Math in the News
McNerney Presents MPE2013 to U.S. House of Representatives
Jerry McNerney (D-CA) addressed the U.S. House of Representatives to announce Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013, an international effort by the mathematics community to make lasting contributions to the well-being of Planet Earth.
According to the Congressional Record of the 112th Congress, McNerney said:
Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to an exciting new project, Mathematics of Planet Earth, which begins in 2013. More than 100 different organizations from around the world have come together to outline mathematics' integral role in solving real-world issues, including energy freedom, medical challenges, and weather events. As someone who has earned a Ph.D. in mathematics and went on to work in the renewable energy sector for two decades, I know mathematics can be an essential feature to finding solutions to many challenges facing humanity.
The Mathematics of Planet Earth projects will spotlight the importance of mathematics. A national focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education will ensure the United States remains a competitive force in the global marketplace. People across our Nation are working together to create a better world, and it is important that their efforts be recognized and supported. I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing the benefits and goals of the Mathematics of Planet Earth project.
McNerney has a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of New Mexico. Alexander Paul Stone advised his dissertation, “A(1,1) Tensor Generalization of the Laplace-Beltrami Operator”. According to the congressman’s official biography, he served several years as an engineering contractor to Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico before moving to California to pursue a career in wind energy. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. He represents California’s 11th District.
More than 100 academic institutions and scholarly societies, including MAA, have joined the initiative to bring public awareness of the interdisciplinary nature of scientific research and the unique role played by mathematics in facing global challenges, including natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis; climate change; sustainability; and pandemics.
MPE2013 partners will sponsor workshops, research conferences, public lectures, outreach events, and educational opportunities for all ages (More detailed information is available on the MPE2013 website). Each country from a partner institution will host a special launch to the year. The U.S. launch of MPE2013 will take place during the 2013 Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Diego.