Events

Announcements

• Professor Alessandra Pantano has been appointed as an Inclusive Excellence Professor. Inclusive Excellence Professors are appointed as Faculty Assistants to the Provost and work directly with the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development to organize and run faculty development activities.
   
• UCI Mathematics Department Statement on the Death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter.
   
• Collaborate to End Racism on Campus and Beyond

The Center for Neurobiology and Memory is coordinating a broad grass roots movement, the UCI End Racism Initiative. This movement brings together undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. Among the activities of this campus collaborative include raising awareness about racism, engaging in education to advance anti-racism, and building institutional capacity to advance inclusive excellence.

• UCI Black Thriving Initiative: A whole university approach to creating a university culture where black people thrive.
   
• Take the Pledge campaign: The purpose of this campaign is to mobilize the campus community and Anteater nation to make UCI the leading university for talented Black people to thrive as undergraduate and graduate students, medical students and residents, faculty, staff and alumni. The pledge, of course, is voluntary. By choosing to endorse the pledge's four expectations, you can make a powerful positive influence on the environments in which we teach, learn, discover, create, heal, work and serve.

Previous Events 

Bridging the Gap: Thriving as Parents and Graduate Students, April 20 at 3:00 - 4:30 PST

Tomorrow afternoon the Office of Access and Inclusion is hosting an event called, "Bridging the Gap: Thriving as Parents and Graduate Students." If you already have a family or are considering starting a family in grad school or during a postdoc, this workshop will give an overview of resources, materials and challenges you can take into consideration for your family planning. The zoom link can be found here.

paraDIGMS 2021 Spring Conference, April 23 - 26

The paraDIGMS 2021 Spring Conference will be hosted virtually by the Institute of Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI) on April 23rd through the 26th. The conference will highlight work by individuals and organizations to build a diverse and equitable profession through graduate education, while also challenging us to see how far we still have to go. Plenary speakers for the conference are Erica J. Graham, Shirley Malcom, Kasso Okoudjou, and Francis Su. (Two UCI affiliates will be serving on panels!)

SMB Workshop in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Mathematical Biology, March 26 at 9am PST

You are cordially invited to join the Society for Mathematical Biology as they engage in a critical reflection of our practices in order to cultivate a culture in which all voices are heard, valued and validated. Together, by sharing stories and identifying concrete actions, we can make space for everyone. You can register for the event and find out more about the SMB Diversity Workshop by visiting the aforementioned links.

A conversation about Anti-Asian Discrimination: reflections on how it is impacting us and what we can do to stop. Match 25 at 4pm PST.

The school of Physical Sciences is organizing a Town Hall on Thursday, Mar 25, 4-5PM  to provide a venue for our community (students, post-doc, researchers, faculty, and staff) to discuss recent events and the Asian and Asian-American discrimination at large, to share how these events are impacting our lives and to discuss what we can do at the department/school and campus level to raise awareness, foster cultural change, and create a community that is supportive for all. See the link for more information.

Picture a Scientist, March 24 at 3pm EST

Nobel Prize-winning Dr. Jennifer Doudna (featured in the film Human Nature), along with Dr. Raychelle Burks and Dr. Jane Willenbring (who are both featured in Picture A Scientist), and Dr. Eva Pietri (a social psychologist studying bias in STEM) will welcome your questions at the live online panel conversation on advancing diversity and inclusion in STEM. This event is centered around a new film "Picture a Scientist":

The film chronicles the groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. In the film, biologist Nancy Hopkins, chemist Raychelle Burks, and geologist Jane Willenbring lead viewers on a journey deep into their own experiences in the sciences, ranging from harassment to years of subtle slights. Along the way, from cramped laboratories to spectacular field stations, we encounter scientific luminaries - including social scientists, neuroscientists, and psychologists - who provide new perspectives on how to make science itself more diverse, equitable, and open to all.

 Check out the link for more information and to RVSP to the event!

IE Committee Meeting, February 8 at 1pm

If you have any issues, comments, or concerns that you would like to bring to the attention of the committee, please feel free to reach out to reach out to Natasha Komarova (Chair) or another committee member. Meeting minutes are available to Gradute Students and Faculty and can be found on the UCI Math Intranet. 

Physical Sciences Journal Club, January 29 at 3pm

Professor Anton Gorodetski will be leading the next physical sciences journal club on anti-racism. The discussion will be based on the story of Daryl Davis, a musician who convinced many Ku Klux Klan Members to leave their organization.

UCI Black Index Exhibition, January 14-March 20

This national show is curated by Professor Bridget R. Cooks and presented by the University Art Gallery. The artists featured in The Black Index - Dennis Delgado, Alicia Henry, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Titus Kaphar, Whitfield Lovell and Lava Thomas - build upon the tradition of Black self-representation as an antidote to colonialist images. These artists question our reliance on photography as a privileged source for documentary objectivity and understanding. Their works offer an alternative practice - a Black index - that still serves as a finding aid for information about Black subjects, but also challenges viewers' desire for classification. The exhibit is complemented by a month-long series of artist performances and conversations. Visit the project website for additional details.

UCI Virtual 2021 MLK Symposium, January 18-22
Featured guests will include Bree Newsome Bass, American filmmaker and musician who will keynote as part of this year's Dr. Joseph L. White Lecture. 

MLK Virtual Celebrations on January 18
A "Virtual Parade Across America" to recognize Martin Luther King Day of Service volunteerism as part of the 46th Presidential Inauguration - https://bideninaugural.org/day-of-service/ California African American Museum - MLK Day Celebration beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific -  https://caamuseum.org/programs
National Museum of African American History & Culture - The People's Holiday program at 1 p.m. Pacific - https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/upcoming

Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program
This course is free and open to all campus members – undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty and staff employees. Participants will meet online for one hour per week, for a total of five weeks. Each meeting will be organized around a theme that serves as a focal point of moderated discussion. This Fall 2020 (Weeks 6-10), the module focuses on Anti-Blackness in the United States: Structures and Mechanisms of De-Valuing Black People. Meetings are Mondays, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (November 9 – December 7) or Tuesdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (November 10 – December 8). See here for details and registration.

paraDIGMS: Diversity in Graduate Mathematical Sciences 
AMS Conference held virtually on Nov. 20 - 23, 2020. During this conference, "leading voices will highlight the work of organizations to build a diverse and equitable profession through graduate education, while challenging us to see how far we still have to go. The conference will spread awareness, build support, and establish accountability for the ongoing work of improving graduate education."

LGBTQ+ Math Day
The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences is hosting the first (but not last) LGBTQ+ Math Day. This virtual event is aimed at LGBTQ+ mathematicians and students in the mathematical sciences, and their allies. There will be four half-hour talks by LGBTQ+ mathematicians, followed by a panel discussion. Speakers will present their mathematical research, as well as their journey navigating their academic careers as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Registration is free and the event will be held on Wednesday, November 18th from 10am-1:45pm PST. Note that the times listed on the online schedule are in the Eastern time zone.

AWM UCI Chapter Meeting
On Thursday, November 19, from 12 to 1pm, AWM will be having their first chapter meeting of the quarter. They will be planning events for this academic year, so if you are interested in getting involved in AWM or have ideas for future events, you are encourage to attend and participate! See the link for more details and meeting information.

Physical Sciences Anti-Racism Journal Club
Next discussion on Friday Nov 20, 2020 at 3pm led by our very own graduate student Jesse Kreger.

Physical Sciences Anti-Racism Journal Club: A new monthly journal club on Anti-racism and Inclusion in the School of Physical Sciences. Every monthone article is selected for reading, followed by a guided discussions about the article. Everyone in the School is welcome and encouraged to participate. The next session is 10/16/2020, Friday, 1:00 pm, lead by Garrett Yoshitomi, Graduate Coordinator, Chemistry.

Town Hall on Barriers to Degree Sucess, by Mike Deddin, Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning. This meeting will focus on issues of the structures in the first-year that encourage or are barriers to success. This conversation started in a Canvas space that is still open. The details for the Town Hall are:  Tuesday, Oct 13 at 4 pm. Faculty need to register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Black in Physical Sciences: A space for the school's Black community members to connect. Wednesday, October 7, 5:00 p.m.  For questions contact Tatiana Arizaga at tarizaga@uci.edu

President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Workshop: This workshop provides information to help individuals through the application process, providing important tips and opportunities to hear directly from program participants about their strategies for application submission and fast-tracking career success. Tuesday, October 6, 11:00-12:30.

Pacific Math Allance (PMA) events:  Next event: Friday, Oct 2, 4:00-5:00, "Demystifying grad school". The full event schedule can be found here. 

Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated by the School of Physical Sciences. The School is showcasing its Hispanic and Latinx members, who cast new light onto the fields their study. 

UCI AWM Professional Writing Workshop, Sept 29, Sept 30, and Oct 7 at 11am. The UCI chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics is hosting a professional writing workshop for graduate and postdoctoral students, especially for those who are applying to fellowships or academic jobs in the upcoming year. This will be an excellent opportunity to get advice and peer feedback on your application materials!

We will meet once per week at the following times in Rowland Hall room 306:

• Thursday 9/23/2021, 11AM - Writing a Research Statement: Prof. Mike Cranston will speak, we will organize participants into peer groups based on their type of application, and peer groups will work on outlining their research statements.
• Thursday 9/30/2021, 11AM - Writing a Diversity Statement: Prof. Alessandra Pantano will speak, and peer groups will work on outlining their diversity statements.
• Thursday, 10/7/2021, 11AM - Peer Review.

Latinx Math Major Celebration: Thursday, October 14 4:30-6 PM in NS2 1201. Organized as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month, our Latinx Math Major Celebration will feature inspirational talks by (faculty, graduate student, UG alumn) guest speakers as well informational sessions from CAMP and the Latinx Resource Center on campus. There will also be food and games.

Come and meet fellow Latinx math majors at UCI, and join our celebrations! Friends are welcome.

This event is co-organized by the Faces in Mathematics Club at UCI, and is sponsored by the Physical Sciences Office of Access, Outreach and Inclusion.

Lunch/Coffee with a Math Professor Launched during the week of Nov 1 - Nov 5.

This program is designed to facilitate (UG) students interacting more personably with a professor over lunch or coffee to discuss a variety of topics. For example, you may talk about tracks in the majors, research, careers in industry, applying for graduate school, study tips, imposter syndrome, and so much more. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to get to know a professor you have not taken a class with, or to finally meet in person an instructor from one of your online classes.