A scholar from Kenyon College, Professor of Mathematics Carol Schumacher, is coming to Bates to give two back-to-back talks on Sept. 29 as part of the Annual Richard W. Sampson Lecture Series. Both will delve into the “beautiful underlying principles” of math, but one, intended for a less math-focused crowd, will examine the connections between mathematics and toys. 

The Sampson Lecture series was established in 1990 to honor Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Richard Sampson, both for his 38 years of teaching at Bates and his deep involvement and commitment to the Outing Club. Students and alumni raised funds to make the lectures an annual event. 

The talks are a yearly celebration for the Department of Mathematics, but also for the broader community. Meredith Greer, professor of mathematics, said that community members and trustees have had long engagement with the series and look forward to gathering to hear from a scholar in the field and also to see one another. In its three decades, she said, the lecture has always been about more than math.

“The Sampson Lecture arose from an outpouring of support when Sampson retired. In addition to his enthusiasm for math, and his unique teaching style, Sampson built strong connections with students through his decades as an Outing Club advisor who regularly joined in the club’s outdoorsy events with students,” said Greer. “The Sampson Lecture captures all of this, with an afternoon lecture featuring more detailed or advanced mathematics, and an evening talk that is meant to be enjoyed by all audiences.” 

Schumacher’s first  talk will be the more-math-intense “Zeroing in on the Implicit Function Theorem” at 4:15 p.m. in Pettengill G65. According to her abstract, the talk “traces the path from the elegant contraction mapping principle to the rather inscrutable implicit function theorem — a path that passes through Newton’s method for finding roots, linear algebra and linear approximation, and the geometry of multidimensional surfaces.”

Her second talk, “All Tangled Up,” at 7:30 p.m., also in Pettengill G65, is targeted to a broader audience, and draws on the connection between some classic toys, including a midcentury classic, the SpirographTM, which first hit the marketplace in 1965 and is still readily available, as well as the TangleTM. Schumacher will invite the audience to “look at many pretty pictures and animations of these curves and discuss some of their interesting properties.” 

Upcoming lectures

As always, the Fall semester includes many lectures on campus. Here are some of the upcoming talks scheduled, being given by both Bates faculty members and speakers from other organizations and institutions. 

Sept. 23, 11 a.m.

Biology hosts Danielle Ward as the William Sawyer Memorial Lecturer. Ward, a PhD candidate at the University of California Berkeley, will give a presentation titled “$10,000 and a Good Idea,”addressing ways that students can get involved in research in biology. Location: Pettengill Hall, Room G52

Sept. 29, noon

Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching: Professor of Politics and Latin American Studies Clarisa Pérez-Armendáriz, the 2025 Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching awardee, will share thoughts and reflections on her teaching at Bates. Pérez-Armendáriz’s research explores how international migration affects politics in migrants’ origin countries, especially in Mexico. She also studies the political participation of migrants who return to their origin countries.  Location: Commons 221/222

Oct. 8, noon

The Department of English welcomes Professor D. Vance Smith of Yale English for this year’s Carleton Lecture, titled “Kantorowicz’s African Bodies: Anthropology, Sovereignty, Homophobia.” Smith’s most recent book, Atlas’s Bones, explores the African impact on European Culture and the European impact on Africa through colonization. Location: Commons 221/222

Oct. 13, 4:15 p.m.

Indigenous Peoples Day Talk with Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes. Dr. de Barros Gomes is director of  the Newport Historical Society’s Edward W. Kane & Martha J. Wallace Center for Black History at the historic Wanton-Lyman Hazard House. Her work brings Indigenous North Americans, Africans, and African Americans into the narrative of New England’s maritime history. Location: Keck Classroom (Pettengill Hall, Room G52)

Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.

The 28th annual Otis Lecture with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, an associate professor of philosophy at Georgetown University and a fellow at the Climate and Community Institute. Táíwò’s talk is titled “What Is the Problem of Freedom?” Location: Olin Arts Center