*Concerns of Young Mathematicians* Volume 2 Issue 5 February 9, 1994 An electronically distributed digest for discussions of the issues of concern to mathematicians at the beginning of their careers. PLEASE FORWARD TO ANY POTENTIALLY INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS Please direct submissions and questions to Frank Arlinghaus frank@math.ysu.edu , editor for the month of February. Next issue: Wednesday, February 16, 1994. To subscribe: Send mail to Charles Yeomans at cyeomans@s.ms.uky.edu Back issues and other information are available via anonymous FTP to ftp.ms.uky.edu, in pub3/mailing.lists/ymn-list. Editor for November was Steve Kennedy kennedy@math.stolaf.edu . Editor for December was Vic Perera vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu . Editor for January was Kalin Godev kalin@math.psu.edu . The opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the YMN or the editorial board. Table of Contents Item # Title 1 Editor's Comments 2 Comments, News, and Notes * AMS Election Results * AMS Council Election * Update from Mark 3 Industry Hiring Peter Castro 4 Project NExT 5 "The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments" excerpts Edward F. Aboufadel 6 Open Forum at the Brooklyn Meeting of the AMS 7 Closing Credits __________________________________________________________________________ Item #1 Editor's Comments After last week's lengthy note, I've decided to be brief. You will find this week's issue to contain several interesting items and discussions, not only for yourselves, but also for your colleagues. Item #2 includes several comments on various aspects of the past and next AMS elections. You may want to read these to help form your own opinions in this area. Additionally, I'll remind you that inclusion of the discussion of Ben and Mark's dilemma is brought to you as a service, not as an endorsement. I believe that Kevin's comment points out the reality of the situation, and we'll see that Mark and Ben are distinct personalities with distinct opinions. Some of us will vote for both, some for neither, and some for but one. Peter Castro of Kodak makes some very important points in his contribution that many of us must understand even if we want to hide from the real world. All of us need to understand how our students or colleagues work. By the way, when I worked (one summer) in the Math Department of General Motors Research, most of my colleagues were Ph.Ds in other fields. The situation there was just as Peter describes. Others may have had different experiences. Project NExT is of interest to many of us, but those of us who are in are second year may want to tell our first-year colleagues about this (I've told all three of mine). It's also important with regard to the issues of young mathematicians being recognized by professional organizations. That this is happening is also evidenced by the open Forum at the Brooklyn meeting of the AMS. Ed Aboufadel weighs in with excerpts from the AAUP Academe article on "The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments." This continues the discussion begun by Curtis Bennett. I would like to add that we should realize that it's a two-way street. If we expect employers to uphold certain standards, we must do so as well. I think that both Ed and Curtis have pointed this out, and have shown us that many times, our poor behavior (such as offer-holding) hurts young mathematicians more than it hurts the schools in question. Either way, both are done a disservice. ____________________________________________________________________ Item #2 Comments, News, and Notes: ******************************************************************** AMS Election Results Kevin Madigan In Concerns Vol.2 No.4, Ed Aboufadel discusses the recent AMS elections: I have a comment to make regarding this. I did not vote for anyone that didn't mention the job market and declining suppport funds. I did this because an omission of these issues indicated to me that this person was out of touch with what is going on TODAY in the world of working, nontenured mathematicians. Maybe I am naive, or maybe I am too harsh. I do feel, however, the YMN not withstanding, that there is still a large segment of the "community" that is ignorant of the realities of today's dismal job market and the lack of useful information given to graduate students (I have met people like this as recently as October). I don't want one of these people in any important position at the AMS. madigan@math.lamar.edu (Kevin Madigan) ********************************************************************* AMS Council Election Nicolas Robidoux Regarding the "if we have two candidates running on the issues relevant to junior mathematicians we could dilute our clout and get none elected" dilemma: Since Ben and Mark are both motivated they should both run (remember that five positions are open). Most likely either we get out the vote and get both elected, or we do not and lose regardless of whether one or two are in the running. Most people, I imagine, vote for as many people as there are open positions, hence voting for a second junior mathematician can be seen not as taking a vote from the other but rather as keeping a vote from some sixth candidate. Besides, I surmise that we are not dealing with single issue clones, and having to share the label "youth candidate" may force Ben and Mark to flesh out and detail their respective platforms, giving them more substance. I would certainly not mind these platforms being debated on YMN. Spread the word about YMN. Discuss with your peers and superiors your voting intentions. Tell them to vote. Jim Cannon did not get elected and now I regret having stupidly kept my mouth shut about how worthy a candidate he was. You can bet that if I have enough basis to recommend someone in the future, I will speak up. Speak up. If junior physicists can get representation, so can we. Let's go for it! Nicolas Robidoux nicolas@goshawk.lanl.gov ********************************************************************* Update on appeal for counsel Mark Winstead Last week, Ben Lotto and I spelled out the situation of junior mathematician candidates and our campaign. The response to date (2/7/94) has been underwhelming. By a 4-0 margin to date, the feeling seems to be to have both of us run. Some have cited some considerations we hadn't thought of: having two of us rather than one could generate extra excitement among some for voting, some extra publicity and attention, and lessens the possibility of being considered a token candidate. One person warned, however, that we should not look like the same candidate. Ben and I got into this separately, and I am sure that we won't have to work at it to appear different on paper, even though our discussion of the issues has been limited so far. I have just decided on my top priority in the past week, and I believe I know what Ben's is, and they are different. But that is a different note and a different submission. On a related subject, has anyone among us been asked to be on the ballot for the Nominating Committee? While it appears that the current committee composition is favorable to seeing that candidates with some level of concern toward issues of junior mathematicians appear on the ballot, it would be nice to see a junior mathematician on the Committee itself to help insure this continues for the duration of her/his term. Mark Winstead winstead@euclid.ucsd.edu ______________________________________________________________________ Item #3 Industry Hiring Peter Castro ******************************************************************** The opinions expressed are those of Dr. Castro and do not necessarily reflect those of his employer. ******************************************************************** Kalin Godev, editor for January, has commented on industry hiring, or lack therof, of Ph.D. mathematicians. He suggests that it is time to find a unified approach to making the industry market "open and available" to math Ph.Ds. First, let me say that, with a very few exceptions, industry has never hired "mathematicians" in the sense that it would hire people to "do mathematics," at least not in the academic sense of doing mathematics. The situation will not change in the foreseeable future. Industry hires people who are perceived to be problem solvers in a very concrete sense. If you can convince an industry interviewer that you can solve real problems, are sincerely interested in doing so, and can do so as well as a physicist or engineer or MBA, you will get job offers from industry. The trouble is, in the past the mathematical establishment has had no interest in such activities, has not prepared students for anything but academic style research (thereby leaving them with few job prospects outside academia), and has created the impression in the minds of industrial managers that mathematicians are not to be sought after in hiring because they never get the real job done (today's managers probably got their first inklings of this in undergraduate contacts with the math department). Make no mistake about it - you must really want to get out and solve real, sometimes dirty, problems in a real world sense if you are to be successful in industry. If you are thinking about industry just because the academic job market is tough, forget it! In industry you will not be setting out to establish an individual research program to generate papers in the academic style. You will be asked to participate with others in interdisciplinary teams to address concerns of your employer. When one problem is solved it's on to the next, sometimes with little continuity which would permit identification of a `program'. The more we can demonstrate that we are serious competitors in problem identification, formulation, and solution in this kind of environment, the more industry positions will be available for mathematicians. The more people who come to industry and attempt to continue academic style theorem proving, generalization, and publication, the fewer openings there will be. I suggest reading the comments of Clemens Cap (University of Zurich) in this forum or reprinted on p. 6 of the January 1994 issue of SIAM News. Then read Paul Davis' article "Industrial Mathematics: The Working Environment" on industrial mathematical experience in the May 1993 SIAM News, or see his report "Some Views of Mathematics in Industry" on the SIAM gopher, in the Reports directory. Industrial mathematics is an exciting and fulfilling career, but it is probably different than you expect. Dr. Peter E. Castro, Supervisor email: castro@kodak.com Applied Mathematics & Statistics profs: KODAKR(CASTRO) Floor 10, Bldg 83, RL 02205 phone: (716) 477-3191 Eastman Kodak Company fax: (716) 722-5350 Rochester, NY 14650-2205 _____________________________________________________________________ Item #4 Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is pleased to announce an exciting year-lomg program designed to inform and assist beginning mathematical sciences faculty in their new professional roles. Sixty new or recent PhD's about to start their first full time college/university teaching jobs, or faculty just completing their fi= rst year of collegiate-level teaching, will be selected as Project NExT Fellows. Fellows will: Attend a two-and-a-half day SUMMER WORKSHOP at the University of Minnesota addressing a broad range of issues in undergraduate mathematics and led by outstanding educators and leaders in collegiate mathematics (August 12-14, 1994). Participate in the summer MATHFEST, including a special SHORT COURSE on the use of technology in the teaching and learning of collegiate level mathematics (August 15-18, 1994). NETWORK during the academic year with one another and with distinguished teachers of mathematics. Participate in specially designed sessions at the JOINT MATHEMATICS MEETINGS in San Francisco, January 1995. Participate in a final WORKSHOP at the 1995 MATHFEST at the University of Vermont focused on issues in the first year of teaching and preparation for the next academic year. Fellows will meet with in-coming Project NExT Fellows and will advise leaders in the mathematics community on the needs of beginning faculty. Participate in the 1995 summer MATHFEST, including a variety of short course opportunities. Fellows' home institutions will be expected to provide the financial support needed for participants to travel to the meetings and participate in the workshops and the joint meetings. Funds are available to provide ass istance to institutions unable to afford full or partial support. Application materials will be mailed in the second half of March. Completed applications will be due by MAY 15. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance as Project NExT Fellows by June 15. For applications or additional information contact: Professor James R. C. Leitzel Professor T. Christine Stevens Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics Department of Mathematics P.O. Box 880323 St. Louis University Lincoln, NE 68588-0323 221 N. Grand Blvd. Phone: 402-472-7232 St. Louis, MO 63103-2097 FAX: 402-472-8466 Phone: 314-658-2444 E-mail: jimleitz@unlinfo.unl.edu FAX: 314-658-3874 E-mail: stevensc@sluvca.slu.edu [Program support provided by a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation] ______________________________________________________________________ Item #5 "The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments" excerpts Ed Aboufadel Here are some excerpts from "The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments," which appeared in the March/April 1993 issue of Academe, which is published by the AAUP (American Association of University Professors). (I was going to type this all in, but it would be rather long.) The Announcement of the Faculty Position D. Interested candidates should have at least thirty days from the first appearance of the announcement to submit their applications. Confidentiality, Interviews, and the Final Decision: A. Institutions should respect the confidentiality of candidates for faculty positions. The institution may contact references, including persons who are not identified by the candidate, but it should exercise discretion when doing so. An institution should not make public the names of candidates without having given the candidates the opportunity to withdraw from the search. C. Candidates for faculty positions should disclose in a timely fashion conditions that might materially bear upon the institution's decision to offer the appointment (for example, requirements for research funds, unusual moving costs, a delayed starting date, or the intention to retain a current affiliation at the institution with which the candidate is currently associated.) D. If candidates request information about the progress of the search and the status of their candidacy, they should be given the information. E. The institution's decision about which candidate will be offered the position should be consistent with the criteria for the position and its duties stated in the announcement of the vacancy. If the selection of the final candidates will be based on significant changes in the criteria for the position or its duties as stated in the original announcement, the institution should start a new search. The Offer and Acceptance A. The institution may wish to provide informal notification to the successful candidate of its intention to offer an appointment, but the formal offer itself should be an unequivocal letter of appointment signed by the responsible institutional officer. "Oral offers" and "oral acceptances" should not be considered binding, but communications between the successful candidate and those representing the institution should be frank and accurate, for significant decisions are likely to be based on these exchanges. The written offer of appointment should be given to the candidate within ten days of the institution's having conveyed an intention to make the offer; a candidate should be informed promptly if the offer is not to be forthcoming within ten days. D. The acceptance of a position is a written, affirmative, and unconditional response sent by the candidate to the institution no later than the date stated in the offer of appointment. If the candidate wishes to accept the offer contingent upon conditions, those conditions should be specified and communicated promptly in writing to the institution which is offering the position. Whew. That's all I'm typing. Ed Aboufadel Southern Connecticut State University __________________________________________________________________________ Item #6 Open Forum at the AMS Eastern Sectional Meeting: CoProf Open Forum on Employment Issues at Eastern Sectional Meeting The AMS Committee on the Profession (CoProf) will sponsor an open forum on issues related to the employment of mathematicians at the AMS Eastern Sectional Meeting at Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, NY, on April 9, 1994. The main purpose of the forum is to foster dialog and seek input from the community of mathematical scientists on the role that the AMS can take to improve employment opportunities in the mathematical sciences. Meeting participants will be given the opportunity to speak, and are welcome to provide written and oral testimony to support CoProf's efforts in this area. All members of the mathematics community, including those making oral presentations at the forum, are encouraged to contribute written statements to CoProf. CoProf is currently reviewing actions that can be taken to extend the implementation of recommendations made in 1992 by the AMS Task Force on Employment. Contributors to the forum and others providing written statements are encouraged to consider those recommendations. The full text of "Employment and the U.S. Mathematics Doctorate: Report of the AMS Task Force on Employment, July 1992" is available on e-MATH GOPHER in the category "General Information of Interest to Mathematicians." Any member of the mathematics community who wishes to make an oral presentation is asked to notify James W. Maxwell at the AMS (jwm@math.ams.org) before March 30, 1994. Oral presentations should be limited to 5 minutes in order to afford opportunities for broad participation. Priority for oral presentations will be given to meeting participants who notify CoProf in advance, though all participants will be accommodated as time permits. Written contributions should be submitted by March 30. Earlier contributions will facilitate the committee's review of the Employment Task Force's recommendations. Written statements can be sent by electronic mail to empforum@math.ams.org or mailed to CoProf Subcommittee on Employment Issues, Attn: Diane Mack, American Mathematical Society, P.O. Box 6248, Providence, RI 02940. CoProf anticipates sponsoring forums at other regional meetings as the need and opportunity arise. __________________________________________________________________________ Item #7 Closing Credits: The Young Mathematicians' Network is administered by: Charles Yeomans cyeomans@s.ms.uky.edu Mark Winstead winstead@euclid.ucsd.edu Vic Perera vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu Franklin Mendivil mendivil@math.gatech.edu Stephen Kennedy kennedy@stolaf.edu Kalin Godev kalin@math.psu.edu Neil Calkin calkin@math.gatech.edu Curtis Bennett cbennet@andy.bgsu.edu Jeff Adams adams@bright.uoregon.edu Edward Aboufadel aboufade@scus1.ctstateu.edu Frank Arlinghaus frank@math.ysu.edu Matt Hudelson hudelson@math.washington.edu ____________________________________________________________________________ End of Journal -- Next week: The Discussion Continues