Another Year of Gratitude at SIAM

It’s hard to believe that the end of my second year at SIAM is already approaching. I’ve been so fortunate to become better acquainted with our community over the past year and am excited to share some of the accomplishments of SIAM’s Development and Corporate Relations team in 2023. Our continued growth is facilitated by the generosity of members and friends like you!

Development and Corporate Relations recently assumed responsibility of SIAM’s conference sponsorships and exhibitors (which were previously housed in the Marketing and Communications Department). This change allows us to take an increasingly holistic approach when building relationships with sponsors and exhibitors, which will in turn provide more robust support for SIAM conferences and their attendees. If you work for an organization that you would like to see represented at a future SIAM conference, please reach out to sponsorship@siam.org for more details.

We’ve also established several impactful new gift funds this year. Two such examples are the Life Sciences and Dynamical Systems Travel Fund—which was made possible by the generosity of Simone Bianco of the Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science—and the Math Modeling Teacher Support Fund in honor of Michelle Montgomery, who recently retired from her role as the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge Program Director after a 35-year career at SIAM. 2023 has also seen continued contributions to funds like the Postdoctoral Support Fund, which awarded its first grants this year through the SIAM Postdoctoral Support Program. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has donated to SIAM’s gift funds and helped foster our efforts. I’d like to particularly highlight donors to the SIAM General Fund, which provides unrestricted support to the Society’s highest-priority projects.

In partnership with the leadership of the SIAM Activity Group on Optimization (SIAG/OPT), we have been undertaking a fundraising campaign to establish an endowment for the SIAG/OPT Test of Time Award. This award recognizes an outstanding piece of work that has had a significant and sustained influence on the field of optimization. If you or someone you know would like to support the award’s endowment, please reach out! Raising the endowment has been a genuine group effort, and I’m truly impressed by the way in which SIAM members and friends have come together.

In late 2022, SIAM announced the establishment of the Renata Babuška Prize—which recognizes high-quality interdisciplinary work that targets any aspect of modeling and numerical solution of a specific engineering or scientific application—in response to a generous donation by longtime SIAM member Ivo Babuška. When Ivo passed away in April, the name of the award was formally changed to the Ivo & Renata Babuška Prize in his honor. SIAM is grateful to Ivo for his many contributions to the field and proud to carry on his impressive legacy through this biennial prize.

Here I’ve provided just a small sample of the projects that SIAM’s Development and Corporate Relations team has pursued this year, but they all inspire the same sentiment: thankfulness for everything that you do to support SIAM. I hope that I’ve had a chance to thank you personally; if not, I hope that 2024 brings more opportunities to connect! I remain encouraged by and grateful for the generosity of spirit that sets SIAM apart — from the welcoming atmosphere at conferences and events to the donations that sustain our important work. I feel privileged to be a part of SIAM.

Additionally, please save the date for July 11, 2024, when SIAM will host a donor recognition event during the 2024 SIAM Annual Meeting in Spokane, Wash. This gathering will celebrate the generosity of SIAM members and the initiatives that your support has made possible. I’m looking forward to this special chance to bring our donors together and can’t wait to see you there.

If you’re considering a philanthropic donation to SIAM this year but haven’t yet made your gift, there’s still time! Gifts of all sizes have tremendous impact, and you can direct your contribution to your preferred area of support. To make a gift, visit SIAM’s online giving page or send a check payable to SIAM to the following address:

SIAM Development 
c/o Abby Addy 
3600 Market Street, 6th Floor 
Philadelphia, PA 19104 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at (267)-648-3529 or aaddy@siam.org with any questions or comments, for assistance with your contribution, or just to chat. I look forward to connecting with you and wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season!