Infinite Possibilities Conference 2012

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In March of 2012 the 4th Infinite Possibilities Conference (IPC) will be held at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). This conference which is the only such national meeting to focus on issues related to educating, encouraging and supporting minority women interested in mathematics and statistics will be jointly sponsored by UMBC and the non-profit organization Building Diversity in Science. Building on the last three successful Infinite Possibilities Conferences, the program will include components from past meetings as well as new features designed to broaden the groups able to benefit from the conference. As in past conferences, there will be plenary research talks by established mathematicians as well as shorter research presentations and posters presented by more junior mathematicians. These presentations provide a forum for dissemination of new mathematical ideas at all levels and in all areas of mathematics as well as a way for junior mathematicians to receive feedback on their work and their method of presentation in a supportive environment. Workshops and panel discussions at the conference will include information on acquiring the necessary skills for graduate school; tools for professional development; information on career options in mathematics; and awareness of resources and organizations that are supportive of minority and/or women mathematicians. We also plan to incorporate a workshop on a mathematical "hot topic" which will be presented by a visiting math institute on the day prior to the IPC meeting. Past IPC conferences have included a one-day set of activities geared specifically to high school students. A new addition to the program for IPC 2012 will be a workshop for mathematics teachers for which they can receive accreditation. Teachers will be encouraged to bring their students and activities will be developed to interest both groups during the meeting.African-American, Hispanic/Latina, and Native American women have been historically underrepresented in mathematics. In 2007, less than 2% of the doctoral degrees in the mathematical sciences were awarded to American women from underrepresented minority groups. The IPC conference provides students at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels an opportunity to interact with peers and more established women mathematicians in a supportive and collegial atmosphere that is unique for a professional conference. One of the main goals of IPC is to establish connections between mentors and mentees and to provide role models for junior women mathematicians seeking to enter the field but concerned about the differences they see between themselves and traditional mathematicians. The aim of the conference is to provide a supportive environment in which minority women mathematicians can both learn about the possible career paths available to them should they continue to pursue their options as a professional mathematician and to counteract the pervasive sense of isolation that accompanies anyone seeking to enter a predominantly male scientific field such as mathematics. The Infinite Possibilities Conference seeks to accomplish these goals by making participants aware of the many ways in which mathematicians and statisticians can make valuable contributions to society at large (the importance of mathematics) and by building networks and providing resources for junior women mathematicians to encourage and support their aspirations towards such a career.