ESU math professor organizes Women Count conference

Betsy Yanik, Professor of Mathematics, organized the biennial Women Count conference. The conference was held in August in San Jose, Calif.

Methods and strategies to encourage young women’s interest in mathematics teaching are the focus of the biennial Women Count conference. Dr. Betsy Yanik, Professor of Mathematics at Emporia State University, has organized the past four conferences in her role as national director of the Women in Mathematics Network. The latest conference occurred Aug. 2 in San Jose, Calif.

“The purpose of the conference is to disseminate information about current successful math outreach programs for young women and to encourage the establishment of more programs throughout the nation,” Yanik said. Financial support for the conference was provided by grants from the National Security Agency and the Tensor Foundation.

Participants in the Women Count conference came from California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Yanik said the conference included sessions on sharing best practices in outreach programming, a discussion of various program formats, and brainstorming ways to develop a nationwide plan for assessment.

Also presenting a grant-writing workshop at the conference was Dr. Joe Yanik, ESU math professor.

Previous conferences have been held in Madison, Wis., Boulder, Colo., and Albuquerque, NM. Pending funding, the next Women Count conference will be held in Portland, Ore. in 2009.

Last Updated September 7, 2007>