Latina, and Native American women have been historically under-represented in mathematics. In 2007, less than 2% of the doctoral degrees in the mathematical sciences were awarded to American women from under-represented minority groups. In March of 2012 the fourth InfinitePossibilities Conference (IPC) was held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). This conference, which is the only such national meeting to focus on issues related to educating, encouraging, and supporting minority women interested in mathematics and statistics, was jointly sponsored by UMBC and the non-profit organization Building Diversity in Science. The conference provides students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels an opportunity to interact with peers and more established women mathematicians in a supportive and collegial atmosphere that is unique for a professional conference. The five primary goals of the conference are as follows: 1) IPC provides role models of success and achievement in mathematics. From the organizing committee to panelists to conference participants, the conference is an occasion for under-represented women mathematicians to interact with others at all stages of the academic pipeline, as well as representatives from industry and government. 2) IPC links junior mathematicians with mentors who can provide strong encouragement that the students continue working towards their educational and professional goals. 3) IPC provides information on necessary skills for success in graduate school, career options, and valuable resources and organizations. 4) IPC supports mathematical research and promotes learning opportunities in mathematics. 5) IPC provides a forum to counteract isolation. This year the Infinite Possibilities Conference attracted a record number of attendees. These participants were able to benefit from the conference by hearing invited talks by prominent minority participants who have succeeded in mathematics and statistics. Examples included mathematical biologist Dr. Trachette Jackson of the University of Michigan, logician and computer scientist Dr. Valeria de Paiva of Rearden Commerce, and Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III, President of UMBC (and himself at one time a mathematician). A total of 22 panels and workshops on a variety of topics provided access to information on negotiation, balancing family and work, fellowship and grant opportunities, etc. The presenters (primarily under-represented minority women mathematicians and statisticians) came from academia, industry and government. On the day prior to the formal conference, a short course on mathematical biology was held in conjunction with the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (University of Minnesota), and on the second day of the formal conference, a concurrent workshop was held for high school students and teachers which focused on the importance of mathematics in all aspects of society. A mentoring workshop was held over lunch on the first formal day of the conference to allow attendees to get to know each other with the goal of further interaction after the conference. In total the conference attracted 262 participants with 48% of attendees being professionals, 16% being graduate students in mathematical sciences, 22% undergraduates, and 6% high school students. African Americans made up the largest percentage of attendees (43%) with Hispanic participants second (16%), Whites third (13%), and Asian participants fourth (10%). In terms of Intellectual Merit, four concurrent presentation sessions on the first day on applied mathematics, biostatistics and computer science, mathematics education and pure mathematics allowed participants to present their research findings and to garner valuable feedback on their presentation style from trusted mentors and peers. A poster session on the second day allowed further dissemination of research results in an informal setting. The Broader Impacts of the Infinite Possibilities Conference lie in the goal of the conference to encourage under-represented minority women to enter and continue in the Mathematical Sciences. Without participation from women and under-represented groups in these fields, America will continue to lag other countries in STEM fields. Encouraging more women and minorities to go into and stay in mathematics and related disciplines benefits US economic productivity and society as a whole. ?
