The department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science is committed to advancing a campus climate that respects and advances tolerance, inclusion, and diversity. We recognizes the breadth of people, thought, and experience that contribute to our subject, and value the contributions of all members of our mathematics community to improve mathematics research, mathematics education, and the standing of our field.
We aim to create equitable opportunities regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious belief, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities, veteran status, or any other social or physical component of their identity. Below are some of the activities that we undertake and support in pursuit of this aim. You can also join the stem-dei-events mailing list to get announcements related to the intersection of STEM with DEI.
List of DEI activities Heading link
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Symbols of Inclusion
The Symbols of Inclusion (SoI) is a graduate organization within the department that aims to provide a supportive community at UIC for women, historically underrepresented students, and gender and sexual minority students of mathematics. Further, their aim is to educate themselves on how best to advocate for students of color in mathematics, and for other students with marginalized identities in mathematics.
SoI facilitates mentoring networks and community-building opportunities, and provides resources to assist undergraduates transition into higher education or a career related to mathematics. Specific activities include reading groups, panel discussions, invited speakers and a Directed Reading Program in which undergraduate students are paired with graduate student mentors and pursue independent reading projects.
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Louise Hay Mathematics Fund
MSCS is fortunate to be in receipt of this donor-sponsored fund that is be used to honor the legacy of Louise Hay, who was head of our department in the 1980s, and was the first female head of a major research-oriented university math department in the United States. Through this fund we are able to support many of the activities undertaken by the Symbols of Inclusion, provide additional funding to increase diversity of our speakers, and support awards that recognize service by our faculty and graduate students, including service that furthers diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Bridge to Faculty Scholars
We have successfully participated the campus Bridge to Faculty Program which is a recruitment program designed to attract underrepresented postdoctoral scholars with the goal of a direct transition to a tenure-track junior faculty position after two years.
Our current Bridge to Faculty Scholar (2023) Phi Ngyugen is a joint appointment with the Learning Sciences Research Institute, and has research interests at the intersection of mathematics (teacher) education and education policy and leadership, focusing on the policy and organizational contexts—school districts and teacher education programs—in which individuals (learn to) teach mathematics.
In 2020 Marcus Michelen took a Bridge to Faculty position, after having been a Research Assistant Professor, and has since transitioned to a tenure-track Assistant professor in our department that he currently holds. Marcus works on probability and combinatorics with some intersections with the geometry of polynomials, statistical physics, and theoretical computer science. He has over 30 publications and preprints, and has received both an NSF-LEAPS grant and an NSF Standard Grant.
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Student Faculty Lunches
Our department runs a biweekly drop-in lunch event (supplying pizza and drinks) to facilitate interactions between faculty and students. All undergraduates are welcome, including those taking one of our courses, enrolled in our majors or wanted to know more about our department.
The purpose of this event is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space for undergraduate students to get to know the department. You can talk to other students, meet some of our faculty, have lunch, or play mathematical card games. Participants are invited to ask questions about our programs or learn more about the department’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Young Scholars Program @UIC
The goal of the Young Scholars Program at UIC is to introduce a diverse group of high schoolers from all over Chicago to exciting topics in mathematics and to show them what it would be like to major in math or other STEM-related fields in college. Through excellent instruction, creative hands-on activities, and guest lectures we aim to inspire students and give them the confidence and skills to pursue mathematics in their future endeavors.
Each summer high school students are invited to campus to partake in a fun introduction to exciting topics in mathematics, applications of mathematics, and the work mathematicians do in education, research, and industry.
This activity is in partnership with the Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation.
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Sonia Kovalevsky Days
MSCS regularly hosts the Sonia Kovalevsky Math Day for high school girls (6th – 12th grade) in co-operation with the Association of Women in Mathematics providing fun activities, lunches, shirts, and mathematical prizes for the participants.
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Course Development
Our department has and continues to review and reform syllabi to conform to best practices with regard to diversity, equity and inclusion. For instance, our faculty took part in the Inclusive Syllabus Project Summer with the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE), and many of these practices have now been adopted in syllabi throughout our service courses.
In 2022, our Calculus Director, Martina Bode, was awarded the Exemplary Course Program award for developing engaging and innovative Blackboard courses that represent the very best in technology and learning, and this too is being shared and adopted by many of our other courses.
Two of our faculty (Danko Adrovic and Antia Kursell) were selected for the colleges’ First at LAS faculty fellowship, a program that aims to “incentivize and support an LAS teaching community where the engagement, academic success, and retention of first-generation and URM students are understood as fundamental to our instructional and mentoring practices.” Starting in AY2024, these two faculty will be working to improve STAT101 (Introduction to Statistics) and MCS260 (Introduction to Computer Science).