Florence Nightingale Day, April 2014

Thursday 3rd April 2014, 10:00 - 15:30, Management School Building, Lancaster University

Our second Florence Nightingale Day was part of our continuing efforts to promote mathematics and statistics and especially the participation of women in those subjects. The day was aimed especially at female students in year 12 but was open to male students too. It was organised by Dr Nadia Mazza and Dr James Groves, with help from colleagues and postgraduate students.

While Florence Nightingale is well-known for her medical work as a nurse, she was also a pioneer in statistics, especially in the use of visualisation of statistical data. A description of this work may be found in her biography on the MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, along with a large number of biographies of other female mathematicians.

The event comprised talks by prominent female mathematicians, a maths contest and opportunities for informal discussions over a buffet lunch and at a number of information stands. A summary of the talks and activities for the day is below.

Talks and activities

• Dr Rebecca Killick (Lancaster University)
  Renewable Energy - How statistics can help mitigate intermittent generation
• Dr Vicky Neale (University of Cambridge)
  How much do you know about prime numbers?
• Hands On Maths!
• Professor Malcolm MacCallum (Queen Mary, University of London)
  Some sums my mother did not tell me about
• Dr Danielle Bewsher (University of Central Lancashire)
  What is a mathematician?
• Fred Eastham (BAE Systems and STEM Ambassador)
  Music, mathematics and my job in the aviation industry at BAE SYSTEMS
• Maths gallery

Sponsors

We are grateful to the London Mathematical Society, the Further Mathematics Support Programme and the Faculty of Science and Technology at Lancaster University for financial support.