Ottawa Mathematics and Statistics Conference 2025

The 18th edition of the Ottawa Mathematics and Statistics Conference (OMSC) took place between May 14 and May 16 2025. It was a three-day event filled with a variety of activities, ranging from scientific talks, to social events.

This conference brought together close to 60 students from a range of universities across Canada, and from different research areas with the goal of broadening each other’s knowledge circle.

The conference was filled with a variety of academic events. Every day included a talk from one of our plenary speakers: Steve Desjardins (University of Ottawa), Sanjeena Dang (Carleton University, Canada Research Chair), and Thais Bardini Idalino (Federal University of Santa Catarina). They did an exceptional job to transport participants to different subworlds of Mathematics. Additionally, Kianoosh Shokri, a fourth year PhD student at the University of Ottawa, gave a talk on his paper in Combinatorial Designs that won him this year’s Student Paper Prize. On Thursday, the 3-Minute Thesis Competition was held for the fifth year in a row. The winner was Khalil Besrour, fourth year PhD at the University of Ottawa. On Friday morning, attendees gathered for a Mathematics Communication Panel. We welcomed Dr Steve Desjardins (uOttawa), Dr. Stacey Smith? (uOttawa), and Dr. Yuly Billig (Carleton). All three professors talked about their experiences, and shared their advice on communicating mathematics behind the classroom. They all had some insightful advice to share with the participants.

After long days of back-to-back scientific talks, there’s nothing like winding down with some social activities. On the first evening, participants went on a field trip to the Tulip Festival at Dow’s Lake. The second day ended with a walk along the Rideau Canal, Ottawa’s beloved heritage, and a visit to the National Art Gallery. On the third and final day, conferenciers let loose over food and board games at the local university pub, Nostalgica Pub.

In summary, the 18th edition of the OMSC catered to a variety of mathematics students from various research backgrounds. Although the main focus of a conference is the sharing of new knowledge and academic progress, the social events are essential for participants to form bonds with their current classmates, and possibly prospective colleagues.