Author Archives: Karen Saxe

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About Karen Saxe

Karen Saxe is Director of the AMS Office of Government Relations which works to connect the mathematics community with Washington decision-makers who affect mathematics research and education. Over many years she has contributed much time to the AMS, MAA, and AWM, including service as vice president of the MAA and in policy and advocacy work with all three. She was the 2013-2014 AMS Congressional Fellow, working for Senator Al Franken on education issues, with focus on higher education and STEM education. In Minnesota she has served on the Citizens Redistricting Commission following the 2010 census and serves on the Common Cause Minnesota Redistricting Leadership Circle. She has three children and, when not at work especially enjoys being with them and reading, hiking and sharing good food and wine and beer with family and friends.

Our First Branch of Government Needs Science Too

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  Editor’s Note: Lucia Simonelli just completed her year as the AMS Congressional Fellow. She served in the office of Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and focused her work there on his climate agenda. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the … Continue reading →

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Remembering John Lewis; African Americans in Congress

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  Over the past two months we have seen renewed energy to address systemic racism in this country. This is very good and I am ever-optimistic that we can make many small steps forward, and maybe even some larger ones. … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress, racism, voting | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

More on Re-imagining the NSF

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Karen Saxe

On June 9, I wrote in this blog about the Endless Frontier Act. It has come to my attention that my post may seem critical, and not enthusiastic about the bill. To the contrary, the bill is a tremendous show … Continue reading →

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Re-imagining the National Science Foundation

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  Senators Schumer and Young, and Representatives Gallagher and Khanna have introduced legislation that would, if enacted into law, bring major changes to the NSF. There would be a new name for the agency, a major re-organization of internal structure, … Continue reading →

Posted in Appropriations, National Science Foundation, NSF | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Support Our International Students and Faculty Colleagues: Update

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  Since I last wrote about this topic on May 13, many of you have responded to our call to Take Action. To date, over 400 mathematicians have written their congressional delegations using the link. Senators and Representatives in 35 … Continue reading →

Posted in Graduate students, Immigration, Professional Societies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Support Our International Students and Faculty Colleagues

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  On April 22, President Trump issued a “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak.” Section 6 requires a review of non-immigrant visa programs, and it … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Graduate students, Higher Education, Immigration | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The AMS and Science Policy

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  How can you get involved? You can volunteer for any one of the five policy committees, or for one of the many other committees of the AMS. You can engage specifically in science policy work by either volunteering for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, AMS Washington office, Science Policy | Tagged , | 2 Comments

NSF and other funding of research grants and student loans during the COVID-19 pandemic

Posted on March 24, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  I hope you are all healthy, both physically and emotionally, and coping as you can. The AMS is working to support the community through this pandemic period. If you have a current or pending federal grant, or are planning … Continue reading →

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Colleges and universities across the country go to online teaching: tips for math instructors

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Karen Saxe

As you may know, the AMS Department of Education is now physically located in DC. This helps us keep up to date with policies affecting higher education. Many state governments are curtailing in-person classes at their public universities, and many … Continue reading →

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President Trump’s proposed NSF budget for 2021: what’s in it for the mathematical sciences?

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Karen Saxe

  President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2021 includes significant cuts to the NSF. Together we can urge Congress to reject proposed cuts and instead increase the budgets for federal science agencies. Tell Congress to prioritize science funding by … Continue reading →

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