AWM 2025 Student Chapter Innovation Grant Awardees
The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is proud to recognize the 2025 AWM Student Chapter Innovation Grant awardees by sharing their achievements below. If your chapter has an idea that needs some support submit your application before October 15!
University of Chicago
University of Denver
Sonia Kovalevsky (SK) Day Mathematics Outreach Event
The DU AWM student chapter hosted a Sonia Kovalevsky (SK) Day on April 17, 2026. It was a full day of math fun serving over 200 Grade 3 and Grade 4 students in the area. The event was organized as a partnership between the University of Denver (DU) and Denver Language School (DLS) and was supported by approximately 20 faculty/student volunteers from DU and 20 teachers from DLS.
Students rotated through four interactive stations during the day: Dance and Music (exploring mathematical sequences through rhythm and sound), Arts and Crafts (investigating geometry through origami and logic-based coloring challenges), Cryptography (solving Caesar cipher relay puzzles), and Logic Puzzles (working on Sudoku and tangram challenges). Each activity emphasized hands-on learning and was aligned with Colorado Academic Standards in Operations & Algebraic Thinking and Geometry. Each activity was designed and created by the DU chapter of AWM’s leadership team to demonstrate the breadth of mathematics to students.
The event featured a plenary talk by Rebecca Garcia (Colorado College, AWM Fellow 2026), who shared part of her personal and professional journey in mathematics through an engaging and interactive presentation. During her talk, she introduced a combinatorial finger game and asked students to try to find the best strategies to win.
Students also attended a career panel with Major David Schlortt USAF Ret. (a retired pilot and tactician with the United States Air Force), Aza Hoffbauer (a Newborn Screening Program Assistant with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment), and Jordan Koler (a recent graduate of DU with her Mathematics Master’s Degree), who discussed pathways in STEM, inclusion in mathematics, and the mathematics education required for each of their professions.
A professional development workshop for K-12 teachers followed in the afternoon, moderated by Casey Schlortt and featuring panelists Wendy Jensen, Lexi Schlosser, and Mei Yin. Participating teachers welcomed the new instructional strategies being shared and particularly appreciated the emphasis on the intentional use of AI to support creativity and critical thinking in the classroom.
University of Minnesota
Virginia Tech
AWM Symposium on Mathematical Excellence
The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) chapter at Virginia Tech (VT) hosted the VT AWM Symposium on Mathematical Excellence in Virginia on March 28, 2026 on the Virginia Tech Blacksburg campus. The event was sponsored by AWM, the Virginia Tech Department of Mathematics and the Graduate Professional and Student Senate at VT. This one-day event brought together undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty from Virginia Tech, Radford University, and the Virginia Military Institute to share research, build community, and explore career pathways in mathematics.
The symposium featured a plenary lecture by Professor Yun Yang (VT Department of Mathematics), who presented current research and offered insight into the broader mathematical landscape. A central component of the event was two mini-symposium sessions, which included 20 student talks spanning a wide range of topics and one flash talk session which included 10 students talks. In addition, the symposium included a poster session with 4 presenters, encouraging informal discussion and interaction among attendees. These sessions provided a supportive platform for participants to present their work, gain feedback, and develop their communication skills.
A professional development panel brought together Professor Christiana Garcia (VT), Professor Agnieszka Miedlar (VT), Dr. Leah LeJune (VT), and Director of Undergraduate Academics and Inclusive Innovation Kelli Karcher (VT), to share perspectives on academic and industry careers, mentorship, and navigating graduate school.
The event also emphasized community-building through shared meals, coffee breaks, and a dedicated networking session, allowing participants to connect across institutions and career stages. These interactions fostered meaningful conversations, mentorship opportunities, and potential future collaborations.
Support from AWM played a crucial role in making the symposium accessible and inclusive, enabling participation from students across the region. Overall, the event successfully advanced the chapter’s mission to promote equity, visibility, and strengthen engagement within the mathematical community, while laying the foundation for continued collaboration and future programming.