Christine Heitsch
(From left to right, front row: Lily Khadjavi, Monica Vazirani, Kashi Abhyankar, Julie Mitchell, Rinat Kedem (far right) Back row: Karen Edwards, Marilyn Koshlap (in back), Kim Whittlesey, Jessica Staddon, Christine Heitsch, Gillian Elston (in back), Concetta Gomez)
This past summer, the 25th anniversary of the American Women in Mathematics (AWM) culminated in the Julia Robinson Celebration of Women in Mathematics, a three-day conference in early July held at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in Berkeley, California. The goals of the celebration reflected on a national scale what the Noetherian Ring strives to achieve at a departmental level. While the conference talks showcased the recent achievements of distinguished women mathematicians, our weekly meetings provide a peer forum for female graduate students to present research topics in our areas of study and expertise.
During the conference, breaks between talks and "poster sessions" (when participants display their research on a poster and are available for discussion), as well as the picnic, banquet, and other more informal social functions, facilitated networking among women in various fields and positions in mathematics. At Noetherian Ring meetings, the weekly talk is preceded by half an hour of precisely this sort of convivial exchange of information. While the support and advice of more advanced students are particularly cherished, each person (male or female) attending the meetings is valued for contributing to the community of women in mathematics at Berkeley.
While informal mentoring may develop between women graduate students, finding role models beyond graduate school can be difficult. Through generous faculty donations, the Noetherian Ring developed a "Speaker Series" to address this issue; at least once a semester, we invite a prominent woman mathematician to speak at the departmental colloquium. In recent years continuing support for these visits was due to the generosity of the Visiting Professorship for Women in Science (VPW) faculty who allocated money to the Noetherian Ring from their grants. With speakers such at Margaret Wright (who spoke last Spring) and Fan Chung (who visited this Fall) presenting the results of their work, these talks enable the whole department to enjoy some exciting mathematics.
For many of the Noetherian Ring members, the first colloquium ever attended is that of "our" invited speaker, and this experience often leads to future attendance. Noetherian Ring members who attend the colloquium dinner afterwards benefit from the opportunity of engaging in dialogue with the speaker and interacting with the other faculty present. Other social events, such as a luncheon earlier in the day, the daily departmental tea, or the reception after the colloquium, all present opportunities for Noetherian Ring members to converse with the speaker and benefit from her wisdom and experiences.
As with most Noetherian Ring functions, the central focus is mathematics. However, we also benefit from the support, the solidarity, and the strengthening of the network of women mathematicians. Unfortunately, neither mathematics nor mentoring is without its price. The VPW funds are not without limit, and the department's financial situation is already strained. Thus, the Noetherian Ring has decided to begin raising funds for a university endowment, the interest of which would be used to support our Speaker Series in the years to come. Through these invited talks, we have had the chance not just to listen to, but to become acquainted with fine mathematicians from all over the world. With your support, we hope to continue this endeavor.
If you wish to make a donation to the endowment, please contact the Noetherian Ring c/o U.C. Berkeley Department of Mathematics, or email nring@math.berkeley.edu.
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