MSRI / SLMath - Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute

David Lance Goines' final print design was made in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), now SLMath – visitors can see it on display in our building.

“It almost felt like he had dropped in from another century.” 🫶
— Alice Waters, Chez Panisse founder

Graphic artist and printmaker David Lance Goines was born on this day in 1945.

Goines attended UC Berkeley, pursuing a degree in classics before he was expelled for his involvement in the Free Speech Movement, which swept across the campus in 1964.

In 1965, he started apprenticing at the Berkeley Free Press, in North Berkeley. A few years later, he bought the print shop, turning it into Saint Hieronymus Press.

Across his career, he captured the bold and bohemian spirit of Berkeley in two dimensions. Among his iconic works are posters for Cody’s Books, The North Face, and Chez Panisse.

Hannah Hoffman, Goines’ niece, summarized her uncle’s priorities succinctly: “Be kind. Work hard. Create something beautiful.”

Goines died in Berkeley in 2023 at age 77. His legacy lives on at UC Berkeley.

The Bancroft Library recently acquired his archive. The collection comprises nearly 5,000 objects formerly housed at his studio — from posters to printing blocks, correspondence to childhood drawings.

Learn more about the archive, which shines light on the life, work, and vision of a local legend. 🔍
🔗 ucberk.li/goines
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📸: Karen Frances Berkeley Engineering
🎨: The Bancroft Library’s Weininger collection of Goines posters and memorabilia, BANC MSS 2001/148 2003.145--C

Thank you to the Guru Krupa Foundation for generously supporting 2025-26 Mathical Collection Development Awards for 40 U.S. Title I school libraries serving low-income communities.

This year’s Mathical Collection Development Awards were a welcome gift to Title I school librarians who earned the grants—and who otherwise didn’t have the budget to buy new books. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q04hXFtH0

Richard Tapia, pioneering mathematician and advocate for diversity, passes away at 88 Richard A. Tapia, a distinguished professor at Rice and a trailblazing mathematician renowned for his dedication to increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering, has passed away at age 88.

Creating accessible mathematics content is challenging. We invite you to join us for an AMS webinar on improving digital accessibility in mathematics.

This webinar will be an interactive discussion on practical tools and strategies. You’ll hear directly from members of the AMS Advisory Group on Accessibility and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Presenters
• Julius Ross, University of Illinois Chicago (Chair)
• Jorge Balbas, California State University, Northridge
• David Farmer, American Institute of Mathematics and PreTeXt
• Jan Riemann, Pennsylvania State University
• Daniel Thompson, The Ohio State University

Moderator: Nicola Poser, AMS
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
2:00–3:30 p.m. Eastern
Free to attend

Link in comments.

👏👏 9 KILOMETERS is a 2026 Mathical Book Prize Honor Book for Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10) 👏👏

Congratulations to author .aguilera.7315, illustrator Gabriela Lyon, and translator .schimel!

The 2026 Mathical Book Prize is awarded by the MSRI / SLMath - Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English and the NCTM - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics ) and in coordination with The Children's Book Council.

The 2026 Mathical Book Prize Award Winners and Honor Books are here! This year brings 30 new titles featuring outstanding fiction and nonfiction for ages 2-18 with inspiring math themes. Get the booklist and view press release (link in comments). The Mathical Prize, now in its 12th year, is selected annually by a committee of PreK-12 math and language arts teachers, librarians, mathematicians, early childhood experts, and others, co-chaired this year by Sondra Eklund of Fairfax County Public Library (Virginia), Chris Nho of Desmos, and Dr. John Urschel of the MIT Mathematics Department. The Prize is awarded by the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) in partnership with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and in coordination with the Children’s Book Council (CBC).

2026 AWARD WINNERS (Published in 2025)

Preschool students and early readers (Ages 2-4): Seven Little Ducklings by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Candlewick Press)

Young readers (Grades K-2): How Did You Count? by Christopher Danielson (Stenhouse Publishers)

Elementary readers (Grades 3-5): The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer, illustrated by Anna Bron (Candlewick Press)

Middle grade readers (Grades 6-8): Imposter by Cait Levin (Charlesbridge)

Young adults (Grades 9-12): Reasons We Break by Jesmeen Kaur Deo (Disney Books)

Apply for Spring 2027 AxIOM Programs: Research Visits of 1 to 4 Weeks

AxIOM (Accelerating Innovation in Mathematics) are new month-long, intensive research programs designed to accelerate innovation and introduce transformative ideas into the mathematical sciences. Programs are held at SLMath (formerly MSRI) in Berkeley, California. Researchers with a PhD or advanced graduate standing can apply by March 31, 2026 to join any of the following AxIOM programs for a minimum of one week. ** SLMath will provide local accommodation or reimburse participants for out-of-pocket lodging costs. Apply to participate via MathPrograms - link in comments.

(1) Commutative Algebra, Representation Theory, and Other Interactions (January 25 - February 19, 2027), organized by David Eisenbud (UC Berkeley), Srikanth Iyengar (University of Utah), Claudia Polini (University of Notre Dame), and Bernd Ulrich (Purdue University)

(2) Machine Learning for Mathematics (March 1-26, 2027), organized by Mohammed Abouzaid (Stanford University), Otis Chodosh (Stanford University), Eric Ramos (Stevens Institute of Technology), Kyler Siegel (University of Southern California), and Rachel Ward (University of Texas at Austin)

(3) Building the Mathematical Library of the Future (March 15 - April 9, 2027), organized by Kevin Buzzard (Imperial College, London), Jireh Loreaux (Southern Illinois University), Emily Riehl (Johns Hopkins University), and Adam Topaz (University of Alberta)

January 23, 2026 - Announcing the opening of the National Association of Mathematicians, Inc. (NAM) Archival Collection featuring many of the more than 90 African American mathematicians who were interviewed for the Journeys of Black Mathematicians film series. The initial 10 video biographies of Black mathematicians in the NAM sub-collection are now available online, free for the public to use. The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library is hosting the sub-collection here:
https://radar.auctr.edu/national-association-mathematicians-video-biographies

The goal of the series, anticipated for completion by December 2028, envisages editing 50 to 60 biographical videos to be accessible free of charge in NAM's repository. Videos will vary in length from five to 50 minutes or longer. The online biographies are the result of a collaboration between NAM, the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath), Zala Films, and the AUC Woodruff Library Archives Research Center.

Filming the Journeys of Black Mathematicians project began in 2020 with the objective of producing a documentary film on the considerable achievements of African American mathematicians, many of whom remain unknown to the general public. Two documentaries, one hour each, were released for theatrical, educational, and broadcast distribution: Forging Resilience in 2024 and Creating Pathways in 2025. Both films began airing on public television in 2025.

Here is the first of the 10 initial video biographies, or what mathematician Earl Barnes called "Earl Barnes in a Nutshell" ... for your enjoyment
https://radar.auctr.edu/barnes-earl-october-19-2021-and-april-2-2023

For information about the sub-collection, contact NAM's Historical and Archival Committee (NAM-HAC) at [email protected].






(Photo of mathematician Dr. Virginia Newell, the oldest alum of Talladega College, who passed away at the age of 107 on March 14, 2025. She was the first mathematicians interviewed for the Journeys of Black Mathematicians documentary film series.)

SLMath is now hiring an Events Manager & Board Liaison (Full-time, 40 hours per week, onsite in Berkeley, CA). Details and how to apply: https://slmath.org/jobs