From July 6-10, the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland and CWRU hosted a gathering of over 1400 mathematicians for the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).  The meeting was held jointly with the SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences, the SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Planet Earth, and the SIAM Conference on Applied Mathematics Education.  

Daniela Calvetti, the James Wood Williamson Professor of Mathematics at CWRU, co-chaired the meeting.  Having been a Clevelander for nearly three decades, she was determined to use the conference to showcase what the city has to offer. The elegant and luminous conference center, ideal weather with blue skies and the equally blue Lake Erie as a backdrop helped achieve the goal. Many attendees remarked how surprised they were by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Case Western Reserve Campus.  Daniela Calvetti remarked that “It was great to hear colleagues from all over the world remark how lucky we are to be in a place with so many things to offer. This conference has been extremely beneficial for the reputation of Cleveland and of Case Western Reserve University, which was one of its sponsors, and it made me very proud of my city and my university.”      

According to a press release issued by the Society before the meeting:

“Five days of lectures, presentations, and posters will showcase eye-opening ways mathematics is solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. More than 1,400 researchers from 35 countries are in town to participate in this annual gathering, the first of its kind in Cleveland. The event is hosted by Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

“During the conference, this global community of researchers will explore the mathematics behind AI, machine learning, quantum science, and biotechnology, specifically exploring math’s role in treating and controlling the spread of diseases, fighting forest fires, addressing climate change, and more. Through hundreds of talks, one message will be clear: math is more important today than ever.

“This year’s SIAM Annual Meeting brings together an exceptional international community of mathematical and computational scientists at the forefront of discovery,” says Dr. Suzanne Weekes, CEO of SIAM. “SIAM is proud to convene this global forum where innovative ideas are shared, new collaborations are formed, and research that shapes science, engineering, and industry takes center stage.”

Press coverage of the conference included this article at Cleveland.com: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/07/more-than-1200-mathematicians-gather-in-cleveland-to-explore-ai-healthcare-global-challenges.html 

Image: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (source: https://www.clevelandconventions.com)