Why You Should Attend the SIAM Annual Meeting: I. E. Block Lecture

The SIAM Annual Meeting will be held in Boston, MA, from July 11 to 15. This post is part 1 in a series of blog posts that highlight what you should know about Annual Meeting from the eyes of the technical co-chairs, Mary Silber and David Gleich.

The SIAM Annual Meeting is right around the corner. There are plenty of mini-symposia, contributed talks, invited talks, prize lectures, special sessions, panel discussions, and workshops to exhaust even the most dedicated SIAM conference attendee who tries to take it all in.

We wanted to point out some of the aspects of the meeting that we (your co-chairs, Mary and David) are particularly excited about (besides EVERYTHING, that is!).

The I.E. Block Community Lecture is special among the various prize and invited lectures at the SIAM Annual Meeting, as its goal is to reach an unusually broad audience and inspire them about mathematics and its applications. Broad here is reflected in naming it a “Community Lecture;” by “community” we do not mean just our SIAM community, but, say, the greater Boston Community.

This is an opportunity for people in the neighborhood on July 13, young or old, trained mathematician or hobbyist mathematician, student or teacher (at any level of education!), to enjoy a lecture that will showcase the beauty and aesthetic of mathematical thinking.

This year’s lecture is by Dr. Tadashi Tokieda of the University of Cambridge, who is presently a Poincaré Visiting Professor at Stanford University. He will discuss toy models—or to be careful not to be misunderstood—he will discuss toys, and we expect to be surprised and delighted; trust us on this (or watch one of his videos on YouTube).

As a SIAM member, you have a duty to help us advertise broadly so that it is truly a community event. (Okay, not really, but we hope you’ll accept this mission!) Click the link to the flyer to get a link and share it with your friends. Or, let your friends know you are attending on the Facebook page!

Remember to tell everyone the I. E. Block Lecture is open to the general public; no registration or ticket is required.

We hope you will be at the meeting! Chat with us from the conference on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #SIAMAN16.