Maree Jaramillo, Laura Zirbel, Arielle Leitner, and Kathleen Grace Kennedy
Like many Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) departments across the country, the math department at UCSB consists of a majority of men, both in the faculty and student population. In order to promote a more supportive and inclusive environment for the women in the department, two graduate students, Brie Feingold and Alethea Barbaro, created the Hypatian Seminars in 2004. The GradPost recently spoke with Arielle Leitner, Kathleen Grace Kennedy, Laura Zirbel, and Maree Jaramillo, some of the current and former graduate student organizers, to learn more about the current state of the seminars.
The Hypatian Seminars are named for Hypatia, a Greek mathematician credited as one of the first female mathematicians to make considerable contributions to the field. According to the group, these weekly seminars “explore the contributions of underrepresented groups to the field of mathematics and to provide a forum to discuss the additional challenges they face in academia.”
Currently, the weekly seminars feature a mix of more traditional academic talks and professional development topics. Grace and Laura recently conducted a successful workshop about building an academic website and Arielle and Maree organized a mentoring program for new graduate students in the department. While the seminars are aimed at women, they are open to everyone and usually have a balanced mix of men and women in attendance.
They also extend their support to undergraduate students by serving as role models and mentors. In October, a group of eleven graduate and undergraduate students from the department attended a women in mathematics conference. Undergraduates are also welcome at the weekly seminars and the group held a workshop about applying to graduate school earlier in the quarter.
In addition to cultivating a supportive environment in the department, participating in and organizing the seminars also provides valuable professional experience. “My experience with the seminars will make me more competitive in the job market,” said Laura, who is currently applying for jobs. “I want to do something similar wherever I end up.”
Graduate students can check out Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), Science and Industry Exchange for Women (SciiX), Women in Computer Science, and Women in Physics for supportive groups in other disciplines. For students interested in starting similar groups, Grace recommends recruiting a group to help organize events so all of the work is not left to one person and offering a variety of activities like professional development workshops, coffee groups, and round table discussions. Arielle, who made a pumpkin cheesecake for a recent meeting, also suggests providing snacks for attendees.
The seminar meets weekly on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in South Hall 6635. Refer to the schedule for upcoming topics.
Want to learn more about Hypatia, the group’s namesake? Check out Agora, a recent film starring Rachel Weisz as the historic mathematician, which the group screened at an event in 2010.