Philadelphia, PA, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) welcomes Ron Buckmire, Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs and Professor of Mathematics at Occidental College (Oxy), as the organization’s first Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The primary focus of the Vice President for EDI is to expand SIAM membership across all demographics and establish an ethos of equity and inclusion throughout all SIAM’s programs and activities, ensuring that SIAM is serving its entire diverse community.

In his current role, Buckmire is the member of the academic affairs leadership team who oversees all aspects of Oxy’s curriculum. He has more than four years of service in the federal government as an employee of the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 2011-2013 and 2016-2018. There he was Lead Program Director of the NSF Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program housed in the Division of Undergraduate Education and a permanent Program Director responsible for undergraduate mathematics education. He has been on the Oxy faculty since 1994, serving as Chair of the Oxy Mathematics Department twice (2005-2010, 2015-2016) and achieving the rank of Full Professor in 2014 after beginning his academic career at Oxy as a Minority Postdoctoral Scholar-in-Residence. Buckmire holds mathematics degrees (Ph.D., M.Sc., and B.Sc.) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

"I'm very excited to serve as SIAM's first Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, especially with incoming Executive Director Suzanne L. Weekes, a longtime colleague and friend,” said Buckmire. “In my career as an educator, researcher, and professional, I have always felt the most comfortable with SIAM, and I relish the opportunity to align my efforts with Suzanne's to make SIAM the most equitable, diverse, and inclusive it can be."

In this cabinet-level position, the Vice President for EDI will be a voting member of the SIAM Council, and will work side-by-side with SIAM leadership and the Vice Presidents for Industry, Education, Publications, Science Policy, and Programs, as well as members of the Diversity Advisory and Membership Committees.

“Equity, diversity, and inclusion should flow through every vein of SIAM. As such, a voice dedicated to EDI should be at every Council and Board meeting, where policies are set and financial decisions are made,” said Lisa Fauci, SIAM President. “We are excited to welcome Ron in this important role and believe his experience aligns with the core responsibilities and goals of this new position.”

Buckmire served on the SIAM Education Committee for many years, has been a member of SIAM’s Diversity Advisory Committee since 2015, and is currently the Chair of SIAM’s Membership Committee. As Program Director of the SIAM Activity Group on Applied Math Education, Buckmire was co-chair of the cancelled 2020 SIAM Conference on Applied Mathematics Education.

He is a passionate advocate for broadening the participation of underrepresented individuals in mathematics and other STEM disciplines and a strong believer in the importance of liberal arts education in the creation and sustenance of an equitable, just, and thriving civil society.

Buckmire will serve as Vice President for EDI January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022.

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