Increasing awareness of mathematics and statistics is vitally important. Both play a significant role in addressing many real-world problems, including climate change, disease, sustainability, the data deluge, and internet security. Research in these and other areas is ongoing, yielding new results and applications every day in fields such as medicine, manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, and business. Mathematics and statistics are important drivers of innovation in our technological world, where new systems and methodologies continue to become more complex.
SIAM is dedicated to fostering an understanding and appreciation of mathematics and statistics, and ensuring the health of these disciplines worldwide. From our many publications to membership services, conferences, programs, and international partnerships, we are proud to contribute to the global footprint. Learn more about SIAM's mission and how you can get involved in April and all year long!
Here are a few words from Kathleen Kavanagh, SIAM Vice President for Education, that shed light on why she feels Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month is important.
"It's important to foster the appreciation of mathematics so everyone can start to see the world around them through that lens. I love hearing my ten-year-old daughter try to figure out how to split eight cinnamon buns between her and her two friends. I am lucky that she already loves math. Unfortunately, even for me, it is easy to get caught up in the “plug and chug” textbook problems when teaching. But my whole class perks up when I talk about my internship in graduate school and how I used integration by parts in order to simplify a model I was using to describe ground water flow. They are interested in modeling and real world, interdisciplinary problems. It's critical to present math as a tool for finding solutions to relevant problems, and Math and Stats Awareness Month helps spread the word."
Kathleen Kavanagh
Professor of Mathematics / Associate Director of STEM Education, Clarkson University
Vice President for Education, SIAM
For more information about Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, including posters and flyers for sharing, please visit
http://www.mathstatmonth.org/.
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