Association for Women in Mathematics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Association for Women in Mathematics

Formation	1971
Type	Professional organization
Headquarters	Providence, Rhode Island
Membership	5200
President	Talitha Washington

The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a group that helps and encourages women and girls who are interested in math. Their main goal is to make sure women and girls have equal chances to study math and have great careers in math-related fields.

AWM started in 1971. It has about 5,200 members. This includes over 250 schools and universities. The AWM offers many programs and workshops. These help guide women and girls in math. Much of their work gets support from government grants.

AWM's History: How it Started

The Association for Women in Mathematics began in 1971. It was first called the Association of Women Mathematicians. The name was changed very quickly after that.

A mathematician named Judy Green remembered how it started. At a meeting in 1971, a woman named Joanne Darken suggested that the women stay behind. She thought they should form a special group. Six women stayed to talk about this idea. They included Judy Green, Joanne Darken, Mary Gray, Diane Laison, Gloria Olive, and Annie Selden. Many people believe that Mary Gray was key to getting the group organized.

Early Goals and Growth

Mary Gray was a big part of starting AWM. She was also its first president. She put an advertisement in a math newsletter in February 1971. She also wrote the first AWM Newsletter in May of that year.

The early goals of AWM were very important. They wanted fair pay for women in math. They also wanted women to be treated equally when applying for graduate school. They pushed for equal chances for jobs at universities. This included getting promotions and permanent positions. They also wanted women to get government grants. They aimed for women to be on important math committees.

Alice T. Schafer became the second president of AWM. She set up an AWM office at Wellesley College. This helped AWM become a recognized group in the world of mathematics. In 1973, AWM became a legal organization. In 1974, it received special tax-exempt status.

Meetings and Publications

The AWM holds a big meeting every year. This meeting happens at the Joint Mathematics Meetings. In 2011, AWM celebrated its 40th anniversary. During this celebration, they started a new research event. This event happens every two years.

The Association for Women in Mathematics Newsletter is the group's magazine. The first issue came out in May 1971. This was just a few months after AWM was founded. Members of AWM can ask to get paper copies of the newsletter. Now, anyone can read or download the newsletter online. You can find PDF files of recent or old issues on the AWM website.

Special Lectures Honoring Women in Math

The AWM supports three special lecture series. These lectures honor women who have made big contributions to math.

• The Noether Lectures: These lectures honor women who have made important and lasting contributions to math. They are given with the American Mathematical Society. The lecture happens at the yearly Joint Mathematics Meetings.
• The Falconer Lectures: These lectures honor women who have made great contributions to math or math education. They are given with the Mathematical Association of America. The lecture happens at the yearly MathFest.
• The Kovalevsky Lectures: These lectures honor women who have made important contributions to applied math or computer math. They are given with the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). The lecture happens at the SIAM Annual Meeting. This lecture series is named after the famous mathematician Sonia Kovalevsky.

Awards for Achievements in Math

The AWM gives out several awards and prizes. These celebrate the achievements of women in math.

• Alice T. Schafer Prize: This award is given each year. It goes to a female college student who shows great skill in mathematics.
• Louise Hay Award: This award is given each year. It recognizes a woman for amazing achievements in math education.
• M. Gweneth Humphreys Award: This award is given each year. It honors a woman for outstanding work in mentoring others in math.
• Ruth I. Michler Memorial Prize: This award is given each year. It goes to a woman who recently earned a permanent teaching position in mathematics. The prize helps fund a semester at Cornell University. During this time, she does not have to teach.
• AWM Service Award: This award is given each year. It recognizes women who have done amazing volunteer work to support women in mathematics.

Prizes for Early Career Researchers

Three newer prizes are also given by the AWM. These are for women who are just starting their math careers.

• AWM-Birman Research Prize: This prize is given every other year since 2015. It is for excellent research in the areas of topology or geometry.
• AWM-Microsoft Research Prize: This prize is given every other year since 2014. It is for excellent research in algebra or number theory.
• AWM-Sadosky Research Prize: This prize is given every other year since 2014. It is for excellent research in mathematical analysis.

The AWM also has a Fellows program. This program recognizes people who have shown a strong dedication to supporting and helping women in math.

Leaders of AWM: Past Presidents

Related Topics

• African Women in Mathematics Association
• European Women in Mathematics
• Femmes et Mathématiques
• List of women in mathematics
• Timeline of women in mathematics

See also

In Spanish: Asociación de Mujeres en Matemáticas para niños