Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize
For Excellence in Mathematics by an Undergraduate Woman
The Executive Committee of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) has established the Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize to be awarded to an undergraduate woman for excellence in mathematics.
The Schafer Prize was established in 1990 and is named for AWM former President and one of its founding members, Alice T. Schafer, who contributed a great deal to women in mathematics throughout her career.
You can read about the career paths of the first twenty-five Schafer Prize winners in this article by Joe Gallian, which appeared in the June/July 2019 issue of the Notices of the AMS.
Faye Jackson
2023 Recipient
Anqi Li
2023 Runner Up
Ilani Axelrod-Freed
2023 Honorable Mention
Joye Chen
2023 Honorable Mention
Veronica Lang
2023 Honorable Mention
Nomination Procedures for the Schafer Prize
Nomination Period: August 1 – September 15
Nomination Location: All nominations can be made at MathPrograms.org. To locate the nomination form in MathPrograms, click on “View Programs” at the top right of the page. Scroll down to the programs listed for “Association for Women in Mathematics” and click “Nominate” next to the AWM Alice T. Schafer Mathematics Prize.
Historically, excellence has been defined in a very narrow way, often limited to attendance at an elite institution, early enrollment in advanced courses, attendance at a well-recognized REU, independent research, and, ultimately, publication of one or more research results. While we continue to value these qualities, we also desire to expand that definition and considerably broaden the mathematical community’s understanding of what constitutes excellence in undergraduate work. The objective of the Schafer Prize is to “recognize talented women with an eye to the highly diverse opportunities immediately available to undergraduates in a wide variety of institutions.” In order to encourage and sustain the entry of a gifted and representative pool of young mathematicians into our professional community, we welcome nominations of undergraduates from a diverse set of institutions and diverse paths of mathematical excellence.
Nominator: Any person can be a nominator! People of any gender can be a nominator, self-nominations are allowed, and you do not need to be an AWM member to nominate someone for this award. If this is a self-nomination, then you must have one additional letter of support.
Eligibility: The nominee must be an undergraduate as of the date the nomination is due.
Nomination Packet: A nomination packet should be compiled into 1 PDF file for submission and include:
- One letter of nomination (at most three pages) highlighting the exceptional qualities of the candidate to be recognized. The letter of nomination may include (but is not limited to) an evaluation of the nominee on the following criteria:
- quality of performance in advanced mathematics courses, special programs, or mathematical competitions
- mathematical growth of the nominee
- nominee’s ability to overcome barriers in their mathematical journey
- nominee’s ability to seek out and make the most of resources both at and outside of their institution
- ability for independent work in mathematics or ability to work equitably in a team in mathematics;
- A copy of the student’s transcripts that indicates their expected graduation date.
- Additional supporting materials should be included with the nomination, if applicable. Example supporting materials include: reports from summer work using math, copies of talks given, recommendation letters from professors, colleagues, etc.
- The name, position, institution, address, phone, and e-mail address of the nominee and the nominator should be included in then MathPrograms.org cover sheet.
- All submitted materials become the property of the AWM.
Award Criteria: This prize will be awarded annually to an undergraduate woman for excellence in mathematics. All members of the mathematical community are invited to submit nominations for this prize.
Nominee Requirements. The nominee must be an undergraduate when nominated. Nominations of women from underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged.
Presentation of Award. The Schafer Prizes will be presented at the AWM Reception and Awards Presentation at the Joint Mathematics Meetings each January. Up to two recipients and one runner-up will be selected. The winners will each receive a $1000 prize and an honorary certificate. The runner-up will receive a $250 prize.
2023 Faye Jackson
Runner-up: Anqi Li
Honorable Mentions: Ilani Axelrod-Freed, Joyce Chen, Veronica Lang
2022 (Carina) Letong Hong
Runner-up: Faye Jackson
Honorable Mentions: Alexandra Hoey, Simran Khunger, Lily (Qiao) Li
2021 Elena Kim
Runner-up: Eunice Sukarto
Honorable Mentions: Vanshika Jain, Korina Digalaki
2020 Natalia Pacheco-Tallaj
Runner-up: Yuhan (Michelle) Jiang
Honorable Mentions: Teresa Yu, Marisa Gaetz, Alice Lin
2019 Naomi S. Sweeting
Runner-up: Danielle Wang
Honorable Mentions: Lisa L. Yang, Nina Zubrilina, Nitya Mani
2018 Libby Taylor
Runner-up: Sameera Vemulapalli
Honorable Mentions: Sarah Fleming, Xu Hui, Shruthi Sridhar
2017 Hannah Larson
Runner-up: Sarah McClain Fleming
Honorable Mentions: Lea Kenigsberg, Gwyneth Moreland, Yen Nhi Truong Vu
2016 Mackenzie Simper
Runner-up: Sarah Tammen
Honorable Mentions: Kaavya G. Valiveti, Madeleine Weinstein
2015 Sheela Devadas
Runner-up:Samantha Petti
Honorable Mention: Madeline Brandt
2014 Sarah Peluse
Runner-up: Morgan Opie
Honorable Mentions: Shiyu (Jing Jing) Li, Jessie Zhang
2013 MurphyKate Montee
Runner-up: Yuhou (Susan) Xia,
Honorable Mentions: Thao Do, Rebecca Gleit, Yangzhou Hu
2012 Fan Wei
Runner-up: Jennifer Iglesias
Honorable Mentions: Victoria Akin, Meng Guo
2011 Sherry Gong
Runner-Up: Ruthi Hortsch
Honorable Mentions: Jie Geng, Yinghui Wang, Fan Wei
2010 Hannah Alpert and Charmaine Sia (Co-Winners)
Runner-Up: Anna Lieb
Honorable Mentions: Megan Bernstein, Ruthi Hortsch, and Laura Starkston
2009 Maria Monks
Honorable Mentions: Doris Dobi, Nicole Larsen, Ila Varma
2008 Galyna Dobrovolska and Alison Miller (Co-Winners)
Honorable Mentions: Naomi Brownstein, Reagin Taylor McNeill, Mary Wootters,
2007 Ana Caraiani
Runners-Up: Tamara Broderick, Yaim Cooper
Honorable Mention: Alyson Deines
2006 Alexandra Ovetsky
Runner-Up: Allison Bishop
Honorable Mention: Ellen Gasparovic
2005 Melody Chan
Runners-Up: Margaret I. Doig and Elena Fuchs
Honorable Mention: Annalies Vuong
2004 Kimberly Spears
Runners-Up: Karola Meszaros and Jennifer Novak
Honorable Mentions: Ariel E. Barton and Elena Grigorescu
2003 Kate Gruher
Runners-Up: Wei Ho and Josephine T. Yu
Honorable Mentions: Elizabeth F. Thoren, Annalee H. Wiswell, and Kathryn M. Zuhr
2002 Kay Kirkpatrick and Melanie Wood (Co-Winners)
Honorable Mentions: Karen M. Lange, Sonja Mapes, Amy E. Marinello,
Kathleen A. Ponto, and Grace C. Wang
2001 Jaclyn (Kohles) Anderson
Runners-Up: Sami Assaf and Suzanne Sindi
Honorable Mentions: Alice Chan and Crystal Hoyt
2000 Mariana E. Campbell
Runners-Up: Sarah E. Dean and Beth Robinson
Honorable Mention: Jaclyn Kohles, Fumei Lam, and Camillia Smith
1999 Caroline J. Klivans
Honorable Mentions: Amanda Mueller, Suzanne Shontz, Laura Ciobanu, and Catherine S. Grasso
1998 Sharon Ann Lozano and Jessica A. Shepherd (Co-Winners)
Runner-Up: Jie Li
Honorable Mentions: Patience Elizabeth Moreno and Vera Peshchansky
1997 No prize awarded (due to calendar change)
1996 Ioana Dumitriu
Runners-Up: Karen Ball and Wung-Kum Fong
Honorable Mention: Tara S. Holm
1995 Ruth Britto-Pacumio
Runners-Up: Wung-Kum Fong, Nancy Heinschel, and Jessica Wachter
Honorable Mentions: Tara E. Brendle and Karen Shuman
1994 Jing Rebecca Li
Runner-up: Patricia Hersh, Julia J. Rehmeyer, and Nina Zipser
Honorable Mentions: Jennifer M. Switkes and Yi Wang
1993 Catherine H. O’Neil and Dana Pascovici (Co-Winners)
Runners-Up: Melissa Aczon and Susan W. Goldstine
Honorable Mentions: Karin Dorman, Rebecca Field, Laura Ann Glenn, and Jennifer Slimowitz
1992 Zvezdelina E. Stankova
Runner-Up: Julie B. Kerr
Honorable Mentions: Marcia Geiger, Cheryl P. Grood, Kristine Hauser, Laura Hegerle, Eugenie Hunsicker, Mary C. Joyce,
Martha J. Mancewicz, Jennifer Williams, and Virginia E. Wright
1991 Jeanne Nielsen Clelland
Runner-Up: Zvezdelina Stankova
Honorable Mentions: Sarah Marie Belcastro, Debra Boutin, Cheryl Grood, Karen King, Speranta Marcu, Edith Mooers, Jessica Polito, and Diana Thomas
Special Recognitions: Yick Chan, Millie Niss
1990 Linda Green and Elizabeth Wilmer (Co-Winners)
Honorable Mentions: Jennifer Beineke, Urmi Bhattacharya, Hope Concannon, Colleen Gallagher, Lela Hill, Judy Leavitt, Jennifer McLean, Jeanne Nielsen Clelland, Natalie Thurman, and Ileana Vasu
Special Recognition: Julie B. Kerr
Questions? Call the AWM at 401-455-4042 or email awm@awm-math.org.