Annual Lectures
The Calvin and Jean Long Distinguished Lecture in Mathematics
An endowed fund that brings internationally renowned mathematics scholars to the WSU campus to discuss research and current topics. A public lecture geared toward community members and members without a deep mathematical background is paired with a more in-depth colloquium with faculty and students.
The lecture honors Calvin Long, professor emeritus (1956–92) and former department chair (1970–78) and his wife, Jean.
Fall 2025 Nicole Lazar, The Pennsylvania State University
“Functional Neuroimaging in the Era of Big Data and Open Science“
8th Long Lecture Recording
Spring 2025 Daniel Jeske, University of California, Riverside
“How Artificial Intelligence Can Help Mitigate Bias in Student Evaluations of Teaching.”
7th Long Lecture Recording
2023 Stephen Kirkland, University of Manitoba
“Spite, Snakes and Socialites: An Improbable Prelude to Markov Chains.”
2019 Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Arizona State University
“Emergent and Re-Emergent Diseases in the Times of Ebola.”
2018 Lawrence Craig Evans, University of California, Berkeley
“Hidden Convexity in Nonlinear Differential Equations.”
2017 Barbara Lee Keyfitz, Ohio State University
“Partial Differential Equations: What Do We Know When We Know that a Solution Exists?”
2015 John de Pillis, University of California, Riverside
“Mathematical Conversation Starters for the Rest of Us.”
2012 Arthur Benjamin, Harvey Mudd College
“Mathemagics”
The T.G. Ostrom Lecture
The annual T. G. Ostrom Lecture brings internationally renowned mathematics scholars to the WSU Pullman campus for a public lecture paired with a department colloquium with faculty and staff.
The lecture honors the late professor emeritus Theodore G. Ostrom who retired from WSU in 1981 after serving 21 years as a WSU Mathematics Department faculty member.
2025 (42nd Lecture)
Lisa Fauci, Tulane University
“Flexible Filaments: Just Go With The Flow.”
42nd Ostrom Lecture Recording
2024 (41st Lecture)
Randall J. LeVeque, University of Washington
“Numerical Simulation of Floods and Tsunamis”
41st Ostrom Lecture Recording
2023 (40th Lecture)
Thomas Hillen, University of Alberta
“Mathematical Oncology of Brain Cancer”
2020
Donald G. Saar, University of California, Irvine
“From the perils of voting to the compelling dark matter mystery of astronomy”
2019
Fred Adler, University of Utah
“An ecological perspective on cancer”
2018
Veerabhadran Baladandayuthapani, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
“The Art (and Science) of Biomedical Data Integration”
2017
Jean Taylor, Rutgers University
“Everything you always wanted to know about soap bubbles.”
2016
Kathleen Heid, Penn State University
“What does it really mean to understand (or not understand) mathematics”
2015
Marty Golubitsky, Ohio State University
“Patterns Patterns Everywhere”
2014
James P. Keener, University of Utah
“The Mathematics of Life: Decisions, Decisions”
2013
Andrea L. Bertozzi, UCLA
“Mathematics of Crime”