Institute for Computational & Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM)

05/23/2026

We honor the memory of Dr. Richard Tapia, a pioneering computational mathematician, National Medal of Science recipient, and a lifelong advocate for education and student mentorship.

A longtime professor at Rice University, Dr. Tapia spent over five decades advancing the field of optimization theory while working tirelessly to broaden access to science and mathematics for all. His legacy will undoubtedly live on through the thousands of lives and careers he transformed. Our thoughts are with his family, colleagues, and loved ones.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/richard-tapia-pioneering-mathematician-and-advocate-diversity-passes-away-88

Richard A. Tapia, a distinguished professor at Rice and a trailblazing mathematician renowned for his dedication to increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering, has passed away at age 88.

05/21/2026

OpenAI recently announced a breakthrough on one of the most famous outstanding problems in discrete geometry, disproving a long-standing conjecture related to the Erdos distance problem.

What makes this milestone even more exciting for ICERM is the community effort behind it, including contributions from Jordan Ellenberg and a Collaborate@ICERM team consisting of Farshid Hajir, Christian Maire, and Ravi Ramakrishna!

While the specific mathematical papers built upon by this model weren't directly supported by our institute, this achievement illustrates the deep impact of fundamental research. Rigorous mathematical results combined with cutting-edge computation can revolutionize our understanding of geometry!

Read OpenAI's full announcement: https://openai.com/index/model-disproves-discrete-geometry-conjecture/

Dive into the mathematical background:https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/74c24085-19b0-4534-9c90-465b8e29ad73/unit-distance-remarks.pdf

05/13/2026

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is hosting a webinar series on International Practices in K-12 Mathematics Education, focusing on the growing roles of computational thinking, data science, and AI.

As we work to broaden the relationship between mathematics and computation here at ICERM, it’s exciting to see this conversation on modernizing curricula. The series features experts from around the world.

Register and learn more here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/projects/PGA-NETWORKS-25-02

An international workshop and webinar series on how leading countries are modernizing secondary math curricula. Experts will share best practices for curriculum revision, essential competencies for global competitiveness, and alignment with classroom technology, materials, and teaching methods. A br...

05/11/2026

Beginning today, May 11, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will release vacancy announcements for positions at the intersection of program management, data analysis, and community outreach. These roles are designed to help plan program portfolios, identify emerging research areas, and analyze the impact of current NSF investments. Engaging with the PI community and managing the merit review process is vital to the entire mathematical and scientific landscape. We encourage you to take a look!

These positions are open for a limited time via USAJobs.

https://www.nsf.gov/careers/openings?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

04/23/2026

We're pleased to see several long-time ICERM collaborators among the American Academy of Arts & Sciences' newly elected members for 2026. 👏

The Academy’s latest cohort includes several mathematicians who have been central to our mission of broadening the relationship between mathematics and computation. We’d like to extend our congratulations to these board members, organizers, and speakers on their election:

- Qiang Du (Columbia University)
- Jordan Ellenberg (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
- Charles L. Epstein (Flatiron Institute)
- Nataša Pavlović (University of Texas at Austin)
- Joseph H. Silverman (Brown University)

It has been a privilege to host their work at the institute over the years, and we are happy to see their contributions recognized by such a respected institution.

🔗 View the full announcement: https://www.amacad.org/new-members-2026

04/20/2026

Federica Milinanni, a postdoc in our semester program on Stochastic and Randomized Algorithms in Scientific Computing, is being recognized by the Cramér Society (a branch of the Swedish Statistical Society) for the best doctoral thesis in statistics/mathematical statistics defended in Sweden during the previous year.

We are so proud to have Federica with us this semester and can’t wait to see the continued impact of her work!

https://statistikframjandet.se/cramersallskapet/cramerpriset-2026-gar-till-federica-milinanni/

Cramérpriset utdelas årligen för bästa doktorsavhandling till en person som disputerat i statistik/matematisk statistik under det gångna kalenderåret. Detta år går priset till Federica Milaninni, som under det gångna året disputerat på KTH. Motivering till beslutet lyder som följer:

04/01/2026

We are thrilled to see the ICERM community so well-represented in the newly announced 2026 Class of SIAM Fellows. This year’s cohort reflects the incredible caliber of researchers who help us fulfill our mission to support and broaden the relationship between mathematics and computation.

We want to give a special nod to Anne Gelb (Dartmouth), a distinguished former member of our Scientific Advisory Board, and Fengyan Li (RPI), a multi-time organizer and Brown University alum, for their exceptional contributions and dedication.

Additionally, we are proud to see many other past ICERM organizers and speakers being recognized for their impact on the field, including:

Patrick Farrell • Heather Harrington • Fred J. Hickernell • Lin Lin • Peter David Miller • Kui Ren • Erkki Somersalo • Jean-Luc Thiffeault • Xiaoping Wang • Guowei Wei • Wotao Yin

Congratulations to all on this well-deserved honor!

https://www.siam.org/publications/siam-news/articles/siam-announces-2026-class-of-fellows/

SIAM is excited to announce its 2026 Class of Fellows and honor the distinguished work of the SIAM Fellows Program!

11/04/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Misha Kilmer, ICERM’s recent Deputy Director, on being named a 2026 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society!

We’re also delighted to see so many members of the ICERM community recognized among this year’s Fellows, including former and future program organizers Inanç Baykur, José Carrillo, Dawei Chen, Matthew Hedden, and Katherine Stange, as well as affiliates Javier Rojo and Glen Whitney. 👏

10/31/2025

Congratulations to Brendan Keith, former ICERM postdoc (Computational Relativity, 2020), on his role as Director of the new Center for Information Geometric Mechanics and Optimization (CIGMO) at Brown University! We’re thrilled to see ICERM alumni continue to shape the future of computational mathematics.
Learn more:

The center will unite mathematicians, engineers and computer scientists at Brown, NYU and Georgia Tech to tackle longstanding problems in how simulations handle extreme physical events.

10/09/2025

We are thrilled to congratulate Lauren Williams on being named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow.

Lauren is a distinguished mathematician and currently serves as one of the organizers for our ongoing program, "Categorification and Computation in Algebraic Combinatorics."

Please join us in celebrating this well-deserved honor. Congratulations, Lauren!

The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, we work to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and unders...