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(U) NSA's Women in Mathematics Society Continues to Thrive
FROM: Michelle D. Wagner, Ph.D.
WiMS Member
Run Date: 08/04/2006
(U) A continuation of our series of articles on NSA's Learned
Organizations that SIGINTers may wish to join...
(U) Founded in 1994, the Women in Mathematics Society (WiMS)
strives to enhance both the recruitment and retention of
mathematicians at NSA. WiMS also supports national efforts to
address the under-representation of women in mathematics and
through WiMS mentoring programs.
(U//FOUO) A Brief History of WiMS: WiMS came into existence
after a seminal conference in 1993 that was held to address the
dearth of employment applications from competitive female
mathematicians. At that time, the statistics on the number of
female mathematicians employed at the NSA -- the nation's
largest employer of mathematicians in the country -- 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 two were
female.
(U//FOUO) During the two-day conference, some of the most
influential female mathematicians from colleges and universities
from across the country gathered at NSA for a series of research
talks, panel discussions, and informal networking sessions with
NSA mathematicians. From this symposium emerged a set of
themes that suggested concrete, near-term solutions to NSA's
difficulty in attracting and retaining competitive women applicants.
These themes provided the impetus for the establishment,
immediately following the conference, of today's Women in
Mathematics Society.
(U//FOUO) Since the conference and the formation of WiMS, the
hiring statistics have improved significantly. Of the female
mathematicians who have been hired since 1994, over 50% of
them hold either a Master's or Doctoral degree (with approximately
38% of them holding the Doctorate in mathematics). And the
number of female Ph.D.s working in mathematics at the Agency
has skyrocketed to over 40.
(U) Reaching out to a Younger Generation: WiMS strives to
encourage more girls and young women to pursue advanced study
and careers in the mathematical sciences. WiMS plays an active
role in recruiting female employees and students to the NSA by
sending members to speak at career fairs, at mathematics
departments and institutes throughout the country, and at other
venues that are attended by young women. For instance, for the
past several years WiMS has sent a volunteer to the Nebraska
Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics to speak
about career opportunities in mathematics at the NSA. This
SERIES:
(U) Learned Orgs '06
1. The Human
Resources
Management
Association Gets New
Lease on Life
2. Do You Enjoy
Languages? Check
Out the CLA
3. The CryptoMathematics
Institute Adds Up
4. The KRYPTOS Society
Is No Mystery
5. NSA's Women in
Mathematics Society
Continues to Thrive
6. The IAI: 35 Years
and Going Strong
conference is one of the premier events in the country for
attracting the most talented undergraduate women majoring in
mathematics. Throughout the year, WiMS will typically send 10-12
volunteers out on speaking engagements of this sort.
(U) WiMS also hosts an annual networking reception at the Joint
Meetings of the American Mathematical Society and the
Mathematics Association of America (two of the largest
associations for mathematicians in the country). This reception
gives graduate students and professors the chance to mingle with
NSA mathematicians and to learn more about the working
environment at the Agency.
(U) In yet another venture, WiMS has partnered with the NSA
Office of Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority
Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI Office) to provide mentors to NSA
summer graduate student interns. In this program, WiMS members
are paired up with summer mathematics graduate students and
meet with the students on a regular basis to discuss the ins and
outs of graduate school, career concerns, and assimilating to NSA
worklife.
(U//FOUO) WiMS Recognized with Federal Award: In February
of this year, WiMS won the Baltimore Federal Executive Board
(BFEB) Women's Council Award in the organizational category. This
award is bestowed upon an organization that:
exercises initiative and willingness in promoting activities
and programs that have a positive impact on the
development of women,
assumes responsibility for improving an atmosphere of
employment which is harmonious and supportive of the
needs and achievements of women employment, and
assists women employees in identifying and attaining career
goals.
WiMS members
,
, Barbara Jordan, and
graciously accepted the award and were presented
with a plaque during the BFEB Women's Council Conference.
(TS//SI) WiMS members display the BFEB Women's Council Award.
Front Row:
, Michelle Wagner,
Jim Schatz;
Back Row:
,
, Barbara
Jordan,
(U) Through its outreach activities and contributions to NSA's
mathematics community, WiMS continues to thrive as an
organization. For more information on WiMS or to become
involved, type " go wims " in your Webworld browser.
"(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