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(U) NSA's 'Women in Mathematics Society'
FROM: Michelle Wagner
WiMS member
Run Date: 07/25/2005
Another of NSA's Learned Orgs... (U)
(U) The Women in Mathematics Society, or WiMS, is a group of
NSA mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers that
strives to enhance the recruitment and retention of Agency
mathematicians.
supports national efforts to address the underrepresentation of women in mathematics.
participates in mentoring and networking programs and
events.
(U//FOUO) Let's take a quick look back to see how WiMS got its
start. In 1993, the statistics on the number of women being hired
with advanced degrees in the mathematics community at NSA
were not encouraging. Records from 1987 to 1993 reveal that only
26% of the women hired during that period had higher than a
Bachelor's degree, compared with 61% of men. Furthermore, of
the roughly 30 Ph.D. mathematicians hired during that time, only
one was female.
(U) In reaction to this situation, senior mathematicians at NSA
sponsored the Women in Mathematics Symposium in November
1993, which was attended by close to 60 female mathematicians
from the U.S. academic community. The participants learned about
NSA's mission and its internal mathematics community, and shared
their insights on how NSA could better attract qualified women to
its ranks. After the symposium, its organizers continued to meet
regularly to work on ways to improve NSA's outreach for women in
mathematics, and this group grew to become the Women in
Mathematics Society.
(U) Today WiMS is a strong supporter of programs that encourage
women to study mathematics at the undergraduate and graduate
levels. In particular, members of WiMS frequently volunteer their
time as keynote speakers, workshop leaders, and career panelists
at events called Sonya Kovalevsky Days. These days are held on
college campuses around the nation and are to encourage high
school girls to study mathematics and to enter the profession.
(U) WiMS financially supports programs and conferences for
women in mathematics at various universities (e.g. the Nebraska
Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics), and also
sponsors an annual networking session at one of the largest
mathematics meetings of the year.
(U) Finally, WiMS works jointly with another Agency program called
the Mathematics Education Partnership Program (MEPP) to provide
NSA volunteers for activities such as the Mathematics Speakers
Bureau, summer camps for K-12 students, summer workshops for
SERIES:
(U) Learned Orgs '05
1. Have You Considered
Joining a Learned
Organization?
2. The CryptoMathematics
Institute Has the
Formula
3. The Crypto-Linguistic
Association
4. The KRYPTOS Society
is No Mystery
5. Form an Alliance:
Join the International
Affairs Institute
6. NSA's 'Women in
Mathematics Society'
teachers, and tutoring programs.
(U//FOUO) Due in part to the efforts of WiMS, things have changed
in the last ten years! Since 1994, about 38% of women
mathematicians hired at NSA hold a Doctoral degree, and roughly
27% hold Master's degrees. Through its outreach activities and
contributions to NSA's mathematics community, WiMS is thriving
as an organization. For more information on WiMS, type "go wims"
in your Webworld browser.
(U//FOUO) An NSA mathematician
(
pictured)
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108