Dr. Clotilde Djuikem and University of Waterloo’s Women in Mathematics Committee Named Inaugural Recipients of the CMS Inclusion in Mathematics Prize

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is excited to announce the recipients of its inaugural Inclusion in Mathematics Prizes: Dr. Clotilde Djuikem of the University of Manitoba in the individual category, and the University of Waterloo’s Women in Mathematics Committee in the group category.

Since arriving in Canada in 2023, Dr. Djuikem, a postdoctoral research fellow in applied mathematics at the University of Manitoba, has built a wide-reaching program of outreach and mentorship aimed at making mathematics visible, accessible, and welcoming. This has included direct interventions in Winnipeg high schools, founding the Math in the City project, and creating Tioh Academy, a free educational platform that uses digital media to connect with a large audience. Her work bridges research, education, and community, with particular attention given to young people, women, people of colour, and Francophone communities in minority-language settings. Dr. Djuikem’s efforts demonstrate that inclusion in mathematics can take innovative, non-traditional forms, and the Society congratulates her on this well-earned recognition of a sustained and creative commitment to a more open and inclusive mathematical community.

The selection committee was extremely impressed not only by Dr. Djuikem’s dynamic energy, but by the depth of purpose behind all her activities. She may be a postdoctoral scholar in the early stages of her career, but the maturity and cultural sensitivity of her initiatives, particularly for underrepresented and minority-language youth, are truly exceptional. — Prize Selection Committee

Created in 1993, the Women in Mathematics Committee (WiM) of the University of Waterloo has built an integrated ecosystem of research, mentorship, professional development, and community-building programming for women and gender minorities in Waterloo, such as the Directed Reading and Research Program, Pizza Piazza, the Ontario Graduate Mathematics Conference, and the Navigating Your Careers Conference, that has impacted a large number of students annually. Sustained largely through the volunteer efforts of faculty and students, and partially offset by independently secured sponsorships, WiM’s research-focused, student-led programs exemplify the sustained, community-driven commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion that this prize was created to recognize.

Waterloo’s Women in Mathematics Committee is an outstanding example of what sustained, community-driven efforts can accomplish, made especially remarkable by the breadth and continuity of its work and by the fact that it is driven almost entirely by the commitment of faculty and student volunteers. – Prize Selection Committee

“I am delighted to see the CMS Inclusion in Mathematics Prize recognize individuals and groups who are helping to make mathematics more welcoming and accessible to everyone,” writes CMS President Dr. Javad Mashreghi. “The work of Dr. Djuikem and the University of Waterloo’s Women in Mathematics Committee reflects the spirit of this initiative, and we are very pleased to celebrate their contributions as the inaugural recipients.”

About the Inclusion in Mathematics Prize

The CMS Inclusion in Mathematics Prize recognizes individuals and groups whose work advances equity, diversity, and inclusion in mathematics in Canada. The prize honours initiatives that help create a more welcoming, accessible, and inclusive mathematical community, including efforts to address barriers, discrimination, and inequities within mathematics.

The prize may recognize the organizer or organizers of an association, event, program, series of activities, or other initiative that has made a meaningful contribution to inclusion in mathematics. More than one prize may be awarded in a given year in different categories, including individual and group contributions, when deemed appropriate by the selection committee. 

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements. The CMS is a registered non-profit, charitable organization and depends on grants, funding, and generous donations from sponsors, benefactors and community members to be able to carry out its activities.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Javad Mashreghi (Université Laval) President Canadian Mathematical Society president@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. Termeh Kousha Chief Executive Officer Canadian Mathematical Society tkousha@cms.math.ca