Dialogue with Prof. Bryna Kra, AB '88, Northwestern University
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Bernstein Global Wealth Management
227 W. Monroe St., Suite 5900, Chicago
Patterns & Disorder:
How Random Can Random Be?
Mathematics is the oldest of sciences, and we are surrounded by it, but few people have an idea of what mathematicians actually do. With Prof. Kra we will explore what it means to do research, interweaving mathematical ideas with personal anecdotes. A sample object we could consider is a tiled floor: it usually has regular, ordered patterns in it, even if the tiling may be very complicated. This can be discribed mathematically, leading to questions about what it means for a mathematical object to be ordered or disordered. Starting with simple, well-known patterns, we will quickly arrive at problems that mathematicians still don't know how to solve.
Bryna Kra is the Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor of Mathematics at Northwestern University. She graduated from Harvard in 1988, Magna cum laude in mathematics. Prof. Kra received her Masters and PhD degrees in mathematics from Stanford University. She has held positions at universities in France and Israel as well as in California, Michigan and Pennsylvania. In 2010 she was awarded the Conant Prize of the American Mathematical Society, of which she is also a Fellow.
When Prof. Kra, the future chair of Northwestern’s Department of Mathematics, told her freshman adviser at Harvard that she was interested in advanced math, the adviser told her that women major in English and history. Since then she has been active in encouraging girls and young women to take up STEM studies. “Girls are already getting the message in kindergarten, first and second grade that boys are better at math. It’s not said explicitly, but by the time they reach high school, they start dropping off,” observes Kra, who ran a “fun math” program in the Evanston public schools with a few graduate students for several years so that second graders could see women mathematicians in action. “Part of the problem is they don’t have role models."
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Time: 5:30 p.m. - Wine & cheese reception
6:00 p.m. - Program followed by Q & A
7:15 p.m. - Conclude
Location: (Note slightly different venue!)
Bernstein Global Wealth Management, 227 W. Monroe, 59th Floor, Chicago
(NOTE: You will be required to show a photo ID in order to gain access to the event. Please arrive before 6:00 pm. After that time further security measures will be in effect in the building.)
Cost: HCC Members & guests $15 each
Non-Members & guests $30 each
Crimson Passport & Crimson Passport Plus Members - Complimentary
A 10% discount on parking
is available. Use discount code HCC0225 and Click Here to reserve.
Please note that unless you are a non-alumnus/a, or just arrived in the Chicago area you are in our database. Therefore you MUST SIGN-IN, at present using your "post.harvard" username and password (not necessarily your post.harvard email address), before completing your ticket purchase, otherwise you will create a redundant record and will have to enter all your contact information again.
All cancellations must be received during normal business hours, 2 business days prior to the event or the attendee who made the reservation will be charged due to costs associated with the reservation and/or the event itself, regardless of actual participation.