Joint AWM-MOCA Speaker Series 2021-22
Iowa State’s MOCA group and AWM student chapter are collaborating to host the Joint AWM-MOCA Speaker Series (JAMSS). With support from the Department of Mathematics and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, JAMSS will host the following speakers from underrepresented groups in mathematics in order to connect women and minority students in the graduate program with a variety of successful underrepresented mathematicians in the field.
Each speaker will give a virtual talk at the department of mathematics colloquium. Additionally, our groups will host a virtual lunch with interested students and faculty during which the speaker will lead an informal discussion about their career path and how their status as an underrepresented mathematician has impacted them. Students and faculty interested in meeting one-on-one with a speaker should contact us at jamss@iastate.edu.
Maria Chudnovsky
Princeton University
Date: December 6th, 2021, 3:10pm-4pm, Carver 268
Website: https://web.math.princeton.edu/~mchudnov/
Abstract: Tree decompositions are a powerful tool in both structural graph theory and graph algorithms. Many hard problems become tractable if the input graph is known to have a tree decomposition of bounded “width”. Exhibiting a particular kind of a tree decomposition is also a useful way to describe the structure of a graph. Tree decompositions have traditionally been used in the context of forbidden graph minors; bringing them into the realm of forbidden induced subgraphs has until recently remained out of reach. Over the last couple of years we have made significant progress in this direction, exploring both the classical notion of bounded tree-width, and concepts of more structural flavor. This talk will survey some of these ideas and results.
Edinah Gnang
Johns Hopkins University
Date: May 3rd, 2022
Website: https://engineering.jhu.edu/faculty/edinah-gnang/
Abstract: We describe a proof of the long standing Kotzig–Ringel–Rosa conjecture also known as the graceful labeling conjecture. The proof stems from a functional reformulation of the conjecture and a new composition lemma. We will also discuss how the composition lemma sheds light on a stronger variant of the Kotzig–Ringel–Rosa conjecture.
About AWM
The Association of Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a non-profit organization formed to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences. The Iowa State AWM Student Chapter organizes social events to promote a sense of community, formal events to discuss the AWM mission, and outreach events to help the local community.
About Moca
The Mathematicians of Color Alliance (MOCA) is a group of minority graduate and undergraduate mathematics students whose goal is recruitment, retention, and the mentoring of underrepresented students by creating a presence in the department, on campus, and around the nation. MOCA organizes various activities to promote diversity as well as hosting social events to foster a sense of community among ourselves and the wider undergraduate and graduate math communities.
Iowa State University Department of Mathematics
396 Carver Hall
Ames, IA 50010
Organizers
Caroline Bang, Emily Heath, Leslie Hogben, Christian McRoberts, Liz Sprangel, and Shira Zerbib