Graduate Student Activities

• Graduate Student Poster Session

  Jim Freeman, Cornell College

  Thursday, August 6, 3:30 – 5:00 pm

  Graduate students are invited by the MAA Committee on Graduate Students and The Young Mathematicians' Network to submit abstracts for this session. The posters should be 48″ (length) by 36″ (height). Posterboard and fastening materials will be provided on-site. Some funding to cover transportation costs (up to $600) for poster authors is available. At most, one graduate student will be funded per poster, and funded presenters are expected to take full part in the meeting. Abstracts and requests for travel support can be submitted by using the MAA abstract submission site. Information on travel support is available on the MAA's graduate student page. Abstracts submitted by Friday, April 24, will be given precedence in considering applications for travel support. Abstracts must be submitted by Friday, June 12. Questions on this session can be directed to Jim Freeman at jfreeman@cornellcollege.edu.

• Graduate Student Reception

  Thursday, August 6, 5:00 – 6:00 pm

  Graduate students are invited for some refreshments and to meet several of the invited speakers.

• Graduate Student Workshop

  What's the story? A Graduate Student Workshop on Formulating an Effective Mathematical Presentation

  Rachel Schwell, Central Connecticut State University

  Aaron Luttman, Clarkson University

  Friday, August 7, 2:00 – 3:30 pm

  Hiding behind every mathematical result are many interesting stories, and one of the most difficult skills in formulating a mathematical presentation is finding the story that is right for a particular audience. Almost any mathematical topic can be pitched at a variety of levels: the topological genus of a surface can be described in terms homotopy or the number of “holes,” measures of central tendency can be described probabilistically or as “averages,” and two things being isomorphic can be described technically in terms of preservation of algebraic structure or as their simply being “the same.” In this workshop the participants will engage in hands-on activities to learn and practice the skills of determining an appropriate mathematical level for a variety of audiences and formulating an appropriate story to tell, with emphasis on presenting to undergraduate students.

• Special Session For Graduate Students

  Expository Talks for Undergraduates by Graduate Students

  Jim Freeman, Cornell College

  Saturday, August 8, 1:00 – 5:30 pm

  This session is aimed at graduate students who are ready to enter the job market within the next year. The majority of academic jobs available to mathematicians involve teaching undergraduate students. Many of the interviews for these jobs require a presentation to be made to undergraduates, yet most graduate students have not had the opportunity to give these types of presentations. This session gives graduate students the opportunity to give a 20-minute expository talk aimed at post-calculus undergraduate students. These talks should excite undergraduates about mathematics and abstracts should be written to appeal to undergraduates. Each participant in this session will receive private feedback on his or her presentation from an established faculty member and an undergraduate student. Some funding to cover transportation costs (up to $600) is available. Funded presenters are expected to take full part in the meeting. Information on travel support is available at www.maa.org/students/grad/. New Abstract Submission Deadline of June 12. The session is co-sponsored by the MAA Committee on Graduate Students and The Young Mathematicians' Network. Questions on this session can be directed to Jim Freeman at jfreeman@cornellcollege.edu.

• Panel

  How to Apply for Jobs

  David Manderscheid, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  Sponsored by the MAA Committee on Graduate Students and the Young Mathematicians Network

  Friday, August 7, 4:00 – 5:20 pm

  This session is aimed at PhD students and at recent PhD's. An overview of the employment process will be given with ample opportunity for audience members to participate. Questions that will be addressed include: How do you find which jobs are available? How do you choose which jobs you want to apply for? What are academic and other employers looking for in the materials that you send? What should you be doing now? How do schools conduct interviews? How can you best prepare for these interviews? How do employers choose to whom they will make offers? How do you negotiate once you have an offer?