Joint Mathematics Meetings 2009

The most important annual mathematical conference in the United States will be held this year in Washington, DC, January 5 -8, 2009. Whether you attend just one day or the whole conference, you should not pass up this amazing opportunity for UMW mathematics majors. My first Joint Meetings was in Washington in 2000, and it was an experience I will never forget, especially since it was the coldest week to hit the nation's capital this entire decade! Nothing beats the wind tunnel that is Connecticut Avenue on a breezy 8-degree night.

It is called the Joint Meetings (much to the delight one year of a group of surfers sharing the conference venue) because it brings together all of the major American mathematical societies, including:

• American Mathematical Society (AMS) - the primary academic professional group
• Mathematical Association of America (MAA) - the primary mathematics education group
• Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) - the primary applied math group
• Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) - devoted to gender issues in mathematics

There will be hundreds of talks on everything mathematical, from education to the most cutting-edge research going on in the world today. There will also be a huge room dedicated to mathematics books and software where you can try out the latest technology. Over the course of the Fall semester the faculty will be planning for the conference and trying to get as many majors involved as possible. Please let one of us know if you are interested in attending.

- Dr. Edmunds