Communicating Mathematics 2026

Participants in this interactive workshop will create engaging "elevator speeches" for conversing with other mathematicians, especially ones far from their own research areas. The JMM presents opportunities to meet an exceptionally large group of mathematicians working across a wide range of fields and professions. Whether you are at the JMM to share your research, find a job, meet old classmates, explore new collaborations, or something else, being able to communicate effectively is essential for connecting with others. In a supportive environment, participants will experiment with creating accessible yet authentic introductions to their work. Participants will also leave with a collection of strategies and exercises designed to help them enhance their communication skills while at the JMM and beyond.

This workshop is appropriate for all mathematicians with PhDs and other professionals interested in communicating effectively, regardless of whether they already have compelling elevator speeches or are starting from scratch. To help create an environment in which participants feel comfortable trying out new approaches among peers, this workshop is primarily for mathematicians with PhDs and other professionals. Please check the schedule for a similar workshop for students and postdocs. Postdocs are welcome at either workshop.

Students and young mathematicians:  Please attend the student elevator pitch workshop on Tuesday in lieu of this one! 

This talk presents an approach to mathematical outreach that we gradually developed through years of practice, prioritizing direct experience over any kind of instruction. No more than ten seconds of setup leads to hours of self-directed exploration based on games or artistic activities, with participants of all levels and age groups naturally engaging in activities which finds its roots in mathematical research.

This is one of many contrasts that make these activities work: systematically presenting activities entirely created and designed from scratch, allows us to surprise visitors, bypassing potential math phobia and challenging expectations. By building on emotional responses, we break down barriers and shift perspectives. Activities provide multiple entry points with progressive experiences, creating inclusive experiences that transcend cultural boundaries.

The talk will showcase examples of installations presented at the last two World Expos (in Dubai and Osaka) where thousands of visitors engaged in meaningful mathematical experiences.

There is a long and checkered history of mathematicians working to influence law and policy in the United States. Often, success or failure rests on the ability to communicate the ideas involved in a way that’s appropriate to the audience. I’ll survey some interesting episodes, from the Civil War era to the present.

A conversation on writing about mathematics for public audiences with acclaimed science journalist Siobhan Roberts, and associate professor Noah Giansiracusa, winner of the 2026 JPBM communications award. This talk will be part conversation, part moderated panel discussion with time for audience questions. Open to all who are interested in exploring the importance and challenges of reaching broad audiences.

Moderator: Kathryn Mann, Cornell University

In this session we will consider a variety of formats, settings, and motivations through which to engage students with mathematics. Panelists will share concrete examples of best practices for doing so within secondary schools, online forums, and summer programs, and ideas on how to adapt these best practices to other contexts. In particular, we will examine the ways in which community enables and enhances the process and efficacy of communicating mathematics to secondary school students. We anticipate dividing session time approximately equally between presentation and Q&A; participants will come away with fresh ideas and methods for engaging students of all ages.

Those in STEM fields are typically not trained in communicating with the public, which creates a disconnect between academics and their communities. At a time when continued federal research funding is uncertain, it is essential to convey to wide audiences how policymaking can impact researchers’ lives and everyone’s future. Given this, graduate students, postdocs, and other early career STEM professionals should be empowered to engage in public policy, whether by writing editorials or organizing within and beyond their institutions. The McClintock Letters, an initiative by the Scientist Network for Advancing Policy (SNAP), resulted in more than 175 op-eds published nationwide by early career STEM professionals in support of federal research funding. This workshop will cover how that initiative was built though a grassroots effort, provide guidance on organizing your own policy advocacy activities, and detail a step-by-step approach to writing and publishing effective op-eds. While all are welcome, this workshop is especially designed for students and early career STEM professionals.

When we think of education in the United States, few of us picture the nearly two million individuals currently incarcerated in this country. When we picture learning mathematics, fewer still imagine a mathematics without computers, office hours, and, in extreme circumstances, paper.

I have been fortunate to teach both volunteer and for-credit mathematics courses in prison settings, as well as to participate in courses ranging from criminal justice to gender and sexuality alongside incarcerated peers.

In this interactive talk, we will discuss the struggles, strategies, and surprises of engaging with mathematics in prison. In doing so, we will also reflect on how these experiences might reshape the ways we communicate mathematics not only behind bars, but beyond them.

Much of training and mentorship of graduate students focuses on the doing of mathematics: learning the tools, finding a research question, discovering a proof. Yet equally important is the communication of that mathematics. This talk will focus on strategies for mentoring and training early career mathematicians in the skill of oral communication. The talk will combine a presentation, featuring several concrete resources, with a facilitated discussion among the session attendees where attendees can share ideas and past experiences and ask questions. The strategies and resources were developed and honed through the speaker’s experience trying to improve their own talks, through coorganizing the workshop "Communicating Mathematics Effectively", and through teaching a graduate course on the same topic. The strategies and resources can be used for vertical mentoring relationships or peer-mentoring (i.e., in improving one’s own talks). Attendees at all career stages are invited!

The "traditional format" of academic publishing is limited, as is the kind of mathematical works it rewards. This panel will explore what traditional publication does well and how to do it well, while exploring creative solutions, and new directions in publication. What can we do to improve how we communicate through published materials? How do we address new challenges like computer assisted proofs?

Moderator: Kathryn Mann (Cornell University) 

The panel discussion “Rethinking the Mathematics Conference,” aimed at potential future organizers and attendees, will explore how creative organizational structures can be used to ensure that conferences are a valuable, positive experience for the broadest possible audience.  We will discuss in-person/hybrid/remote modalities, scheduling productive blocks of unstructured time, strategies for introducing junior researchers into the communities, best practices for dismantling social hierarchies, structures for facilitating the asking and answering of questions, and methods of providing background in advance or during the conference, among other topics.

Moderator: Emily Clader

Participants in this interactive workshop will create engaging "elevator speeches" for conversing with other mathematicians, especially ones far from their own research areas. The JMM presents opportunities to meet an exceptionally large group of mathematicians working across a wide range of fields and professions. Whether you are at the JMM to share your research, find a job, meet old classmates, explore new collaborations, or something else, being able to communicate effectively is essential for connecting with others. In a supportive environment, participants will experiment with creating accessible yet authentic introductions to their work. Participants will also leave with a collection of strategies and exercises designed to help them enhance their communication skills while at the JMM and beyond.

This workshop is appropriate for all students and postdocs interested in communicating effectively, regardless of whether they already have compelling elevator speeches or are starting from scratch. To help create an environment in which participants feel comfortable trying out new approaches among peers, this instance of the workshop is primarily for students and postdocs. Please check the schedule for a similar workshop for mathematicians with PhDs and other professionals.

PhD holders and Professionals:   Please attend the student elevator pitch workshop on Sunday in lieu of this one! 

Participants in this interactive workshop will create engaging "elevator speeches" for conversing with other mathematicians, especially ones far from their own research areas. The JMM presents opportunities to meet an exceptionally large group of mathematicians working across a wide range of fields and professions. Whether you are at the JMM to share your research, find a job, meet old classmates, explore new collaborations, or something else, being able to communicate effectively is essential for connecting with others. In a supportive environment, participants will experiment with creating accessible yet authentic introductions to their work. Participants will also leave with a collection of strategies and exercises designed to help them enhance their communication skills while at the JMM and beyond.

This workshop is appropriate for all students and postdocs interested in communicating effectively, regardless of whether they already have compelling elevator speeches or are starting from scratch. To help create an environment in which participants feel comfortable trying out new approaches among peers, this instance of the workshop is primarily for students and postdocs. Please check the schedule for a similar workshop for mathematicians with PhDs and other professionals.

PhD holders and Professionals:   Please attend the student elevator pitch workshop on Sunday in lieu of this one! 

In a conversation with Geordie Williamson, we will discuss standard practices for giving mathematical talks, explore the influence of mathematical talks on learning and working in mathematics, and imagine new ways to speak about our work to audiences.

Geordie Williamson is the Director of the Sydney Mathematical Research Institute, and is the AMS Colloquium Lecturer at JMM 2026.