The University of Waterloo hosted the first-ever Ontario Graduate Mathematics Conference (OGMC) from June 7-9, with more than 120 graduate students participating, half of whom were from universities outside of the Waterloo Region.
The conference featured student talks on topics related to applied mathematics, combinatorics and optimization, computer science, pure mathematics, and statistics. There was also an EDI workshop, social events for networking, and opportunities for students to discuss their research informally.
“I enjoyed hearing talks that related to mine from other graduate students, making those connections, and discussing our research,” said one attendee.
The OGMC was conceptualized by graduate students at the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto. It was spearheaded by Waterloos Women in Mathematics (WiM) committee and jointly organized by WiM and the OGMC central and local committees under the guidance of Yu-Ru Liu (Pure Mathematics professor and director of Women in Mathematics).
In addition to student talks, the conference featured four plenary talks: by Rahim Moosa (University of Waterloo), Michele Mosca (University of Waterloo/Perimeter Institute), Mary Pugh (University of Toronto) and Ayesha Ali (University of Guelph).
Attendees particularly appreciated the opportunity to network with other early career scholars from across Ontario. “I loved talking with other students and asking them about their research,” one anonymous respondent commented. “I also had lots of fun in the trivia!”
The organizers are confident that this year’s OGMC is only the first of what will hopefully become an annual event.
“Women in Math is dedicated to advancing representation and support for women and gender minorities in the Faculty of Mathematics while also fostering an inclusive community for everyone,” Liu says. “WiM was happy to co-organize the OGMC with students in order to enhance connections among Ontario mathematics graduate students and provide a platform for presenting their research.”
You can learn more about the OGMC on their website.