Infinite Possibilities Conference 2012

2012年3月，第四届无限可能大会(IPC)将在马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校(UMBC)举行。这次会议是唯一一次集中讨论有关教育、鼓励和支持对数学和统计感兴趣的少数族裔妇女的问题的全国性会议，将由密歇根大学和非营利性组织建立科学多样性联合主办。在过去三届成功的无限可能性会议的基础上，该计划将包括过去会议的组成部分以及旨在扩大能够从会议中受益的群体的新功能。与以往的会议一样，将有知名数学家的全体研究演讲，以及更多初级数学家发表的较短的研究报告和海报。这些报告提供了一个在各级和所有数学领域传播新的数学思想的论坛，也是初级数学家在支持性环境中获得对其工作和报告方法的反馈的一种方式。会议的讲习班和小组讨论将包括关于获得研究生院所需技能的信息；专业发展的工具；关于数学职业选择的信息；以及对支持少数群体和/或女性数学家的资源和组织的认识。我们还计划在IPC会议的前一天举办一个关于数学“热门话题”的研讨会，由一家来访的数学研究所举办。过去的IPC会议包括一系列专门针对高中生的为期一天的活动。2012年IPC课程的新增内容将是为数学教师举办的研讨会，他们可以获得认证。将鼓励教师带上他们的学生，并将在会议期间开展活动，以引起两组人的兴趣。非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔/拉丁裔和美洲原住民妇女在数学方面的比例历来偏低。2007年，只有不到2%的数学科学博士学位授予了少数族裔群体中的美国女性。IPC会议为高中、本科生和研究生提供了一个与同行和更多知名女性数学家在支持和合作的氛围中互动的机会，这对于专业会议来说是独一无二的。IPC的主要目标之一是在导师和被辅导者之间建立联系，并为寻求进入该领域但担心自己与传统数学家之间的差异而寻求进入该领域的初级女性数学家提供榜样。会议的目的是提供一个支持性的环境，在这种环境中，少数民族女性数学家既可以了解如果她们继续追求职业数学家的选择，她们可以选择的职业道路，也可以抵消任何寻求进入以男性为主的科学领域(如数学)的人普遍存在的孤立感。无限可能大会力求实现这些目标，方法是让与会者认识到数学家和统计学家可以通过多种方式对整个社会作出宝贵贡献(数学的重要性)，并为初级女数学家建立网络和提供资源，以鼓励和支持她们对这一职业的抱负。

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.