"The Centennial MathFest will be an historic opportunity to reflect on where we have been as a mathematical community and where we are going--in the mathematics we research, as well as the ways we champion mathematics to educate and serve society,” says MAA President Francis Su.
MAA MathFest 2015 will be the cumulative event honoring the MAA’s 100 years as a professional society, which promises a wide-ranging program for attendees.“The days will be filled with outstanding mathematical lectures, and the evenings will showcase mathematical culture with performances by MAA members in magic, juggling, mime, dance, drama, and music," says Su.
The meeting program features the MAA Centennial Lectures, highlighting distinguished mathematicians: 2014 Fields Medalist Manjul Bhargava (Princeton University), Carlos Castillo-Chavez (Arizona State University), Jennifer Chayes (Microsoft Research), Ingrid Daubechies (Duke University), Erik Demaine (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Karen Parshall (University of Virginia).
Special program events include a panel session on science policy, featuring panelists Rush Holt (American Association for the Advancement of Science), S. James Gates Jr. (University of Maryland), and David Manderscheid (Ohio State University); and an invited paper session on the National Security Agency (NSA), one of the largest employers of mathematicians in the government.
MAA MathFest attendees can also view a sneak peek of the upcoming film The Man Who Knew Infinity, about famed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, followed by an expert panel discussion. Events highlighting the contribution of women and minorities to mathematics are featured in sessions titled “Notes of a Native Son”: The Legacy of Dr. Abdulalim A. Shabazz (1927-2014), the popular mentor to African American doctoral students, and “The Contributions of Women to Mathematics: 100 Years and Counting.”
This year’s MAA MathFest will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics. The joint meeting is also organized by the British Society for the History of Mathematics, bringing international mathematicians from around the globe to celebrate the last and future centuries in mathematics.
MAA MathFest 2015 will take place August 5-8 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park (2660 Woodley Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008). Credentialed reporters can request a free press pass by contacting Alexandra Branscombe at [email protected].
About MAA: The Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Formed in 1915, association members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; and many others in academia, government, business, and industry who are interested in the mathematical sciences.
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