We established the UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador in 2016 as part of our Do the Maths program. The main role of these female academics is to deliver an inspiring talk at the Do the Maths workshop about their careers and area of mathematics. They are also invited to present a public lecture to a wider audience (university students, staff members, school teachers, members of the public, etc.) about their research. See below for details of our current and past ambassadors:
Our 2023 UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador was Professor Inge Koch, a Statistician with research interests in the analysis of high-dimensional and functional data. Professor Koch is Associate Dean, Mathematical Sciences, at RMIT. She presented a talk, Mathematics, Statistics, and Where it Can Lead to at our campus and online Do The Maths workshops in June 2023. She also delivered a public lecture, Mathematics and Gender: Nature versus Nurture, at UNSW in June. Professor Koch was one of the co-founders of our Do The Maths program.
Our 2022 UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador was A/Prof Hamideh Anjomshoa, a senior applied research scientist who is an Enterprise Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She presented her talk Mathematical Modelling in Scheduling and Planning in Real-World Problems at both the face-to-face and online 2022 Girls Do the Maths events.
Our 2021 UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador was Dr Virginia Wheway, who is Vice President, Data and Analytics, at Koala. Dr Wheway, an influential data-focused executive with diverse skills and experience across numerous industries, delivered presentations about her career at both the face-to-face and online 2021 Girls Do the Maths events.
In September 2019, our UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador Professor Kate Smith-Miles from the University of Melbourne delivered a talk about her career at our Girls Do the Maths workshop, plus a public lecture at UNSW, How maths can reveal the secrets in your face... No more lying about your age!.
In May 2018, Professor Cheryl Praeger from the University of WA presented a talk about the power of mathematics at Girls Do the Maths, plus a public lecture at UNSW called Maths as a Superpower. She was presented with the 2018 UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador Award.
In May 2017, Professor Regina Burachik presented a talk about her personal journey into mathematics at Girls Do the Maths and also delivered a public lecture at UNSW titled Optimization Problems: A Gentle Tour. She was presented with the 2017 UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador Award.
In May 2016, School alumnus and University of Georgia Professor Lynne Billard spoke at Girls Do the Maths and also presented a public lecture at UNSW on The Role of Mathematics and Statistics in Science and Society. She was presented with the inaugural UNSW Women in Mathematics and Statistics Ambassador Award by then-Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs.
