Women in STEM: Building Community, Networks and Impact

The Women in Physics and the Association for Women in Math hosted their second annual mixer in April. 

 

The Women in Physics and the Association for Women in Math hosted their second annual mixer in April to support first- and second-year female and gender-minority students in Physics and Math, including transfer students. 

The goal of the event was to connect female and gender-minority students majoring in math and physics with resources for developing their interests and finding the unique path for their academic career. 

The event offered opportunities for connection, mentorship, and community. During the mixer, student participants were:

• introduced to faculty and student mentors
• enjoyed a sit-down dinner and small group discussion
• learned about different research going on at Cal Poly and ways to get involved
• met members from clubs and learned about experiences on Cal Poly's campus to help find ways to apply academic interests, both inside and outside their major
• found students and faculty mentors to reach out to for future questions about research, courses, and extracurricular activities.

“The small group discussions with professors and my math/physics peers allowed connection in a low-stakes environment,” said student Cindy Ng, a math major. “Out of all the campus events, this has truly been the most impactful to me. Through this experience, I have been able to connect with professors, not just the ones that have taught my classes, but professors that share the same research passions as me, as well as learning about new areas of academia I had no idea about.”

Ng said as a member of the BCSM Student Council, the mixer also gave her more ideas to bring students and faculty together.

“The nature of the mixer was incredibly impactful,” Ng said. “Showing up to see that many professors who took time from being with their families to come and talk to students, goes to show how much these professors truly want to see us succeed. Listening to them talk, I get to understand their passion for educating and expanding knowledge.”

Ng added that having friendly professors that continuously make it known that they are available at their office hours makes meeting with faculty outside of class “much less daunting for students like me.”

“Although I have begun to go to my professors’ office hours, after this mixer, I feel much more comfortable to go to all professors and ask questions,” Ng said. “Being able to listen to the stories about professors’ background, allows us students to see beyond just their teaching ability but them as individuals.” 

Ng said it also gave her the chance to sit down with peers who sharing similar goals, expanding her network within her major.

 

Cal Poly Hosts Around 400 for AMS Conference

The American Mathematical Society (AMS) Sectional Meeting was held May 3-4 at Cal Poly, including presentations, poster sessions, addresses and more.

The 2025 Spring Western Sectional Meeting event encompassed a wide variety of topics, including special sessions topics titled “Geometry and Dynamics in Symplectic and Contact Manifolds,” “Mathematical Modeling and Analysis of Complex Biological Systems” and “Topological Quantum Computation,” among many other areas of academic focus.

The gathering also included poster sessions showcasing student work and contributed paper sessions.

Attendees at the event included participants from Cal Poly, California State University Channel Islands, UC Santa Barbara, Seattle University, University of Arkansas, Bakersfield College, Sacramento City College and other campuses.

Around 400 people attended the event on campus. The AMS organization aims to advance research and connect the mathematics community.