How a young Australian Mathematician Working in Cambridge became Editor of an Australian Mathematics Magazine
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CEP: Hello Rachel. I hear that you are working on the On-line Mathematics Magazine Plus, that is part of the Millennium Mathematics Project and based at the University of Cambridge in the UK. Could you tell us a little about “Plus” and your role there?
RT: Plus is a free online
magazine that aims to open a door onto the world of maths for the general
public. We try to provide accessible and entertaining articles that convey the
beauty and excitement of maths, from new mathematical research and applications,
to maths in the arts, politics and history.
I am co-editor of Plus and I really enjoy my job. My work
ranges from following up leads for interesting articles (from suggestions for
colleagues, news stories, journal articles or lectures) to commissioning
articles or writing them ourselves. We also do all the production side, from
editing the content to putting it online. Basically I get to see what I think is
interesting, and what will appeal to our readers, and find out more about it -
it’s a great job!
CEP: Rachel, I also heard
that you have recently been appointed Editor of the Australian Mathematical
Society Gazette. Congratulations. How did this come about with you now living in
the UK?
RT: I have been a member of the Australian
Mathematical Society since uni, and would encourage all the department’s
students to join. It was particularly important to me to stay in touch with the
Australian maths community once I moved to the UK. When I heard they were
looking for new editors, I thought that my experience on Plus might be useful
and asked if I could help. It is unusual to have someone from outside of
Australia working on it, but I hope that with the help of the other editor,
Birgit Loch (University of Southern Queensland), we can overcome the distance
barrier. I always enjoy reading the Gazette. I think it is very much owned by
the members of the Society and is a chance for everyone to hear about and
discuss news and issues affecting the Australian maths community. It has
certainly helped me continue to feel a part of the community even though I am
now overseas, and I’m looking forward to the increased contact with mathematics
in Australia the role will give me.
CEP: Could you tell us a little of your plans at
this stage that will put your stamp on the Gazette?
RT: I hope to work on a few ideas, such as
promoting the work of undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Gazette,
representing their experiences, and highlighting the work of mathematicians in
other subject areas, and outside academia.
CEP: Well, we’re proud of your achievements,
especially as you are a UWA honours and masters graduate in Pure Mathematics.
Before you took up your position in Cambridge you spent some years working as a
Consultant for Data Analysis Australia in Perth. Did your experience as a maths
student, and then as maths consultant, provide useful skills and knowledge for
your job in Cambridge?
RT: Both my time in the Maths department and my
time at DAA have been very helpful. I have to call on my maths background most
days, when tackling a new article on yet another maths topic I have little or no
experience in! My training has allowed me to jump in to any area we are
covering, become familiar enough to talk about it with the experts involved and
gain an understanding of the subject that I can communicate to the readers. That
said, for some articles this is easier than others!
DAA not only gave me the technical experience that enabled me
to get into the role I am in at the moment (I started off in programming and
systems administration), it gave me fantastic project management and
communication experience. On top of that, we were applying maths to problems
that gave direct commercial benefits to industry and government - a great
starting point for my current job trying to convince the world of the relevance
of mathematics to our daily lives.
CEP: I understand that your family generously
sponsored a Prize for a female fourth year honours student in Pure Mathematics.
This is very much appreciated, and the current recipient Claire Collier has
recently completed her honours work. Would you like to tell us a little about
your family’s hopes for the outcomes of this initiative?
RT: For any student it can be hard to justify the
cost of another year of study when there doesn’t seem an immediate financial
reward for doing so. We hope that the prize might help, in some small way, to
overcome the financial hurdle for a woman to study Pure Maths at honours level,
opening up the possibility for them to either go on to postgraduate study or use
their training outside of academia. And good luck Claire!
CEP: As well as your professional role with Plus,
and your honorary role as Gazette editor, you have the joy of being mother to
one year old Henry. You will certainly have a full, and I hope fulfilling, few
years ahead. I wish you a successful and satisfying future.
RT: Thanks, and my best wishes to everyone at UWA
maths. And if you have anything you’d like to share with the Australian maths
community, please contact us at the Gazette in 2007!
