Workshop

MSRI and the Mathematical Science Institutes Diversity Initiative (MSIDI) are pleased to announce that the 2021 Blackwell-Tapia Conference (rescheduled from Fall 2020), will be held simultaneously at four locations nationwide.  The conference will celebrate the 2020 Blackwell-Tapia prize winner, Tatiana Toro (University of Washington), who has recently been announced as the next Director of MSRI, effective August 2022! ONLY REGISTRATIONS FOR VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION ARE BEING ACCEPTED AS OF NOVEMBER 8. Choose from four host sites nationwide: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI): Berkeley, California Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM): Los Angeles, California Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Innovation (IMSI): Chicago, Illinois Institute for Advanced Study (IAS): Princeton, New Jersey For those not able to attend in person, there will be a live broadcast of most conference sessions; some networking events limited to in-person participation. Conference events will begin on Friday and Saturday at 8 AM Pacific / 10 AM Central / 11 AM Eastern Time. Full consideration for funding will be given to applications received by September 1, 2021. Funding is available for housing and travel to any of the 4 conference locations for participants who meet the host site’s vaccination requirements. Description: Held biennially, the Blackwell-Tapia Conference honors David Blackwell, the first African-American member of the National Academy of Science, and Richard Tapia, 2010 recipient of the National Medal of Science. These two seminal figures inspired a generation of African-American, Native American, and Latinx students to pursue careers in mathematics. The Blackwell-Tapia Prize recognizes a mathematician who has contributed significantly to research in his or her area of expertise, served as a role model for mathematical scientists from underrepresented minority groups, and contributed in other significant ways to addressing the problem of underrepresentation of minorities in mathematics. The conference will include scientific talks, poster presentations, panel discussions, ample opportunities for networking, and the awarding of the Blackwell-Tapia Prize.  Participants are invited from all career stages and will represent institutions of all sizes across the country, including Puerto Rico.   View all Blackwell-Tapia Speaker Bios   Goals of the conference: Recognize and showcase mathematical excellence by minority researchers Recognize and disseminate successful efforts to address under-representation Inform students and mathematicians about career opportunities in mathematics, especially outside academia Provide networking opportunities for mathematical researchers at all points in the higher education/career trajectory Blackwell-Tapia Prize:  The 2020 Blackwell-Tapia Prize Winner is Tatiana Toro, Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner Professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington.  The biennial prize was established in 2002 by the Mathematical and Theoretical Biology Institute and the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in honor of David Blackwell and Richard Tapia, distinguished mathematical scientists who have been inspirations to more than a generation of African American and Latinx students and professionals in the mathematical sciences. Previous recipients of the Blackwell-Tapia Prize have been Arlie Petters, Benjamin Powell Professor and Professor of Mathematics, Physics, and Business Administration at Duke University (2002); Rodrigo Bañuelos, Professor of Mathematics at Purdue University, (2004); William Massey, Edwin S. Wilsey Professor of Operations Research and Financial Engineering at Princeton University (2006); Juan Meza, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Merced and currently Director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Mathematical Sciences (2008); Trachette Jackson, Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Jackson Cancer Modeling Group at the University of Michigan (2010); Ricardo Cortez, Pendergraft William Larkin Duren Professor of Mathematics at Tulane University (2012); Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver, Professor of Statistics at North Carolina State University (2104); Mariel Vazquez, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Mathematics at the University of California, Davis (2016); Ronald Mickens, Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Physics at Clark Atlanta University (2018). The Blackwell-Tapia Conference at which the prize is awarded is currently supported by a consortium of U.S. mathematics institutes, which host the conference in turn. Previous hosts have been MSRI (2002), IPAM (2004), IMA (2006), SAMSI (2008), MBI (2010), ICERM (2012), IPAM (2014), NIMBioS (2016), ICERM (2018). Prior to the first awarding of the prize, an initial Blackwell-Tapia Conference was held at Cornell University in 2000, supported by MTBI and MSRI. The conference is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the NSF Mathematical Sciences Institutes Diversity Committee