AWM 50 Years.pdf

Kathryn Leonard shared her personal story of overcoming obstacles to pursue a career in mathematics, highlighting the progress made in the field over the past 50 years. As a former President of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), she identified key challenges faced by women in mathematics, including:

Complacency about the problem being solved
Ensuring support for all women, particularly those from underrepresented groups
Financial reliability and pandemic-related challenges
Adapting to evolving understanding of gender

AWM's responses to these challenges included:

Documenting equity gaps and providing solutions, such as a new research journal and student chapter expansions
Updating the mission statement to reflect support for minoritized gender and gender identities
Expanding relationships with other organizations, such as Spectra and NAM
Working to support alternate modes of attending in-person sessions and identifying funding for women's research

Current challenges faced by women in mathematics include:

Having to be twice as good and facing skepticism about their abilities
Conversations that pit rigor against humanity
Sexual harassment and abuse
Family responsibilities conflicting with tenure clocks
Increased attacks and abuse against women in positions of power

Solutions being developed to address these challenges include:

Continuing to push for excellence and speaking out against injustices
Collaborating with existing organizations to find solutions
Working on individual resilience and supporting the next generation of women in mathematics
* Implementing programs such as MathSafe and bystander training to address sexual harassment.