Site • RSS • Apple PodcastsDescription (podcaster-provided):
Join former MAA President Deanna Haunsperger and Monthly Editor Della Dumbaugh as they explore the lives of mathematicians in this podcast to reveal the humanity of the discipline. These conversations will inspire others with their shared experiences of challenge and support, of doubt and devotion, and of isolation and community.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Mathematician life stories • career pathways academia/industry • mentoring, belonging, underrepresentation • math education and teaching • research snapshots (geometry, topology, statistics, data science) • math communication, books, outreach • leadership, service, community-buildingThis podcast features extended, interview-style conversations with mathematicians and mathematics-adjacent professionals, emphasizing personal histories alongside professional work. Across the episodes, guests describe how they found their way into mathematics through formative childhood experiences, influential teachers and advisors, and pivotal moments that redirected their paths. The show foregrounds the human side of the discipline: doubts and perseverance, belonging and isolation, and the communities that help people persist.
Many conversations trace a wide range of mathematical careers, including research faculty roles, academic leadership and service in professional societies, mathematics education, science writing and public communication, and work beyond academia in areas such as data science, government, and nonprofit leadership. Guests often discuss how mathematical thinking transfers to other domains, and how they balance research, teaching, administration, outreach, and personal life.
A recurring theme is broadening participation and access in mathematics. Speakers address mentoring, building supportive networks, experiences of being underrepresented or “the only one” in a space, and efforts to advance equity through programs, grants, and community-building projects. Another common thread is communicating mathematics to wider audiences—through books, talks, journalism, and creative connections with art, music, or everyday life.
Alongside these topics, the interviews include small, concrete details—habits, desk items, energizing routines, and favorite places—that help situate mathematicians as whole people with varied interests, commitments, and ways of working.
| Episodes: |
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Susan D'Agostino 2023-Oct-16 48 minutes |
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Edray Goins 2023-Oct-09 |
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Tara Holm 2023-Oct-02 41 minutes |
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Kobi Abayomi 2023-Sep-25 53 minutes |
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Ranthony Edmonds 2023-Sep-18 56 minutes |
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Ed Burger 2023-Sep-11 69 minutes |
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Season 3 - Trailer 2023-Sep-04 2 minutes |
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Cindy Wyels 2022-Nov-28 55 minutes |
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Mary Gray 2022-Nov-21 52 minutes |
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Ron Buckmire 2022-Nov-14 54 minutes |
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Ron Buckmire 2022-Nov-14 54 minutes |
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Eugenia Cheng, Part 2 2022-Nov-07 42 minutes |
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Eugenia Cheng, Part 2 2022-Nov-07 42 minutes |
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Eugenia Cheng, Part 1 2022-Nov-07 53 minutes |
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Ben Orlin 2022-Oct-31 56 minutes |
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Moon Duchin 2022-Oct-24 56 minutes |
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Season 2 - Trailer 2022-Oct-17 2 minutes |
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Tensia Soto 2021-Nov-08 55 minutes |
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Lloyd Douglas 2021-Nov-01 57 minutes |
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Alicia Prieto Langarica 2021-Oct-25 69 minutes |
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Susan Colley 2021-Oct-18 51 minutes |
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Frank Farris 2021-Oct-11 53 minutes |
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Erica Winterer 2021-Oct-04 58 minutes |
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Erica Flapan 2021-Sep-27 52 minutes |
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Zerotti Woods 2021-Sep-20 49 minutes |
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Talithia Williams 2021-Sep-13 68 minutes |
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Count Me In - Season 1 Trailer 2021-Sep-01 1 minute |