Sylvia Wiegand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvia Margaret Wiegand
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| Born | March 8, 1945 Cape Town, South Africa
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| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Commutative algebra math education, history of math |
| Thesis | Galois Theory of Essential Expansions of Modules and Vanishing Tensor Powers (1972) |
| Doctoral advisor | Lawrence S. Levy |
| Doctoral students | Christina Eubanks-Turner |
Sylvia Margaret Wiegand is an American mathematician. She was born on March 8, 1945. She is known for her important work in a field of math called Commutative algebra. She has also worked to help more women succeed in mathematics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sylvia Wiegand was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Her family moved to Wisconsin, USA, in 1949 when she was four years old.
Sylvia comes from a family of mathematicians! Her father, Laurence Chisholm Young, was a mathematician. Her grandparents, Grace Chisholm Young and William Henry Young, were also famous mathematicians.
Sylvia went to Bryn Mawr College and finished her studies there in 1966. She then continued her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1971, she earned her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) in mathematics from that university.
Her Career in Mathematics
In 1987, Sylvia Wiegand became a full professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. At that time, she was the only female professor in the math department there.
Sylvia worked to make the math department more welcoming for women. In 1988, she helped hire two women for new jobs in the department.
In 1996, Sylvia and her husband, Roger Wiegand, created a special fund at the university. This fund helps graduate students who are doing research in math. They named it in honor of Sylvia's mathematician grandparents.
Leadership Roles
Sylvia Wiegand has held many important leadership roles in the world of mathematics.
- From 1997 to 2000, she was the president of the Association for Women in Mathematics. This group works to encourage and support women in math.
- She also served as an editor for important math journals, like Communications in Algebra.
- From 1997 to 2000, she was on the board of directors for the Canadian Mathematical Society.
- She was also a council member for the American Mathematical Society (AMS), which is a major organization for mathematicians in the United States.
Awards and Special Recognition
Sylvia Wiegand has received many awards for her contributions to mathematics and for helping women in the field.
- In 1998, she was featured in a book called Notable Women in Mathematics: A Biographical Dictionary.
- In 2000, she received an award from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This award recognized her great work in improving the status of women in mathematics.
- In May 2005, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln held a special conference called "WiegandFest." This event celebrated the many important contributions of Sylvia and her husband, Roger Wiegand, to mathematics.
- In 2012, she was named a fellow of the AMS. Being a fellow means she is recognized as a very important member of the mathematical community.
- In 2017, she was chosen as a fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics. She was part of the very first group of people to receive this honor.
See also
In Spanish: Sylvia Wiegand para niños
