Past conferences

The Heartland Math COnference Story

As sister research institutions in Kansas, the math graduate students at Kansas State University (K-State) and the University of Kansas (KU) sought out opportunities to connect with one other to discuss and share mathematical ideas in a low-pressure environment where the focus would be on building a network with fellow students across different areas. Thus, in the semester of Fall 2021, the Kansas Mathematics Graduate Student Conference (KMGSC) was born. First held on December 5th, 2021 at KU, KMGSC was held every fall and spring, hosted by KU and K-State respectively. The conference was organized entirely by graduate students, and is designed specifically for graduate students, as well as undergraduates and postdocs. To create a more relaxed atmosphere for students still growing in their career, professors and faculty are not invited to the events.

KMGSC was immediately popular amongst graduate students from both universities, featuring talks from a wide range of areas of mathematics as well as stages of research. KMGSC welcomed talks on a broad range of topics in the mathematical sciences, including pure mathematics, applied mathematics, statistics, and interdisciplinary research. Previous instances of the conference have featured talks on algebraic geometry, analysis, cryptography, networks, topology, and more. Though perhaps one of the most favored aspects of KMGSC is the opportunity to give expository talks on subjects of interest, even if it is not original research. This provides younger graduate students a unique and valuable opportunity to present prior to beginning their own research.

This fall, we are reorganizing the conference under the name Heartland Math Conference (HMC). In addition to changing the conference from a semi-annual meeting to an annual meeting, we are excited to welcome the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as a third host institution alongside K-State and KU. These changes come as the HMC organizers wish to continue, enhance, and expand participation at the conferences. We look forward to welcoming participants and speakers from throughout the Heartland so that we can provide a space where early career mathematicians can connect with others.