Date

Fall 2020 Schedule (Via Zoom)

Katy's Journey

Katy Craig, UCSB

Katy will speak about her mathematical journey. She attended graduate school at Rutgers University and received an NSF postdoc. Katy will also tell us about her research. Her research interests include nonlinear PDEs, optimal transport, calculus of variations, and numerical analysis

The Word Problem - Finding the Words to Describe an Unconventional Math Journey

Ashlee Kalauli, UCSB

The word problem in algebra and geometric group theory isn't always an easy problem to solve. I should know, I'm still working on a concrete solution to the word problem for Euclidean Artin groups. But recently, I was asked to describe my journey through mathematics which presented a different type of word problem for me. In this talk, I describe the awkward and nonlinear paths that have carried me to where I am today and give praise to the people and programs who have helped me along the way.

Discrete Volume of Coxeter Permutahedra

Jodi McWhirter, Washington University St. Louis

The discrete volume of an integral polytope, that is, the number of lattice points in the polytope, is given by the Ehrhart polynomial. The Ehrhart polynomials of the integral permutahedra of types A, B, C, and D have been calculated (Federico Ardila, Federico Castillo, and Michael Henley, 2015). However, it is often useful to work with these permutahedra when their center is at the origin, and in the case of type B and odd-dimension type A permutahedra, they become half-integral polytopes, and their Ehrhart quasipolynomials were previously unknown. Using signed graphs that arise from the generating vectors of each permutahedron, we are able to determine the information needed to compute the Ehrhart quasipolynomials.

Screening of Girls Who Fell in Love with Math

From the Women Make Waves Film Festival in Taiwan and on the recommendation of our own Prof. Guofang Wei, we we will be screening the movie “Girls Who Fell in Love with Math”, which explores the lives and impact of mathematician Alice Chang and some of her trailblazing classmates from the National Taiwan University.

Maribel's Journey

Maria Isabel Bueno Cachadina, UCSB

In this conversation, I will share my highly nonstandard path to academia, as a first-generation woman. I will talk about my experiences doing the PhD at the time I was a mom of two and caregiver of my terminally ill father, my experiences at the postdoc in William and Mary, and how I ended up in Santa Barbara. I will also talk about my relationship with research.

Mental Health Peer Counseling & Psychological Services Presentation

Olivia Belknap, UCSB

MHP’s help students achieve academic, social, and personal successes by providing direct services to students. Despite the remote nature of this quarter, the MHP program is still offering remote programs about stress reduction, coping skills and academic planning. In this presentation, we will highlight issues affecting graduate students including imposter syndrome in STEM. Especially during the pandemic, maintaining our mental health is of utmost importance. Join us for help on how to access our resources.

Eugenia Cheng's x + y

Leslie Mavrakis and Paige Hillen, UCSB

Leslie and Paige will introduce and lead a discussion about Eugenia Cheng's latest book, x + y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender.

Math Jobs Panel

Come join us for advice on tackling the job market for mathematicians. Our panel will be comprised of recent graduates who have had success in finding positions in academia and industry.