This is episode 1 of the Diversity & Inclusivity project led by Dr Houry Melkonian. In this episode she is co-leading with Dr Tom Ritchie a pilot competition for students of the University of Exeter about ‘Notable Women in Mathematics’ which will feed into the project joint between UK and The Netherlands led by the team: 

• Silvy Hendriks (Mathematics Teacher – The Netherlands). 
• Dr Houry Melkonian (University of Exeter – Mathematics; European Women of Mathematics (EWM) Country Coordinator – UK) 
• Dr Tom Ritchie (Historian of Science, Mathematics and Computing; Project Manager for Exeter Education Incubator – UK) 
• Prof. dr. Maria Vlasiou (University of Twente and Eindhoven University of Technology, President EWM – The Netherlands) 

In this episode, we pilot a competition for Exeter students to celebrate diversification in the culture of mathematics. This call supports participation among underrepresented groups and fosters the inclusion of women in Mathematics by asking students to bring together the stories of notable women mathematicians and mathematical thinkers and acknowledge their roles and their actions of  bravery, both in shaping professionalism in the education of mathematics. It aims at creating and designing a poster and/or a booklet about biographies of women whose novel discoveries and exceptional stories have inspired generations of mathematics lovers for centuries. The poster and booklet will be presented and displayed at national and international meetings and at various research and educational institutes and relevant websites.

This call invites students from the University of Exeter to submit biographies of at least two (2) notable women in mathematics. This competition aims to raise awareness of diversity in mathematics. Whilst women continue to make significant contributions to mathematics, the focus for this competition is on historical figures. Therefore, in determining the winners, the panel will give more weight to submissions about women whose contributions have stood the test of time.

Instructions for participants:

• Submit at least two (2) biographies of notable women in mathematics, including but not limited to: early life, personal/educational/academic challenges, actions of bravery, interesting facts about their life story, quotes about the person, professional role(s), contributions to mathematics and beyond. (word count: min 300 – max 1000)
• Submissions should adhere to academic writing style requirements (i.e. structured and supported by evidence, formal and concise)
• Submissions should be supported by academic referencing and appropriate in-text citation (articles, books, online resources, etc.)
• Submissions should include a digital image of the subject individual (with appropriate copyright permissions)
• Submissions should include applicant’s full name, year of study, and email address.
• Deadline for submission is 2^nd April 2021.
• Entries should be submitted here.

Students