Jill Pipher began her term as President of the American Mathematical Society for 2019-2020, becoming one of the few women to lead the society.
On March 23, 2019, Jill Pipher began her term as President of the American Mathematical Society (AMS), serving for the 2019–2020 term. Founded in 1888, the AMS is the primary professional organization for research mathematicians in the United States, and its presidency is one of the highest honors and responsibilities within the American mathematical community.
As AMS president, Pipher became one of only a small number of women to have ever led the organization in its more than 130-year history, joining a short list that includes pioneers such as Julia Robinson and Cathleen Morawetz. In this role, she was responsible for representing the interests of the mathematical research community nationally and internationally, advocating for funding and support of mathematical research and education, and helping to shape policy on issues ranging from diversity in the mathematical sciences to the future of mathematical publishing and research infrastructure.
Her presidency built upon her long record of leadership, including her founding directorship of ICERM and her role as Brown University's Vice President for Research, and reflected the broad respect she had earned across the mathematical community for both her research contributions and her institutional stewardship. During her tenure, Pipher continued to advocate for issues including support for early-career mathematicians, the role of computation and data science within mathematics, and greater inclusion of women and underrepresented groups within the field, leaving a lasting mark on the AMS and the broader mathematical profession.