April 7 Day 1125: Feeling Invisible

Honest mistakes happen. I get that. We are all busy people and sometimes we forget to include everyone who should be included–whether its an invitation to the table or recognition for fine work. I keep telling my brain not to read too much into any one oversight. It happens to everyone, right? Yet the moreContinue reading “April 7 Day 1125: Feeling Invisible”

March 30 Day 1117: Is It Time?

I have been writing this blog for over 3 years—initially contributions were daily but now they are trickling to just a few each month. Is it time to declare Math in the Time of Corona a thing of the past? Evidence in favor of a positive response: Evidence in favor of a negative response: PerhapsContinue reading “March 30 Day 1117: Is It Time?”

March 9 Day 1096: Mathematical Relations

Yesterday afternoon, my #TacomaMath colleagues Jenn Crump, Ander Erickson, and I delivered a (virtual) professional development session for teachers in the Tacoma area. One of the activities was to graph our relationship to math over time. Some of the results are given below: Notice only one response had a wholly positive experience. Everyone else hadContinue reading “March 9 Day 1096: Mathematical Relations”

March 6 Day 1093: Where Were You?

It was three years ago today that UW President Ana Mari Cauce sent this email: The Friday morning message called for emergency remote teaching by the very next workday. The speed of the transition was dizzying. I was on a writing retreat at Pack Forest with a handful of my Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences colleagues.Continue reading “March 6 Day 1093: Where Were You?”

January 14 Day 1042: Only Two Weeks?

Its two weeks into the New Year and I haven’t managed a single blog post. It’s been two weeks of teaching. (Winter quarter starts early at UW.) Two weeks of late nights and early mornings. Two weeks of forging new connections while juggling old responsibilities. I will find my groove. I always do. I’m justContinue reading “January 14 Day 1042: Only Two Weeks?”

October 2 Day 938: Angeles Angels

NCTM brought me back to spend time in LA. I lived there for a dozen years as I was starting my career. I got my first academic job there. I got divorced there. I found my loving and supportive partner there. I gave birth to two sons there. There was lots of nostalgia, both goodContinue reading “October 2 Day 938: Angeles Angels”

July 24 Day 868: Your Opinions May Vary

I am pleased to announce that the opinion piece I authored for the AMS Notices is now available online. I wrote it specifically for academics in mathematics, yet I believe the need to align metrics of merit with institutional mission and values applies to all disciplines (and all institutions.) I share it with you nowContinue reading “July 24 Day 868: Your Opinions May Vary”

July 12 Day 856: MoMA in NYC

We had a family filled weekend in TN celebrating big birthdays of my cousin, my uncle, and my sister. It was four generations from the Vincent side of the family—Great Grandma Betsy to the barely two week old Betsy Jean. Since then, Mark and I ventured to a New York State of mind to finallyContinue reading “July 12 Day 856: MoMA in NYC”

June 23 Day 837: Celebrating RAB Part II

The second half of the mini symposium celebrating the long success of Richard Brualdi featured four more speakers. Michael Schroeder, John Goldwasser, me, and the man himself. More stories, more mathematics, more fun. It was the most technologically diverse session I’ve seen. First, we got the lapel mike working so we could walk about theContinue reading “June 23 Day 837: Celebrating RAB Part II”

June 21 Day 835: Great Lessons

Day two of the ILAS conference in Galway featured the first half of the mini symposium honoring the work of my thesis advisor, Richard Brualdi. It is the reason I am here. The “Brualdi insights” that I pick up from today’s speakers: are: Drive somewhere with Richard (preferably to a conference.) The key to writingContinue reading “June 21 Day 835: Great Lessons”