Past Events

Spring 2018

IRIS Conference

Date: April 14, 2018

Time: 9:00am-5:00pm

Location: Wake Forest University, Greene Hall

IRIS: Integrating Research in Science aims to showcase the importance of interdisciplinary interactions during this day-long conference. This conference has three main components: keynote speeches by Dr. Sara Quandt and Dr. Olga Pierrakos, breakout sessions led by student researchers, and a career panel featuring both academic and industry professionals. More information can attained by clicking the link below.

Colloquium by Becky Sanft from UNC Asheville

Date: March 29, 2018

Time: 3:30 pm

Location: Manchester 121

Reception in Manchester 336 at 3:00 pm


Title: The Mathematics and Mechanics of Biological Growth

Abstract: The mechanical description of growth is potentially of great interest in many different fields as growth plays a fundamental role in both normal development processes and in many pathological disorders. Growth, in general, is a process of enormous complexity involving genetic, biochemical, and physical components at many different scales and with complex interactions. Many issues in tissue growth are not yet well understood and there is a need to ascertain the fundamental interaction between mechanical stresses, changes in geometry and growth processes. Biological growth has predominantly been studied by biologists, but recent advances in both experimental and mathematical methods have allowed biomechanical engineers and mathematicians to investigate this problem. This talk aims to give an overview of the theories that have been used to model biological growth.


Mentee/Mentor Day

Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Time: 5:00-6:00pm

Location: Manchester Hall, Room 125

If you haven't had the opportunity to meet with you mentor or mentee in a while then this is the perfect event for you. If you did not know you could get a mentor through AWM or if you want a mentor this event will be excellent for you. Even if you just enjoy math or are a general nerd or geek, this event is for you. Come join us Wednesday, March 21 at 5:00 for socializing, games, and food as we strengthen our mathematical community and overall love of math. The general goal of AWM is to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in mathematics and the mathematical sciences, so if you believe in this equality, even if you are not a female or not in math, please join us for Mentor Day.


Salary Negotiation Workshop

Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm Wednesday, February, 28 and Thursday March, 1

Location: Green 233

Have you heard that it's important to negotiate your first salary offer, but aren't sure how to do it? The Women's Center will be with AWM for a two-part series on Wednesday Feb. 28 and Thursday Mar 1, 5-6 pm [location pending]. From this workshop, you'll:

be able to name at least 3 components of effective negotiation

gain a sense of your negotiation comfort zone

practice at least 2 skills to expand your comfort zone

leave with a starting plan for your salary negotiation

If you have a resume on hand, you can bring it with you to enhance your experience in the interactive part of the session. Email womenscenter@wfu.edu with any questions.


AWM Triangle Conference

Date: Feb 17, 2018

Time: 9:00am-5:00pm

Location: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

See flyer below for more information. Register at http://www.awmch.web.unc.edu/conference to attend or present by Feb. 9. 2018. If you are interested in carpooling to the conference, contact Vee Galloway at gallis16@wfu.edu.


Margot Lee Shetterly Post-Discussion

Date: Feb 8, 2018

Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm

Location: ZSR 476

Description: The Women's Center, Women in Stem, Women in Computer Science, and Association for Women in Mathematics will host a follow up conversation with Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures.


Margot Lee Shetterly Keynote and Panel Discussion

Date: Feb 5, 2018

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Wait Chapel

Description: Project Wake presents Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures, who will speak at 7:00 pm in Wait Chapel on Feb. 5. Doors open at 6:15 pm. Register to attend at go.wfu.edu/projectwake. There is also a panel discussion in Pugh Auditorium at 4:00 pm with Margot Lee Shetterly, Olga Pierrakos, Herman Eure, Sherri Lawson Clark, and Smiti Kaul about the current context for women/minorities in STEM fields. Registration is required to attend either event.


AWM Social with Salem Chapter

Date: Feb 1, 2018

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Student Center Meeting Rooms, Salem College

601 Church Street South Winston-Salem, NC 27101

If you are interested in carpooling to the event, contact Vee Galloway at gallis16@wfu.edu.


Fall 2017

Guest Speaker

Date: Thursday, November 30

Time: 5:00 pm

Location: Manchester 336

Description: Dr. Alissa Kriss, an industry statistician, will meet with our group.


Hang out with WiCS at Zick’s- Women in CS

Date: Saturday, November 11

Time: 5:00 pm-7:30 pm

Location: Zick’s- lower area

Description: Come hang out with fellow women in CS/math/STEM. Food, drinks, board games, space to talk, share info, do homework. First 20-30 minutes: share current info about events, scholarships, courses, HackNC,etc. After: break into smaller circles to discuss topic X/Y/Z, get intro to CS, do homework, get helpful coding tips for older students, etc. Stay for as long as you want, the space is reserved form 5 to 7:30.


Student Symposium

Date: Thursday, November 9

Time: 5:00 pm

Location: Manchester 245

Description: Student-only event where students can practice public speaking and articulating mathematical principles in a low pressure environment in front of AWM members.

Meet and Greet

Date: Friday, October 27

Time: 1:00 pm

Location: Manchester 336

Description: Informal meet and greet with colloquium speaker, Dr. Pamela Harris from Williams College. See abstract below.

Abstract: From the basic ordering of n​​ objects, solving a rubik's cube, and establishing the unsolvability of the general quintic via radicals, permutations have played many important roles in mathematics. In this talk, we present some recent results related to the concept of peaks of permutations. A permutation π=π1π2⋯ πn ∈ 𝒮n​​, is said to have a peak at i​​ if πi-1 < πi > πi+1​​. We let P(π)​​ denote the set of peaks of π​​ and, given any set S​​ of positive integers, we define PS(n)={π∈𝒮n:P(π)=S}. In 2013 Billey, Burdzy, and Sagan showed that for all fixed subsets of positive integers S​​ and sufficiently large n​​, |PS(n)|=pS(n)2n-|S|-1​​ for some polynomial pS(x)​​ called the peak polynomial of S​​. Billey, Burdzy, and Sagan conjectured that the coefficients of pS(x)​​ expanded in a binomial coefficient basis centered at max(S)​​ are all nonnegative. We end this talk by sharing a new recursive formula for computing peak polynomials, which we then use to prove that their ``positivity conjecture'' is true.

Chapter Meeting and Guest Speaker

Date: Tuesday, September 26

Time: 11:00 am

Location: Manchester 122

Description: Discussion of upcoming events of the semester, welcome of new members then Dr. Raynor, for WFU’s mathematics department will speak to us about her career in mathematics as well as give tips on and answer questions we have about finding our own success in math. This is a great opportunity for anyone considering graduate school, or is uncertain of what they would like to do.