Mathematical Association of America

Mathematical Association of America. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics at the undergraduate level, with members including university professors, high school teachers, and mathematicians from industry and government agencies such as the National Security Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The MAA has close ties with other organizations, including the American Mathematical Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The MAA also collaborates with international organizations, such as the International Mathematical Union and the European Mathematical Society.

● History

The Mathematical Association of America was founded in 1915 by a group of mathematicians, including George David Birkhoff, Raymond Clare Archibald, and Robert Daniel Carmichael, with the goal of promoting mathematics in the United States. The MAA was initially headquartered at the University of Chicago, but later moved to Washington, D.C., where it is currently located near the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The MAA has a long history of supporting mathematics education, dating back to the 1920s, when it began publishing mathematics textbooks and organizing mathematics competitions, such as the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The MAA has also been involved in various mathematics outreach programs, including the Mathematics Awareness Month, which is celebrated in April and is sponsored by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics.

● Organization

The Mathematical Association of America is governed by a board of directors, which includes mathematicians from universities and colleges across the United States, such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MAA is divided into sections, each of which represents a different region of the country, such as the Northeastern Section, the Southeastern Section, and the Western Section. The MAA also has a number of committees, including the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics, the Committee on Mathematics and Computing, and the Committee on Minority Participation in Mathematics, which work to promote diversity and inclusion in mathematics. The MAA is a member of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences, which includes other organizations, such as the American Mathematical Society, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

● Activities

The Mathematical Association of America sponsors a number of mathematics competitions, including the American Mathematics Competitions, which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Baylor University. The MAA also organizes mathematics conferences, such as the Joint Mathematics Meetings, which are held annually in January and are sponsored by the American Mathematical Society and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The MAA also provides professional development opportunities for mathematics teachers, including workshops and summer institutes, which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences. The MAA is also involved in mathematics outreach programs, such as the Mathematics Awareness Month, which is celebrated in April and is sponsored by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics.

● Publications

The Mathematical Association of America publishes a number of mathematics journals, including the American Mathematical Monthly, the Mathematics Magazine, and the College Mathematics Journal, which are edited by mathematicians from universities and colleges across the United States, such as University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan, and the California Institute of Technology. The MAA also publishes mathematics books, including textbooks and monographs, which are written by mathematicians from universities and colleges across the United States, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Harvard University. The MAA also produces online resources, including mathematics videos and podcasts, which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

● Awards

The Mathematical Association of America presents a number of awards to recognize outstanding contributions to mathematics, including the Lester R. Ford Award, the Allendoerfer Award, and the Trevor Evans Award, which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Mathematical Society. The MAA also presents fellowships to support mathematics research and mathematics education, including the MAA-SIAM-AMS Joint Committee on Summer Support and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which are sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. The MAA also recognizes mathematics teachers who have made significant contributions to mathematics education, including the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished Teaching of Mathematics, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.