The Rutgers student chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics has been named winner of the (nationwide) 2021 Fundraising/Sustainability award of the AWM. The award citation reads:
The Rutgers University AWM Student Chapter is honored in this category for their success in increasing their membership numbers, for their collaboration with other campus groups, and for the diversity of events hosted throughout the year. To grow their membership - particularly among undergraduates - the chapter contacted every undergraduate class instructor with AWM information and made (virtual) recruiting visits to over ten classes. As a result, the chapter doubled its membership. The chapter partnered with the Rutgers Math Club on an REU panel discussion and an REU application workshop; and with Rutgers Math Discord to host a panel discussion on gender in mathematics (featuring six outside speakers) for Women’s History Month. In addition to these achievements, the chapter engaged in a diversity of innovative activities throughout the year: weekly lunches, a game night, a screening of the documentary Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani; and a panel discussion featuring mathematicians with non-traditional careers. Especially impressive was the idea to have a biweekly book club featuring Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil. The chapter was able to design and run many of these events without requiring funding; but they were also successful in securing funding from the Rutgers Graduate Student Association, the Rutgers Mathematics Department, and pledges from mathematics faculty. The chapter is congratulated for this outstanding work reflecting the AWM mission that will sustain and grow their chapter going forward.
The Math Department congratulates the chapter members, especially the leaders, Corrine Yap (President), Yael Davidov (Vice President and Treasurer) and Tamar Lichter Blanks (Secretary), and the Faculty advisor, Distinguished Professor Fioralba Cakoni for building a thriving AWM chapter at Rutgers.
