AWM 2023 Student Chapter Awards

The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is proud to announce the seventh annual AWM Student Chapter Award winners. We recognize all who participated in this year’s competition for the attention given to their proposals and the strength of the activities they have conducted to create productive environments for women in mathematics. The winning chapters were recognized at the Student Dessert Reception on Friday, August 4th at MAA MathFest 2023 in Tampa, Florida.

Western Ontario University
Winner of the Community Outreach Category 

The AWM Student Chapter at Western Ontario University is recognized for their successful programs aimed at attracting and retaining students to the mathematics community. At the K-12 level, the group participated in Canada’s national STEM outreach event, Science Rendezvous, visited area high schools to talk about mathematical paths, and organized a high school math poster competition (with funding secured from several businesses). At the university level, the group hosted a mathematics career panel and a math art workshop, as well as a variety of social events. In planning these activities, chapter members took special care to account for the challenges and interests of students who are often marginalized in the mathematics community and worked to create inclusive and welcoming events.

University of Texas at Austin
Winner of the Fundraising/Sustainability Category

The AWM Student Chapter at University of Texas at Austin is recognized for successfully fundraising from multiple sources: a student government fund, the Major League Hacking (student hackathon league) Pizza Fund, and a t-shirt sale incorporating iconography that was special to the local math and science community. The chapter used these funds to support professional development events for undergraduate students at UT Austin that included a workshop on Research Experiences for Undergraduates and internships, a graduate student panel, multiple technical workshops, and to run a variety of outreach events at the K-12 and undergraduate level.

Rutgers University
Winner of the Professional Development Category

The AWM Student Chapter at Rutgers University is recognized for sustained and thoughtful professional development work over the course of the past year. The chapter hosted 11 professional development events on a variety of topics (including mentorship, study skills, gender bias, and interdisciplinary mathematics) and addressed the needs and goals of their members at the undergraduate student, graduate student, and faculty/postdoc levels. The chapter also hosted a variety of social events throughout the year to help build their mathematical community at Rutgers.

University of Pittsburgh
Winner of the Scientific Excellence Category

The AWM Student Chapter at University of Pittsburgh is recognized for a number of endeavors, especially “Pitt AWM Student Seminar Series.” This monthly series features two 30-minute talks from female graduate students from around the world, is attended by faculty and students, and is made publicly available on YouTube. The seminar series has featured 38 speakers since 2021. This seminar series represents a significant organizational undertaking and makes an important contribution to the research community. The AWM chapter at Pittsburgh also supported their community through a mentoring program pairing graduate students with undergraduates seeking advice regarding opportunities in mathematics, through organized “Coffee Meet-ups” with invited female math scholars who encouraged the students by sharing their stories and academic journeys, and through a variety of social events.