Program and Abstracts

WiMSoCal 2024 Schedule

8:20am - 8:40am Registration, coffee & light breakfast

8:45am - 8:55am Brief Welcome @ Argue Auditorium

9:00am - 11:00am Research Talks I

11:00am - 11:10am Coffee Grab

11:10am - 12:10pm Breakout Session

12:10pm - 1:20pm Lunch Grab and Career Development Panel @ Argue Auditorium

1:30pm - 2:30pm Keynote Speaker: Talithia Williams (Harvey Mudd College) @ Argue Auditorium

2:30pm - 3:00pm Poster Session with Coffee/Cookies

3:00pm - 5:00pm Research Talks II

5:00pm - 6:00pm Closing Remarks (followed by Wine&Cheese) @ Argue Auditorium

Keynote Title and Abstract

Keynote Speaker: Talithia Williams (Harvey Mudd College)

Title: The Power of Storytelling: Engaging the Public in Mathematics

Abstract: When it comes to inspiring the future productivity and innovation of our nation, mathematicians are on the front lines. In this talk, I will discuss the importance of engaging a wide range of audiences in conversations about the nature of our work and of scientific discovery. As we change the way communities think about the natural world and the STEM disciplines, we can begin conversations that improve public perception of science and bring people from all backgrounds into this important work.

About the Keynote Speaker: Talithia Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Clinic Director, develops statistical models which emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data, and applies them to problems in the environment. She has partnered with the World Health Organization in developing a cataract model used to predict the cataract surgical rate for countries in Africa. Her research interests also include nonstationary covariance estimation and change-of-support problem, Williams takes sophisticated numerical concepts and makes them understandable and relatable to everyone. As illustrated in her popular TedTalk, “Own Your Body’s Data,” she demystifies the mathematical process in amusing and insightful ways, using statistics as a way of seeing the world in a new light and transforming our future through the bold new possibilities inherent in the STEM fields. As an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, she has made it her life’s work to get people—students, parents, educators and community members—more excited about the possibilities inherent in a STEM education. Williams received her B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College, master’s degrees in both mathematics from Howard University and statistics from Rice University, and a PhD in statistics from Rice University. Her professional experiences include research appointments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA.

Photo credit: IHES, 2015 (Dusa McDuff explaining "Regularity of moduli spaces of J-holomorphic curves)