Conference: 1st SIAM Northern and Central California Sectional Conference

The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) recently recognized the establishment of the Northern and Central California (SIAM-NCC) Section, whose primary goal is to provide an ongoing opportunity for mathematicians working in the sectors of academia, national laboratory, industry, and government to come together and form a strong social and professional network. The first SIAM-NCC conference scheduled to be held at the University of California, Merced campus during October 9-11, 2024 has the following aims: (1) create an opportunity for scientific researchers in the central and northern California regions to meet, network, and share the innovations and recent developments in their fields; (2) attract and energize a diverse group of students and researchers particularly those from underrepresented minority groups; (3) offer opportunities to SIAM members from various institutions in the region to present their work, who for various reasons often struggle to participate at national and international SIAM meetings; and (4) provide early career researchers to connect with others who are at similar career stages. The broader goal of this conference is to bring together a diverse group of students and researchers particularly those from underrepresented minority groups and create opportunities for sharing ideas and networking. The central and northern California regions provide rich opportunities for involving students from underrepresented and financially challenged populations majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The 2024 SIAM-NCC Conference is centered around the following five research themes of applied mathematics: (1) mathematical and numerical analysis; (2) optimization, inverse problems, and optimal experimental design; (3) scientific and high-performance computing; (4) uncertainty quantification and prediction; and (5) scientific machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins. The conference will feature four plenary speakers from industry, academia, and national laboratory. Ten mini-symposia are planned to capture the conference themes in critical areas of research in applied mathematics. Four panels will cover a variety of topics aimed to reach undergraduate and graduate students, early career researchers, and the greater scientific community. In particular, topics include (1) career opportunities for undergraduate students, (2) transitioning from student to researcher (e.g., preparing for internships and postdoc positions), (3) industry and laboratory careers, and (4) the role of AI/ML in science and technology. Finally, to facilitate a more open and informal discussion about research and career opportunities, to accommodate broader research themes, and to offer opportunity for all attendees to present their work, two poster sessions are also scheduled. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral scholars and other early career researchers, will be particularly encouraged to participate in these sessions. The conference website is: https://sites.google.com/view/siam-ncc/siam-ncc-conference-2024. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.