By Jenny Power
One’s first international conference can be a daunting experience. The usual conference worries about being over- or underdressed, making a good impression, or asking a stupid question are accompanied by additional concerns about cultural differences. What if my humor doesn’t translate, people struggle to understand my accent, or I get lost in an unfamiliar city? These were some of the thoughts that plagued my mind in the months leading up to the 2022 SIAM Annual Meeting, which took place in July in Pittsburgh, Pa., in conjunction with the SIAM Conference on Applied Mathematics Education (ED22), SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences, and SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Planet Earth. I was attending as the student chapter representative for the University of Bath SIAM Student Chapter in the U.K.
Nevertheless, I felt nothing but excitement during the eight-hour plane ride from London to Pittsburgh. I perused the conference program, studied the abstracts of the different sessions, highlighted the ones that I found most interesting, and drew up my itinerary. As my bus pulled into downtown Pittsburgh, I was pleasantly surprised by the city’s beauty. I was expecting a city of steel and was thus taken aback by the array of colors; with yellow bridges, painted streets, and the green of Mount Washington, the city was a rainbow.
The conference commenced on Sunday evening with an orientation for students—part of the “Student Days” activities for student attendees—and a general Welcome Reception. I nervously set off from my hotel towards the looming David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Upon arriving at the orientation event, I received a pair of SIAM sunglasses and was instructed to turn around as a sticky note was placed on my back. This was part of an icebreaker activity wherein we were all given different mathematical words and had to ask the other students “yes” or “no” questions to identify our own terms (I was a derivative). After the icebreaker, we formed groups and completed a SIAM quiz; the winners received SIAM t-shirts and socks, though unfortunately my team did not win a prize. The evening concluded with food and drinks at the Welcome Reception, where I spent the evening chatting with some lovely people. My nerves had settled and I was excited for the week ahead.
Monday brought some of my favorite sessions of the conference. I primarily attended the ED22 plenaries, which were several of the most engaging and inspiring talks that I’ve experienced in my professional career. Discussions ranged from the incorporation of math modeling in the classroom via project-based learning to student pathways for graduate programs and even the development of “STEM centers” for children. I walked away from these sessions with a reignited determination to increase my involvement in mathematics communication and outreach when I returned home.
Later that evening, an industry panel—entitled “Shedding Light on Opportunities for Mathematicians in Business, Industry, and Government Careers”—yielded interesting insights for anyone who might wish to pursue a career outside of academia. The discussion featured six panelists: Sharon Arroyo (The Boeing Company), Marisabel Rodriguez Messan (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), Helen Moore (University of Florida), Ian Price (UPMC Health Plan), Juliana Richardson (MITRE Corporation), and Pablo Seleson (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). They shared their experiences in industry versus academia, explored some of the pros and cons of each direction, and offered very insightful advice to students who are considering their next steps — I even got to ask a question. The panel was followed by a Graduate Student Reception and Industry Reception, which allowed for further networking and socializing.
On Tuesday morning, the student chapter representatives attended a breakfast meeting with SIAM staff and leadership. This event granted students the opportunity to network with each other and SIAM leadership through both general discussion and an icebreaker activity. Conversation then moved to more SIAM-specific topics. We talked about our respective student chapters, shared some examples of chapter activities from the past year, and brainstormed ideas for the future. As the incoming president of the University of Bath SIAM Student Chapter, I found this event incredibly helpful and came away with a variety of ideas that I hope to implement.
My table also held a very thought-provoking discussion about COVID-19’s effect on student chapters. It was comforting to know that my chapter isn’t the only one struggling with participant enthusiasm during the pandemic, and we brainstormed ways to improve engagement in the forthcoming academic year. After this breakfast, I felt extremely lucky to be part of such a wonderful community of students with a love for applied math. I hope that our interactions will eventually lead to increased collaboration between student chapters — perhaps even internationally.
Thursday brought one of my favorite moments of the week: the student book giveaway. Rumors of what this session could possibly entail had been circling amongst the students during lunch, with the general consensus being some type of raffle. 15 minutes before the event, I observed SIAM staff members set up two large tables in the center of the foyer and place brand-new textbooks all over the tables, resulting in a chaotic collage of books. A large group of students watched as the mountain of textbooks grew increasingly larger; representatives from Springer and the American Mathematical Society even contributed to the pile.
Once setup was complete, we formed two single-file lines facing the table and received our instructions. The rules were simple: we were to approach the table two by two, at which point we would have 30 seconds to choose a book before returning to the back of the line. This process would continue until all of the books were gone. I quickly started doing some mental math; with approximately 30 participating students and over 200 textbooks, we were each going to walk away with a significant haul.
My first round was somewhat disastrous and perhaps the fastest 30 seconds I have ever experienced. I frantically walked around the tables, attempting to spot topics that I recognized and found compelling. With two seconds left, I picked up a random book and went to the back of the line. The text in my hand was about Bayesian analysis — an important topic, but well outside the scope of my research and interests. I realized that I had to be more strategic in subsequent rounds; if I found a book that I liked, I needed to stick with it.
The next few rounds went quite well for me, and I picked up some titles that piqued my interest (and even managed to swap the Bayesian analysis book with another student). Our time decreased to only 15 seconds as the rounds continued, which led to even more gleeful panic. In the last free-for-all round, we were allowed to approach the table and calmly take whatever we liked until everything was gone. Ultimately, I walked away with a whopping nine textbooks on topics like finite elements, optimization, and partial differential equations.
Overall, my first international conference—and second-ever SIAM conference—was a resounding success and an invaluable experience. I met many wonderful people with whom I look forward to connecting at future SIAM conferences. I truly believe that some of the connections I made with other Ph.D. students throughout the week will lead to fruitful collaborations, both in research and SIAM-based activities.
I would strongly encourage all students to broaden their horizons by attending conferences, SIAM and otherwise. Several other Ph.D. students at AN22 were surprised that I was going to meetings so early in my academic career (I’m a first-year Ph.D. candidate), noting that they did not do so until much later. To this I say, why wait? In Pittsburgh, I realized that conferences offer so much more than opportunities to present one’s own work. They provide the space for students to meet individuals in their fields, experience cutting-edge research firsthand, and learn from other participants’ presentations — not only from a content perspective, but also in terms of how people display and communicate their research. One can also visualize the types of presentation styles that work (and don’t work), and adapt their own performances accordingly. But even if students feel that their research isn’t ready to be shared, I would still recommend that they attend these events. Who knows — you might just learn about a new method that is the key to solving your problem.
After an unforgettable week, I returned to the U.K. full of inspiration and ideas — and with a suitcase that was nine textbooks heavier than before.
Jenny Power received funding to attend AN22 as the student chapter representative for the University of Bath. Every student chapter is eligible for funding to send a chapter representative to the SIAM Annual Meeting. Please contact Maggie Hohenadel, the SIAM Student Chapter and Fellows Coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions about student chapters, including the prospect of starting one at your own university.
SIAM also offers Student Travel Awards to offset the cost of attending and presenting at a SIAM conference. To learn more about Student Travel Awards and submit an application, visit the online page.
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Jenny Power is a first-year Ph.D. student at the University of Bath in the U.K. She received her Bachelor of Science in mathematics and physics from the University of Limerick in Ireland. Power’s work focuses on radiotherapy modeling via partial differential equation constrained optimization, and she is passionate about applied mathematics and science communication. You can find her on Instagram at @thejennypowerhour, where she posts mathematics content and chronicles her experiences as a Ph.D. student. |