Dr. Talia Fernós (Mathematics and Statistics) received new funding from the National Science Foundation for the project “Young Geometric Group Theory IX.”

Funding is for U.S.-based participants of the Young Geometric Group Theory (YGGT) meeting to be held at Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, a small village located in Brittany, France,  February 24 to 28, 2020. The main audience for the meeting consists of graduate students and early-career researchers. The central goal is twofold. The conference gives the young researchers a platform to present their work, learn from each other, and encourage future collaboration. Mini-courses given by senior mathematicians and plenary talks by mid-career mathematicians will also introduce important current ideas in geometric group theory, and the participation of the more senior researchers will give networking opportunities to young participants. This meeting is distinctive in its focus on young researchers in a specific area, both as speakers and as the intended audience for the mini-courses, and for drawing together a large number of participants from both the U.S. and Europe. Each year, the meeting sees a new influx of graduate students and postdocs, and showcases areas where current research is particularly dynamic. It is thus an important annual event for the international geometric group theory community.