Gweneth Humphreys Award 2027

2027 Winner: Pamela E. Harris

The Association for Women in Mathematics will present the 2027 M. Gweneth Humphreys Award for Mentorship of Undergraduate Women to Pamela E. Harris, professor of mathematics and associate vice chancellor for research at the University of Wisconsin, at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Chicago, IL, in January 2027. Harris is recognized for her deep dedication to mentoring and her extensive contributions to broadening inclusivity in the mathematics community.

Citation

Dr. Pamela E. Harris’s impact on young mathematicians has been dramatic and expansive. She has supervised the research of over 150 undergraduate students, a majority of whom identify as members of groups historically excluded in higher education. Her students speak effusively about her empathy, encouragement, and dedication.

“Professor Harris goes above and beyond to empower women in math so that we feel we belong.…She makes the field a brighter, more accessible, and more welcoming space for students from under-represented backgrounds.”

“Professor Harris is my hero, and I stand where I am today thanks to her limitless devotion and mentorship.…She is the type of person who believes in us in such a way that we end up believing in ourselves and our worth.”

Beyond working with her own students, Dr. Harris has reshaped the broader landscape of mentoring in mathematics through numerous initiatives to help others become better mentors for women and students from underrepresented groups. She is president and cofounder of Lathisms: Latinxs and Hispanics in the Mathematical Sciences, co-hosts the podcast Mathematically Uncensored, co-led the MSRI Critical Issues workshop: Mentoring for Equity, and is coauthor of multiple books on equity in mathematics departments. Among these are Asked and Answered: Dialogues On Advocating For Students of Color in Mathematics, which is read in book clubs around the country. These widely accessible resources serve as guiding lights for policy and practice changes by laying out a concrete pathway for others who wish to reflect on and improve their mentoring practices with attention to race, gender, and other intersectional identities.

The AWM is very pleased to honor Dr. Harris for her extraordinary work as a mentor and for all she has done to transform the larger culture of mentorship and inclusivity in mathematics.

Response from Pamela E. Harris

I am incredibly humbled to receive the 2027 AWM’s Gweneth Humphreys Award for my work in mentoring. I am deeply grateful to my nominators, the students who shared their experiences in support of my nomination, and the Award Committee for this recognition.

When I began my post PhD career, I participated in Project NExT and learned a great deal about working with students in research. I was excited by the possibilities and eager to contribute, but an early conversation with a mentor encouraged me to think more deeply about the kind of mentor I wanted to be. That moment shaped my path in lasting ways. I came to understand that the creation of mathematics, while beautiful and important, is not the sole purpose of research with students. Instead, I began to focus on the human aspects of this work and on what it means to support students as whole people as they grow.

Since then, I have strived to build research communities where students can be themselves, where their identities are valued, and where they can develop confidence in their mathematical abilities. I have wanted to live a life of service through mathematics, one that centers students and their growth.

Over time, as this work has evolved, it brings me tremendous joy to see former students go on to graduate school, academic positions, and other careers where they are now mentoring their own students. Knowing that the care, encouragement, and community we built together continue to ripple outward is one of the most meaningful aspects of my career.

I am very grateful to the many students and collaborators who have been and continue to be a part of this journey. They have shaped me and helped me become a better professor, mentor, and person. It is a privilege to have been part of their journey.