Conference rusure::math

1231.0. "Women and Mathematics" by ULTRA::ZURKO (My life is in transition) Mon Apr 30 1990 17:45

Someone suggested I post this here. If it doesn't belong, feel free to remove
it. I've also posted this in WOMANNOTES-V3.
	Mez

From off the net:
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Last month I sent the following letter to all the members of Women
And Mathematics, a sparse national organization of speakers who
visit secondary schools to encourage the students to take more math
and to demonstrate (especially to the girls) that women can succeed
in technical careers.
 
So far I've received about a dozen problems for the book - they are
fantastic, but obviously I need to collect more.  There is no need
to limit the contributors to the WAM membership.  I hope some of the
female femail readers can find time to contribute, especially those
working for industry.
 
If you would like more information about WAM (maybe you'd like to
be a speaker next year), send me mail.
 
Marla Parker		(415) 336-2538
marla@sun.com
 
Dear WAM Speaker,
 
Women And Mathematics is writing a book of math and logic problems
collected from the careers of our speakers.  I would like to
interest you in contributing to it.
 
Since there are only fifteen WAM regions nationally, this book is
intended to reach teenage students who would not otherwise hear
anything from WAM.  All of the problems should be written by WAM
speakers or our female friends and colleagues, and each problem will
be accompanied by a brief professional biography and job description
for the author.
 
Alice Kelly, national director of WAM, is very enthusiastic about
this project.  She says that including the mini-biographies with the
problems will make the book useful not only as a supplementary math
workbook but also as a career guide.  This will emphasize the fact
that a solid math background is extremely useful to many highly
rewarding technical careers.
 
One publisher has already expressed an interest in this book.  The
"author" of this book will be Women And Mathematics.  If the book is
actually profitable, the money raised could be used to start new WAM
regions in some of the many states currently not covered.
 
Before there can be a book, though, I need to collect the problems.
I have enclosed directions for contributing to WAM's book.  Would
you please take some time to write at least one problem for this
book and send it to me within the next four to six weeks?
 
The more problems and career histories that we collect, the broader
the scope of the book will be.
 
Sincerely,
 
Marla Parker
18597 Devon Ave.
Saratoga, CA 95070
 
	Directions for Contributing to WAM's Book
	-----------------------------------------
 
Student Audience
----------------
 
The book will contain a wide variety of problems at various levels
of difficulty, so that even remedial or advanced students in grades
7-12 will be able to find a problem that is not too hard and/or a
problem that is a real challenge.  Like a college text, all the
problems' answers will be in the book.
 
Problem Format
--------------
 
It will be easiest for the women who will review and edit the
problems if they are typed or printed on 8 1/2" x 11" sheets.
Diagrams can be drawn by hand.  Include background information
needed by your problem(s), if any, along with their solutions and
explanations.
 
Career History
--------------
 
A young person's understanding of the job world is usually limited
to the occupations of his or her parents and parents' friends.
Besides making the book more interesting, each career history will
give the students a glimpse of a new profession.  When you send in a
problem, please provide the following information as well.
 
NAME:  as you would have it appear in the book
FIELD: What kind of engineer or what science or other field are you in?
CAREER: Describe your education, including how much math you took in
high school, and how or why you ended up in your current field and
job position.  A brief list of the jobs and companies where you have
worked (in your field) could be useful.
 
Questions and Suggestions Most Welcome
--------------------------------------
 
Call me at work: (415) 336-2538 or at home: (408) 370-6743, or send
a fax to (408) 370-6753, or email to marla@sun.com on usenet, or
just write to the address below.  Please include your return address
and daytime phone.
 
Send your math and logic problem(s) to:	Marla Parker
					18597 Devon Ave.
					Saratoga, CA 95070