The AWM Research Symposium, held at UCLA, showcases the research of women in the mathematical professions. The special sessions cover a broad range of research in pure and applied mathematics. Hughes’ special session is titled: “EDGE-y Mathematics: A Tribute to Dr. Sylvia Bozeman and Dr. Rhonda Hughes.”
Bozeman (Spelman College) and Hughes were honored as the co-founders of the Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education program, or EDGE. EDGE is designed to encourage women, especially women from underrepresented groups, to complete graduate programs in mathematics where retention rates for those populations are typically very low. From summer sessions to mentoring clusters, they provide ongoing support for women and minorities pursing careers in the mathematical sciences at several critical stages of their careers.
Hughes was a 2015 recipient of the Presidential Award from the Association of Women in Mathematics. In 2010, she was the first ever winner of the M. Gweneth Humphreys Award for Mentorship of Undergraduate Women in Mathematics. She was also awarded the 2013 Elizabeth Bingham Award by the Association for Women in Science.
To learn more about Hughes, read here.