Abstract: What do math and drag have in common? At first glance, not much, but Kyne Santos is here to show you otherwise! As a Filipino immigrant, math major, and world-renowned drag queen, Kyne’s story is proof that people can't be confined into rigid boxes. In this talk, Kyne shares how embracing her identity led to a double life of solving equations by day and slaying stages by night. Discover how math and drag are woven together by creativity, confidence, and most importantly, fun.

About the Speaker: Kyne Santos is a drag queen and math communicator with a BMath from the University of Waterloo. She makes popular math videos on social media for an audience of over 2 million followers.

Abstract: In graph theory, we model relationships between objects using mathematical structures called graphs. A graph, consisting of dots representing objects connected by lines to show that the objects are related, can be used to study many networks, from your friend group to the computer network at your school. In this talk, we will start by laying a basic foundation of definitions and examples in graph theory. We will then discuss examples related to recent research advances and related open problems.

About the Speaker: Aleyah Dawkins is a mathematician and currently a NSF MPS-Ascend Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon. She received her PhD in 2024 from George Mason University focusing in combinatorics. Aleyah is passionate about improving math proficiency and the math experience, especially for groups not often represented in mathematics. 

Abstract: In this talk we will introduce several basic notions of coding theory (including Linear Codes, Encoding and Decoding). We shall also mention elementary code constructions, such as Reed-Solomon code and present some REU research projects on Coding Theory.

About the Speaker: Fernando Pinero is an Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico - Ponce. He received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the Unversity of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras and a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Denmark, all in mathematics. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay. His research interests include codes from algebraic geometry, Tanner codes, generalized LDPC codes, and linear codes from algebraic graphs. He currently runs an REU with Dr. Pamela E. Harris on Algebraic Coding Theory and Combinatorics and is actively looking for bright underrepresented students who want to do math research.

Abstract: Seeing is believing. There are three axes of mathematical illustration: A picture can exposit mathematical ideas, aid in the discovery of new math, or be an avenue for artistic expression.  We will take a whirlwind tour though several areas of the field, and get acquainted with the varied goals, themes, mediums, and lots and lots of pictures. Many contributors to this field have little formal math training. All you need is a new perspective and some visual flair.

About the Speaker: Elliot (he/she) is a third year graduate student at UC Berkeley, studying mathematical physics. Elliot is also a mathematical artist, interested in capturing mathematical worlds through digital art.

Abstract: I will describe three different stochastic (i.e. time-evolving, random) models of natural phenomena: ballistic annihilation, chase-escape, and the frog model. For each model I will state some theorems (mostly proven with undergraduates) as well as a few simple sounding open problems.

About the Speaker: Dr. Junge uses probability to describe natural phenomena. Noteworthy accomplishments include coauthoring around twenty research articles with over forty undergraduates and teaching for three different college-in-prison programs.

Abstract: Ethical questions appear in many aspects of the practice of mathematics.  Some of the more readily apparent questions appear in the applications of mathematics, e.g., in questions around the handling and use of big data or the misuse of statistics, but important ethical questions also come up in more pure aspects of mathematics. In this crash course I will highlight a few areas where these questions appear and discuss their context.

About the Speaker: Matthew Cordes is an Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. His mathematical research is in the field of geometric group theory. He is also interested in the ethics of mathematics. He developed and led a seminar on the topic during his postdoc at ETH Zurich. He is also a member of the board of Spectra: the association of LGBTQ+ mathematicians.

Abstract: This talk is an introduction to applied and computational topology. The shape of a dataset often reflects important patterns within. Two such datasets with interesting shapes are a space of 3x3 pixel patches from optical images, which can be well-modeled by a Klein bottle, and the conformation space of the cyclo-octane molecule, which is a Klein bottle glued to a 2-sphere along two circles. I will introduce topological tools for visualizing, understanding, and performing machine learning tasks on high-dimensional datasets. 

About the Speaker: Henry Adams is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Florida. His research interests are in applied topology, combinatorial topology, computational geometry, and metric geometry, including applications to data analysis and to sensor networks. Henry is the Executive Director of the Applied Algebraic Topology Research Network (AATRN), whose YouTube channel has 8,000 subscribers and about 20 hours watched per day.

In this workshop we will discuss how faculty can serve as advocates for all students and in particular for students who have been historically marginalized in mathematics. We will leave with some action plans that faculty can implement immediately. Come ready to share and get to work! 

Dr. Selvi Kara is a Turkish mathematician and an assistant professor of mathematics at Bryn Mawr College. She earned her PhD from Tulane University in 2017 and her research focuses on problems at the intersection of algebra, combinatorics, and geometry.  Selvi is one of the co-founders of Meet a Mathematician and she is deeply committed to fostering inclusive spaces in mathematics. She works to center mathematicians and students from historically excluded backgrounds, amplifying their voices and experiences within mathematical communities.

Dr. Gizem Karaali is originally from Istanbul, Turkey, where she received undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and mathematics. She got her PhD in mathematics from the University of California Berkeley and is currently a professor at Pomona College. Karaali's research lies in the representation theory of Lie superalgebras, super quantum groups, and algebraic combinatorics. Her scholarly interests include humanistic mathematics, pedagogy, and quantitative literacy, as well as social justice implications of mathematics and mathematics education.