Increasing Diversity in Mathematical & Related Sciences

BIRS UBC Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, Canada

May 17-22, 2026

Overview

Increasing Diversity in Mathematical & Related Sciences (IDMS) 2026 is a 5-day Summer School organized by the Canadian Math Society’s Women in Math Committee. We plan to bring together a diverse group of undergraduate students from Canadian universities who identify as women, or other underrepresented gender-identities. This is an inspiring week of learning new math from influential women and gender-diverse mathematicians, and collaborating with peers from across the country! You also get to connect professionally and socially, build networks among your academic peers and instructors. We offer a challenging academic program, as well as professional development sessions and panel discussions with a focus on how to meet challenges faced by women and other underrepresented gender-identities in the mathematical sciences.

Speakers

Dr. Jane Breen

Ontario Tech University

Dr. Natasha Morrison

University of Victoria

Dr. Keira Gunn

Mount Royal University

Topics

This summer school will focus on algebraic methods in combinatorics. Dr. Jane Breen will hold a course on the role of linear algebra in the study of Markov chains, which are combinatorial objects used to model an extensive range of real-world systems, such as traffic movement in a road network, information flow in the world wide web, and disease spread in a social network. Dr. Natasha Morrison, on the other hand, will present some of the most appealing applications of algebraic techniques to problems in combinatorics and graph theory.

Eligibility

This workshop is open to undergraduates in a math or related science program at a Canadian university who have completed at least two years of university-level math education or at least two years of CEGEP and one year of university education at the time of application and identify as a woman or as another underrepresented gender-identity.

Students must apply to participate in this workshop, we have space for approximately 35 students. Consideration will be given to students from multiple equity-seeking groups or with limited access to such programs. A reference letter (no more than one page) from a professor or instructor is required.

Application

Students are asked to complete this application form and have one letter of reference from a professor or instructor submitted to this reference form. We also ask that you submit transcripts (these are only used to understand the academic background of participants).

The deadline to apply is Dec. 15.

Funding

Accommodations and food will be provided to all workshop participants. We have some travel support available for participants, but we are asking participants to try to find matching funding. You can ask the head of your department or the undergraduate co-ordinator at your university if there is funding available for undergraduate students to attend conferences. You can also ask a professor (perhaps a professor that told you about this workshop) or a summer research supervisor, or your math club or student's union if there is funding available.

Organizers

Fahimeh Bayeh (Dalhousie University)

Yu-Ru Liu (University of Waterloo)

Karen Meagher (University of Regina)

Hermie Monterde (University of Regina)

Sophie Spirkl (University of Waterloo)

Amy Wiebe (UBC Okanagan)