Message from the Chapter President, Jessie Ann Owens (March 17, 2020)
Like so many other organizations, AMS NorCal must rethink its “standard operating procedure.” Following consultation with the student and chapter representatives and discussion with the officers and our hosts at UC Davis, we have decided to cancel the in-person meeting scheduled for May 2-3. We would, however, like to find a way to hold a virtual/online Dahl competition for the best paper by a graduate student registered in either the NorCal or PSW chapters. At this time I am seeking a volunteer to manage the tech aspects and host the virtual meeting.
We have other business to conduct. We invite nominations and self-nominations for the positions of president and of secretary/treasurer. These leadership positions offer a way to provide valuable service to the discipline, to help support new scholarship and to provide a positive, workshop-like atmosphere for graduate student presentations. Please send nominations to me <jaowens [at] ucdavis.edu>. The deadline is April 20.
I recently learned by chance that the Pacific Southwest Chapter had unilaterally decided, with no consultation, to turn the Ingolf Dahl Award from a joint competition open to graduate students from both chapters, which it has been since its inception, to an award open to PSW students only. Thus, the Dahl competition, if we are able to manage it virtually, will be offered this year for the final time as a joint award.
The officers of AMS NorCal are unanimous in their desire to establish a new graduate student award for students in our chapter. This will require an amendment to our bylaws. At this time we invite nominations to name the prize: please submit a proposal to Alice Miller Cotter (amsnorthcal@gmail.com), providing a brief biography of the scholar/teacher you would like to honor and a rationale for naming a chapter prize for him or her. The deadline is April 20. We will then conduct an email vote of members of the chapter.
Our chapter site is still not operable (it can be consulted but not updated). We have a new URL and WordPress site. I would be happy to hear from any volunteers who know WordPress and are willing to clone our existing page onto this new platform.
Thank you for your patience during these challenging times.