Statement by Department Chair Timo Seppalainen and Associate Chair Benedek Valko
Dear UW-Madison Math Community
Yet again we find ourselves dismayed by violence against members of our society distinguished by their particular humanity. The catalogue of targeted mass atrocities over the span of just a few short years is unbelievable: gays in Orlando, Jews in Pittsburgh, Hispanics in El Paso, Blacks in Charleston, and now Asians in Atlanta.
Universities are by their nature communities of diversity. Discriminatory violence strikes at the very heart of what we stand for. As the servants and leaders of our Mathematics Department, we wish to express our heartfelt sympathy to our friends of Asian origin who are now the latest victims. We are with you, and with everybody out there, from all backgrounds, who are heartsick about the future.
Do not hesitate to seek a friendly ear to share your concerns. We are available to you. Resources provided by the university are linked to the statement from Cheryl Gittens and Lori Reesor <https://news.wisc.edu/statement-in-response-to-atlanta-shootings/>.
We applaud you all, our friends and colleagues, faculty, staff and students alike, for weathering the hardship of these dreadful news that come on top of the pandemic that has tested us to our limits. Our forced isolation has robbed us of our opportunities to come together to share our thoughts. Many of you are taking all this on even without the comfort of family or home.
We may have to persist for a while longer. But eventually there will be a better time in store for us. Please let us turn to each other to offer support and to seek support