BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF CANDIDATES 2015 Candidate for election as President (1 vacancy) Simon Tavaré FRS, Director, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge; Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/st321/ PhD: University of Sheffield, 1979 Previous appointments: 2006 - 2013 Senior Group Leader, CRUK Cambridge Research Institute; 2003 - present Professor of Cancer Research (Bioinformatics) Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge; 2004 - present Professorial Fellow, Christ's College, Cambridge; 2006 - 2014 Research Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles; 1989 - 2006 Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, USC; 2000 - 2006 Professor-at-Large, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Claremont CA; 1999 - 2006 Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; 1989 - 2006 Professor, Department of Mathematics, USC; 1984 - 1989 Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of Utah; 1983 - 1985 Associate Professor of Statistics, Colorado State University; 1981 - 1983 Assistant Professor of Statistics, Colorado State University; 1978 - 1981 Instructor of Mathematics, University of Utah; 1978 - 1979 Research Fellow, Medical Biophysics and Computing, University of Utah; 1977 - 1978 Lecturer in Probability and Statistics, University of Sheffield. Research interests: Cancer genomics; evolutionary approaches to cancer; statistical bioinformatics for arrays and sequencing; computational biology; population genetics, coalescent theory; stochastic computation, approximate Bayesian computation; statistical inference in molecular biology, human genetics, molecular evolution, palaeontology; tracking from videos; probabilistic combinatorics. Additional Information: Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci); Royal Society of Biology (FRSB); IMA (FIMA); EMBO; Fellow, American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, AAAS. DTech (hc), Chalmers University, Sweden; 2010 - present Director, Wellcome Trust 4-year PhD, Mathematical Genomics and Medicine, DAMTP. Candidates for election as Vice-Presidents (2 vacancies) John Greenlees, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://greenlees.staff.shef.ac.uk/ PhD: University of Cambridge 1986. Previous appointments: Lecturer, National University of Singapore 1986–89: Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Chicago 1989-90; Nuffield Foundation Science Research Fellowship 1995-96; Visiting Associate Professor, University of Chicago 1994; INI Programme Organizer, Cambridge 2002; Head of School 2010-13; Research Professor MSRI, 2014. Research interests: Algebraic topology (stable homotopy theory, equivariant cohomology theories); commutative algebra, representation theory. LMS service: Editorial Board 1994–2004, Publications Committee 2004–2009; BMC Scientific Committee 1999–2004; Prizes Committee 2009–10; Research Policy Committee 2010 – Date; Vice-President 2009- Date. Additional information: Junior Berwick Prize 1995; EPSRC Mathematics Strategic Advisory Team 2004- 06; Member, RAE 2008 Pure Maths Subpanel. Editorial Boards: Algebraic and Geometric Topology 2000– ; Homology, Homotopy and Applications 2007– ; Topology and its Applications 1998–. Member of REF2014 Mathematical Sciences Subpanel. Personal statement: The factual information should make plain the value I place on mathematical research and the traditional ways the LMS supports it; that is my top priority, but the LMS has other important roles. There is a shift of emphasis, and a shift of funding underway. If mathematics is to flourish, it is important for us to explain what we do at all levels and what mathematics can contribute, and we need to do so in language suitable for a variety of different audiences. Since I have joined Council we have introduced or supported a variety of further initiatives to improve communication, internally and with the rest of the world. I hope to play a continuing part in a measured but bold and outgoing LMS supporting mathematical research and explaining its importance, working with other organisations to add weight to the case whenever appropriate.
1 Ken Brown, Professor of Mathematics, University of Glasgow Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.maths.gla.ac.uk/~kab/ PhD: University of Warwick 1976. Previous appointments: SERC postdoctoral fellow, Warwick 1976–78; Lecturer, University of Glasgow 1978, Professor since 1990; visiting positions at University of Washington 1983–84, University of Texas (Austin) 1986–87. Research interests: Algebra. LMS service: Council 1992–2001; Chair, Personnel & Office Management Committee 1999–2001; Vice- President 1997–99; Editorial Adviser 2002–06; Vice-President 2009 – date; Chair of Research Policy Committee 2010 – date. Additional information: Member of EPSRC SAT 2014 - ; Member of RAE Pure Maths Subpanel 1996, 2001, Vice-Chair 2001, Chair of Pure Maths Subpanel 2008; Member, REF Expert Advisory Group 2008– 09; Member, EPSRC College since 1995; Member, National Advisory Board of the Isaac Newton Institute (INI) 1998–2002; Member, Scientific Committee of the International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS) (Edinburgh) 2006– . Personal statement: If elected I will continue to work to strengthen the LMS and to improve both the quality and the volume of its interactions with the mathematical community and with the wider society. I believe this to be especially important in the present economic and political climate, when support for many of the activities of mathematicians is under threat. I have been appointed to be chair of the EPSRC Mathematical Science Strategic Advisory Team, which took effect from April 2015. I will aim to use this position to enhance communication in both directions between EPSRC and the UK mathematics community, and to defend the position of mathematical science in the current difficult climate. Candidate for election as Treasurer (1 vacancy) Robert Turner Curtis, Professor of Combinatorial Algebra, University of Birmingham. Email: [email protected] Home page: www.mat.bham.ac.uk/staff/curtisrt.shtml PhD: University of Cambridge 1972 Previous appointments: SRC Research Fellow, Cambridge, 1972—76; Visiting Professor, Bowdoin College, 1977—80; Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor, University of Birmingham, 1980— 2010. Research interests: Presentations and representations of finite groups; sporadic simple groups; symmetric generation of groups; the geometric and combinatorial structures on which groups act: graphs, codes, lattices, block designs. LMS service: Council member at large 2001—07; Prizes Committee 2004—5; Programmes Committee 2001—4; Librarian 2003—07; Regional co-ordinator (5 years); Treasurer 2011 - Date. Additional information: Head of School of Mathematics 1997-2002; Council of the University of Birmingham (5 years); Chairman of 55th BMC 2003; Scientific Committee of BMC 2002 – 2004. Personal Statement: I see the role of the LMS as being more important now than it has ever been. As Government seeks ways to cut back on its expenditure it is imperative that a well-informed and articulate voice makes the case for Mathematics and, in particular, for the continued funding of mathematical research. Through the CMS, its own Education Committee and other bodies, the Society is hugely influential in defending the interests of the mathematical community. Moreover, as financial support for research becomes increasingly difficult to obtain, the role of the LMS in providing grants becomes correspondingly invaluable. As Treasurer I am taking measures to ensure the continued financial security of the Society, so that it can support these essential activities now and in the future. Besides finance, the other main responsibility of the Treasurer is the membership of the Society. I am keen to improve communications between our elected Council and our members, and for this reason I have re-established a network of departmental representatives. There is evidence that this structure is already bearing fruit. Candidate for election as General Secretary (1 vacancy) Stephen Huggett, Professor, University of Plymouth. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://stephenhuggett.com/index.html DPhil: University of Oxford 1981. Research interests: Twistor theory; Graph theory. LMS service: General Secretary, 2012– ; Chair, 2015 Celebration Committee 2011– ; Chair, Web
2 Working Group 2010– ; Member of Council 2001–2011 (Programme Secretary 2001–2011); Chair, International Affairs Committee 2004–2011; Member of Education Committee 1992–2001. Additional Information: Secretary of the European Mathematical Society 2007–2014.
Candidate for election as Publications Secretary (1 vacancy)
John Robert Hunton, Professor of Pure Mathematics, Durham University. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.dur.ac.uk/john.hunton PhD: University of Cambridge 1990. Previous appointments: 1989-91 SERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow (held at the University of Manchester and at MIT); 1991-95 Research Fellow, Trinity College, Cambridge; 1994/5 William Gordon Seggie Brown Fellow, University of Edinburgh and honorary Research Fellow, University of St Andrews; 1995-2003 Lecturer/Reader, University of Leicester; 2001-2002 Leverhulme Research Fellow; 2003-2013 Professor of Geometry, University of Leicester. Research interests: Algebraic Topology, K-theory and Dynamics, Aperiodic Patterns, and especially the interaction of these topics. LMS service: Publications Secretary, International Affairs Committee, Library Committee and Personnel Committee 2013 - present. Council, Member-at-Large 2011-2013. Editorial advisor for LMS publications on K-theory and Algebraic Topology, 2006-2013. Publications Committee 2012-2013. LMS representative on Scientific Steering Committee of the British Mathematical Colloquia 2011-2017. LMS Council representative, Nominating Committee 2012. LMS Council representative on Cecil King Mathematics Travelling scholarship interview panel 2013. Additional information: Chair of British Mathematical Colloquium 2011 introducing parallel programme of Research Workshops; member of EPSRC College since 1999 and of Strategic Advisory Team for Mathematical Sciences 2009-2013; Member, academic subcommittee contributing to Deloitte report on `Assessing the Economic impact of Mathematical Science Research' 2012/3; Selected Exhibitor at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2009 presenting contemporary pure and applied mathematical research on aperiodic geometry to Government, Policy Makers and the General Public; co-organiser 1996-2011 of LMS scheme 3 collaborative seminar Transpennine Topology Triangle; co-organiser over last 18 years of multiple workshops on various algebra-topology-geometry interactions. Personal statement: Concerning publications, the LMS has a dual role to play: it is a recognised body supporting and representing the publication related interests of the mathematical community, and it is also an internationally respected academic publisher itself. Moreover, this latter role provides the majority of the Society's income, and so directly supports mathematicians via the many LMS schemes and activities. In the current, rapidly changing climate, the Society needs to keep a constant eye on the potential - and real - threats Mathematics faces in this area, working to mitigate them, keeping good communications open to understand what is happening at members' institutions, providing mathematicians with good quality information, maintaining the quality, recognition and viability of its publications, and clearly articulating - positively and constructively - the needs of mathematics to the national and international debates. If re-elected, I would endeavour to continue to use my experience and links with the mathematical and wider public communities to aid the LMS in addressing this spectrum of important activities.
Candidate for election as Programme Secretary (1 vacancy)
Professor Iain Stewart, Professor of Computer Science, School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Durham University Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.durham.ac.uk/i.a.stewart PhD: Mathematics ('Locally Supersolvable Skew-Linear Groups', supervisor B.A.F. Wehrfritz, Queen Mary College, University of London, 1986) Previous appointments: Lecturer, Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1986-92, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader: Department of Computer Science, University of Wales Swansea, 1992-1996, Professor of Computer Science, School of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Leicester, 1996-2002 Research interests: Theoretical computer science including: computational complexity; finite model theory and descriptive complexity; interconnection networks for parallel and distributed computing;
3 graph theory and algorithms; theoretical aspects of artificial intelligence; algorithmic and complexity aspects of group theory. LMS service: Member of LMS Council 1997-99 and 2014-current, Chair of LMS Programme Committee 2015-current, Member of LMS Computer Science Committee 1996-1999 and 2015-current and Chair 1999-2002, Member of LMS Publications Committee 1997-99, Editorial Advisor of LMS Journal of Computation and Mathematics from its inauguration until 2012, Coordinator of the joint LMS/EPSRC Mathematics for IT (MathFIT) initiative 2000-02 Additional information: Member of Computer Science and Informatics REF Panel, Member of British Computer Society Academy of Computing Research Committee, Member of UK Computing Research Committee and its Executive Committee Personal statement: In these times of austerity, impact and collaboration, it is more important than ever that Mathematics is valued by governments, research councils, scientists at large and the general public as intrinsic to the social, technological and intellectual fabric and well-being of the UK; and, in consequence, that Mathematics is properly supported in all ways possible. I have spent my academic life working at the interface of Mathematics and Computer Science, both in terms of my own personal research and the professional service activities I have engaged in (in tandem with learned societies and research councils). I feel that I have the vision, expertise and general mathematical appreciation to help (mainstream) Mathematics engage in a wider sphere; for example, with potential impact-related opportunities in Computer Science and Engineering. At present I feel that Mathematics is being unfairly treated and I am keen to try and help reverse this trend, working through the LMS to create a healthier and more positive environment. I believe that it is in the best interests of Mathematics to engage with, for example, the current funding mechanisms and constructively work towards a more enlightened governmental attitude, and I feel that I can positively contribute to this movement. Candidate for election as Education Secretary (1 vacancy) Frances Alice Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of Mathematics, King’s College London. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/nms/depts/mathematics/people/atoz/rogersa.aspx PhD: Imperial College, University of London 1981. Previous appointments: (Seven years as a school teacher from 1969-1976.) Imperial College London: SERC Research Fellow, 1981-83. King’s College London: Research Associate 1983-84, EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow 1984-89, Royal Society University Research Fellow 1989-94, Lecturer in Mathematics 1994-96, Reader in Applied Mathematics 1996-2007, Head of Department of Mathematics 2001-04, Professor of Mathematics 2007-2013. Research interests: Geometry and Analysis on Supermanifolds, with applications in Physics and Geometry. LMS service: Council 2002 - 2009, Vice President 2005 - 2009, Personnel Committee 2007 – 2009 (Chair 2008-2009) and 2010 - 2015, Mathematics Promotion Unit Steering Group Chair 2006-2009, Women in Mathematics Committee 2000-2005, Chair 2002-2005, Education Committee 2005-2011. Education Secretary 2013 - Additional information: Member of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) from 2007–2011 (Deputy Chair from 2009). Member of Mathematics Panel of A-level Content Advisory Board (and its ad hoc successor body ALMAB) from its creation in 2014. Personal statement: The LMS has an impressive record of valuable and effective involvement in national mathematics education policy in schools, colleges and universities and in the promotion of Mathematics to the public. I believe that as Education Secretary, supported by a strong Education Committee, I can help the LMS to develop this involvement and maintain its good standing in Mathematics Education circles within and outside government. My career has included teaching Mathematics classes from low ability in an inner city comprehensive to advanced postgraduate Mathematics, and also a term as head of a university Mathematics department. I thus feel my experience is extensive, including in particular developing the next generation of mathematicians in university Mathematics departments and the later stages of school, and the current revision of A-level Mathematics. I also believe that I have been able to develop good relationships with school teachers and others outside HE working in mathematics education so that I should be able to make sure the LMS voice is heard and has due influence. My extensive involvement over the years, in particular as Deputy Chair of ACME, has enabled me to gain valuable experience and understanding of the political machines which drive developments in education policy.
4 Candidate for election as Librarian (Member-at-Large) (1 vacancy)
June Barrow-Green, Professor of History of Mathematics, The Open University. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www9.open.ac.uk/mct/people/june.barrow-green PhD: The Open University 1993. Research interests: The development of dynamical systems theory, particularly the work of Henri Poincaré and George D. Birkhoff. British mathematics in the 19th and 20th centuries. The use of history in mathematics education. LMS service: I have been a Member of Council and the Society’s Librarian since 2007. I am chair of Library Committee, a member of Personnel Committee, a member of 2015 Committee, and a member of Prizes Committee. Additional information: I am a past President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics (BSHM), a member of the BSHM Council and the BSHM representative on JMC. I am Vice-chair of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on the History of Mathematics, a member of the Science Museum Mathematics Gallery Project External Advisory Panel, an Associate Editor of Historia Mathematica, and a member of several Editorial Boards including Révue d’Histoire des Mathématiques, Philosophia Scientiæ and the AMS History of Mathematics Series. Personal statement: The Society’s Librarian has responsibility for the LMS book and journal collections as well as its archives. As a historian of mathematics, I am particularly aware of the Society’s distinguished history—the LMS is the one of the oldest mathematical societies in the world—and of the significance of its collections. In the interest of both preserving and making accessible the collections, I have been working with the Library Committee on a programme of digitisation of the Society’s most important archives for display on the Society’s website. I have also been actively involved in the organisation of several of the Society’s 150th anniversary celebrations such as the exhibition in UCL Library and the Local Heroes exhibitions. As a member of staff of the Open University, I am able to represent the position of the part-time and distance-teaching sectors in policy discussions. I am also able to speak for history of mathematics in appropriate curriculum and research discussions. I have an interest in women’s issues, and I am keen to help the Society in its efforts to address the problem of the loss of women from mathematics at higher levels of teaching and research.
Candidates for election as Member-at-Large of Council (5x 2-year terms and 2x 1- year terms vacant)
Francis Willoughby Clarke, Honorary Lecturer, Swansea University; Consultant Researcher, Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.franciswclarke.webspace.virginmedia.com PhD: University of Warwick 1971. Previous appointments: 1971–2100 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Reader, Swansea University; 2007–2010 seconded to Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research. Research interests: Algebraic Topology, Number Theory, Computer Algebra. LMS service: Euromath committee, 1980s; B. M. C. Scientific Committee, 2004–2007; Organiser of LMS/EPSRC Short Course on Algebraic Topology, 2005; Council 2013–2015, Programme Committee 2013–2015 and Deputy Programme Secretary 2015, Computer Science Committee 2013, Publications Committee 2014–2015. Additional information: Secretary of British Mathematical Colloquium 2007; Member of EPSRC's Mathematics Strategic Advisory Team 2007–2012 and of Transformative Research Advisory Group 2008–2010; Developer for the open-source mathematics software system Sage 2009– ; External member of the Academic Steering and Management Group of the Scottish Mathematical Sciences Training Centre, 2009–2013. Personal statement: I have broad mathematical interests. Even the most apparently pure mathematics can have unexpected relevance far beyond its origins. The timescale in which mathematics operates, far longer than for many other sciences, is a vital distinguishing feature which is not always understood by funding bodies. This also means that new proposed models of academic publishing risk being a poor fit for our subject. The continuing task of explaining to government and the public the importance of mathematics will remain a central part of the LMS's mission. Equally significant will be developing the
5 excellent support that the Society brings to the profession and its members at all stages of their careers. If re-elected, I hope to be able to contribute to these endeavours.
Richard Craster, Head of Mathematics Department and Professor, Imperial College London Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.craster PhD: Imperial College London 1992 Previous Appointments: 1992-95 Junior Research Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; 1995-98 Lecturer, University of Nottingham; 1996-2001 EPSRC Advanced Fellow; 1998-2008 Lecturer/Reader/Professor Imperial College; 2008-2010 Centennial Professor, University of Alberta, Canada; 2011-Present Head of Mathematics Department/Professor, Imperial College Research Interests: Fluid Dynamics, Wave mechanics, Elasticity and Complex Analysis. LMS Service: None, I have been a member for a long time though! Additional Information: Chair of the Russell Group A-level Content Advisory Board (ALCAB http://alcab.org.uk/reports/) for Mathematics and Further Mathematics, and now of the A-level Mathematics Advisory Board (ALMAB). Chair of the Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI http://www.mei.org.uk) Advisory Panel; amongst much else, MEI manages the Further Mathematics Support Programme. Member of the Scientific Board of the Smith Institute for Industrial Mathematics and System Engineering (http://www.smithinst.co.uk). Personal Statement: My experience with mathematics education policy through A-levels, and also with interacting with University, Government and other bodies about mathematics, suggests that we cannot take for granted that anyone outside our community really understands the importance of, or in extreme cases even cares about, mathematics. Our community requires a strong voice, which the LMS helps to provide, to advocate meaningful and inspiring high school mathematics education and serious long-term investment in Mathematics Departments across the UK. Recent impact case studies, and the Deloitte report for the EPSRC, demonstrate unequivocally that mathematics does contribute very strongly to the UK economically and indeed should be a priority for funding. As head of a large and active Mathematics department I am well aware of issues such as the under-representation of women within mathematics, “one size fits all” University processes that may not fit Mathematics, and the difficulties of balancing varying priorities both internal and external. The LMS has a wide role in advocacy for mathematics and I would hope that my broad experience both within the University system and externally would be helpful to the society.
Anne Christine Davis, Professor of Mathematical Physics 1967, University of Cambridge E-mail: [email protected] Home page: www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/people/a.c.davis PhD: Bristol University 1975 Previous Appointments: 2002-2013 Professor of Theoretical Physics (personal Chair); 1996-2002 Reader, University of Cambridge; 1995/96 ADR; 1986-1995 College Lecturer, Kings College, Cambridge; 1983-88 SERC Advanced Fellow; 1982/83 Member, IAS, Princeton, 1980-82 CERN Fellow; 1978-80 Postdoc, Imperial College; 1976-78 Postdoc Durham University. Research Interests: Early Universe Cosmology; Modified Gravity; Galileon theories; Chameleon models of modified gravity; Topological Defects; Quantum Field Theory. LMS Service: Women in Mathematics Committee; Good Practise Scheme Additional Information: Member REF Panel B10 Mathematics 2011-2014; Member Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship panel; REF Panel B10, Mathematical Sciences; former member RS URF panel; Search Committee for Isaac Newton Institute Director; Board of Electors for Director, Isaac Newton Institute; Board of Electors, Lucasian Chair (twice); Board of Electors for many Cambridge Chairs; Review Panel for The Perimeter Institute, Canada; Selection Panel ICTP, Trieste, Deputy Head; External Committee member for various Professorial Appointment Committees in UK and Europe; co-founder UK Cosmology Workshops; UK Cosmology Committee for over 20years; organising committees of many international conferences; IOP Mathematical Physics committee; Reviewer for RS, EPSRC and STFC grant and fellowship candidates; Cambridge University Council; CU General Board; CU Human Resources Committee; Gender Equality Champion for STEMM subjects 2014—2017; Athena SWAN committee for both CU Mathematics and CU overall. Personal Statement: I am a relative newcomer to LMS so can't list many activities. The LMS is broad enough to include the Mathematical Sciences in general, including mathematical physics. I would bring to the nominating committee broad expertise and experience, a strong interest in equality and diversity and in particular women in mathematics. I am currently Gender Equality Champion for STEMM in Cambridge, so have expertise in this area and am keen to help redress the balance of the `leaky pipeline'. I have a 6 strong interest in mathematics education and believe the LMS has a key role to play here given that Mathematics underpins so much in our society. I have quite a bit of experience of public engagement and believe we have a responsibility to engage with the public and with schools on the Mathematical Sciences in general.
David Evans, Professor of Pure Mathematics and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Imperial College London. Email: [email protected] Home page: www.imperial.ac.uk/people/david.evans PhD: D. Phil., University of Oxford, 1985. Previous appointments: 1985-86: Royal Society Overseas Research Fellow, University of Tübingen, Germany; 1986-88: SERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Queen Mary College, London; 1988-2015: Lecturer/ Reader/ Professor, UEA, Norwich. Research interests: Model theory and its interactions with algebra and combinatorics; infinite permutation groups. LMS service: Council Member-at-Large and Programme Committee member 2014-15; Co-editor, Bulletin of the London Mathematical Society 2012-14. Additional information: Member of EPSRC Mathematics College, 2003-2009; Co-ordinator of the FP6 Marie Curie Research Training Network 'MODNET: Model Theory and Applications', 2005-2008; Head of School of Mathematics, UEA, 2007-2010 and 2014-15. Personal statement: The LMS has a central role in UK Mathematics. It produces research publications of high international standing and provides direct support for research through a range of imaginative and un-bureaucratic grant schemes. It engages with policy-makers and the public to convey the importance and power of Mathematics and represents the interests and views of Mathematicians through well- argued policy statements. If re-elected to Council, I would continue to take an active part in supporting these activities. My experience includes being head of the Mathematics department at UEA and co- ordinator of a European research training network with 14 partner organizations. I have recently moved to Imperial College as the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Mathematics Department.
Anthony [Tony] David Gardiner Email: [email protected] PhD: University of Warwick 1973. Previous appointments: Assistant lecturer, University of East Africa (Dar-es-Salaam) 1968-69; DAAD Fellow, Universität Bielefeld 1970-72; SERC Fellow, Royal Holloway College 1972-74; Lecturer, University of Birmingham 1974-89; Reader in Mathematics and Mathematics Education, University of Birmingham (1989-2012). Research interests: Permutation groups, Algebraic graph theory, History of mathematics, Mathematics education. LMS service: Council 1992-97; Education Committee 1996-2000 and 2011-present; major role in the committee that produced the influential report Tackling the mathematics problem 1995; Education Secretary 2011-1012; Holgate lecturer 2015-18. Additional information: UK IMO Team Leader 1990-95; Paul Erdös Award (World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions: WFNMC) 1995 and Senior Vice President 2006-08; set up UK Mathematics Trust 1996 (now involving 750K pupils per year in 20+ events); President, Mathematical Association 1997-98, and member of Council (various periods 1988-2013); Chair of Education Committee, European Mathematical Society 2000-04; Invited Lecture, 10th International Congress on Mathematics Education (Copenhagen) 2004. My work with teachers began in East Africa (1968) and with schoolchildren in Birmingham (Masterclasses from 1976, before the RI). I have published more than 15 books of serious mathematics aimed at schools and teachers. Since 1995 I have also worked consistently behind the scenes, pressing Ministers and officials to improve standard provision in schools. Personal statement: The sustainability of academic mathematics in the UK depends on a local supply of good students (part of "the people pipeline"). In this we face serious challenges. The recent increase in A-level entries may seem encouraging, but conceals significant structural threats (from poor GCSE preparation, from significant funding cuts at age 16-19, from grade inflation, and from a shortage of suitable teachers). If elected, in addition to the regular work of a Member-without-Office, I would seek to support the Education Secretary/Committee using my experience in education and policy to help focus on key issues relating to:
7 * the development and implementation of an improved core curriculum * mathematics-specific teacher support * the provision of quality universal textbooks. These are key areas where I have been active for the last 10 years (through the series 'Extension mathematics', my detailed 'humane curriculum' and critiques of the draft national curriculum, work with the DfE and successive Ministers, helping to edit a new UK series of Singapore primary maths textbooks, and a book of 'higher mathematics through elementary problems'). I would also work to support the astonishingly popular De Morgan Forum http://education.lms.ac.uk/ (launched during my period as Education Secretary).
Professor Sam Howison, Professor of Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Institute, Oxford University Email: [email protected] Home Page: https://people.maths.ox.ac.uk/howison/ DPhil: Oxford 1983 Previous appointments: Visiting Assistant Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1983-4); various postdocs; Royal Society University Research fellow (1989-91); University Lecturer, Oxford 1991-date (awarded title of Professor 2008); Director, oxford centre for Industrial & Applied Mathematics 2003- 2008; Director, Nomura Centre for Quantitative Finance, 2001-2007; Head of Department, Mathematical Institute 2010-2015. RAE2008 applied mathematics sub-panel member. Research interests: Applications of differential equations; mathematical modelling; mathematical finance; free and moving boundary problems. LMS service: investment subcommittee 2003-6. Personal Statement: My time as head of a large department spanning most of the range of mathematics has reinforced my view that ours is a field in which subject divisions are largely artificial and unexpected connections abound. That is the spirit in which I would approach serving on LMS Council: it is important that support for and promotion of mathematics are done in a unified way.
Michael Levitin, Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Reading Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.personal.reading.ac.uk/~ny901965/ PhD, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 1989. Previous appointments: Visiting Researcher, University of Sussex, 1992-93; Postdoc, Heriot-Watt, 1993- 96; Lecturer, then Reader (1999), Heriot-Watt, 1996-2007; Professor of Analysis, Cardiff University and Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, 2007-2010 Visiting Professor of Mathematics, UCL, from 2010 Research interests: Theoretical and computational spectral theory, PDEs, Mathematical physics LMS Service: I served as an Editorial advisor for LMS journals Personal statement: As many other mathematicians who came to the UK after being educated elsewhere, I have benefited enormously from the LMS activities, through grants, meetings and publications, and feel that it is now my time to give something back to the Society. Through my expertise in both pure and applied mathematics, I hope to assist in strengthening the UK mathematical community, with particular attention to early career researchers who are often short of support, at the same time working to protect the community from ever increasing bureaucratisation of science and higher education.
Diane Maclagan, Reader, Mathematics, University of Warwick. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://homepages.warwick.ac.uk/staff/D.Maclagan/ PhD: UC Berkeley, 2000 Previous appointments: Postdoc, Institute for Advanced Study (2000-2001) Szegö Assistant Professor, Stanford University (2001-2004) Assistant Professor, Rutgers University (2004-2007) (tenured Associate Professor 2007) Associate Professor, University of Warwick, 2007 - 2014. Research interests: Algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, particularly computational/combinatorial aspects. LMS service: LMS service: Editorial advisory board for the LMS journals (Bulletin/Journal/Proceedings/Transactions) (2009-2014); Council 2015. Additional information: I have co-organised multiple international workshops (at MSRI, Oberwolfach, AIM, ICMS), and also co-organised an LMS joint research group on tropical mathematics. I will co- 8 organise a semester-long Thematic Program on Combinatorial Algebraic Geometry at the Fields Institute (Toronto) in 2016. Personal statement: Having just joined the council at the start of this year, I would welcome the chance to continue to serve. The LMS has several important roles to play for British mathematicians: to communicate mathematics to the wider public, to represent mathematicians to politicians and governmental bodies, and to foster community and engagement among mathematicians. Successes include the small grants programme, which funds many conferences and research networks, and the publications. For the LMS to continue these successes, and build new strengths, a diversity of viewpoints and backgrounds is needed. I will work to make sure that the full range of views and concerns of mathematicians working in the UK are represented.
Graham Andrew Niblo, Professor of Mathematics and Head of Mathematical Sciences, University of Southampton. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.personal.soton.ac.uk/gan/index.html PhD: University of Liverpool 1988. Previous appointments: 1988-90, SERC Postdoctoral Research Fellow (held at Sussex); 1990- 92, SERC Research Assistant to Peter Kropholler, Queen Mary College London; 1992- 20012, Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Professor, University of Southampton; 2007-2011 Head of Pure Mathematics, University of Southampton; 1998, Visiting Professor, Rutgers; 2011, Visiting Researcher, Oxford. Research interests: Low dimensional topology; geometric group theory; non-commutative geometry; applications. LMS service: Editorial advisor for LMS publications since 2008; co-organizer of LMS Regional Meetings on “Limit Groups”, “Geometry, Analysis and Logic in Groups” and “Hyperbolic Geometry” Additional information: I have been a member of EPSRC College since 1999 and joined the Strategic Advisory Team for Mathematical Sciences in 2015; Director of the National Cipher Challenge (a nationwide schools outreach programme) since 2002; co-organiser of LMS scheme 3 collaborative seminars, including the Bristol-Oxford-Southampton “Geometric and Analytic Methods in Group Theory workshop”; co-organiser of a number of conferences including workshops at the Heilbronn Institute (2011), BIRS (2012) and MSRI (2016); speaker at the 2007 EPSRC International Review of Mathematics. Personal statement: The impact section in the recent REF had many flaws, but it did give us an opportunity to showcase the contribution made by mathematical sciences to society. The LMS, working together with the other learned societies, has an important role to play in developing this theme. In particular, we need to find a way to express the distinctive contribution that arises from the unique history and culture of mathematics. As head of a broad based mathematics department I hope to bring a broad perspective to this challenge. The future health of the discipline also depends on us effectively promoting what we do in schools and colleges. There is a lot of good local practice and given the growing popular interest in science there is a lot of scope to raise its national profile. In particular we could do more to engage with government and industry and leverage their support. I have had some success with this as director of the National Cipher Challenge and look forward to the opportunity of working with colleagues across the UK to promote our subject.
Gwyneth Stallard, Professor of Pure Mathematics, The Open University Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.mathematics.open.ac.uk/People/gwyneth.stallard PhD: Imperial College, London, 1991 Previous appointments: 1992 – 1994 temporary lecturing positions at the University of Southampton; 1994 – 1995 Research Fellow at the Open University; 1995 – 2002 Lecturer at the Open University; 2002 – 2009, Senior Lecturer at the Open University; 2009 – present, Professor at the Open University. Research interests: Complex dynamics – the iteration of transcendental meromorphic functions. LMS service: Chair of the Women in Mathematics Committee since 2006 (member of the committee since 2003). LMS representative on the Athena Forum since 2008. Member of Prizes Committee (2010 – 2011). Member of Nominating Committee (2007, 2014). Member of Council since 2014. Additional information: Awarded an OBE for services to higher education in the 2014 New Year’s Honours List. Awarded an LMS Whitehead Prize in 2000 and featured in the Faces of Mathematics exhibition in 2001. Member of an EPSRC panel for postdoctoral fellowships in 2011. Invited by the Council of the IMA to become a Fellow in 2013. Co-organiser of various international workshops on complex dynamics and awarded EPSRC grants to fund my research. Personal Statement: I have played an active role in the LMS for a number of years, in particular as Chair of the LMS Women in Mathematics (WIM) Committee. I was delighted to be elected as a full member of 9 Council in 2014 and have valued the ability this has given me to make a greater contribution to the Society's decision making process. As Chair of the WIM committee, I have liaised with a number of organisations including the EPSRC, Athena SWAN, the Royal Society and other professional bodies such as the IOP and the other CMS bodies. This has given me a good understanding of the organisations with which the LMS needs to interact and many useful contacts, which enhance the contribution I can make to Council. The LMS has led the way in developing significant positive initiatives, such as the Good Practice Scheme, which aim to ensure that every professional mathematician (both male and female) is enabled to reach their true potential and, as I come to the end of my term as Chair of the WIM committee, I hope to be re-elected to Council so that I can continue to be fully involved in shaping future LMS initiatives and activities.
Dr Alina Vdovina, Lecturer, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Newcastle University Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/alina.vdovina/ PhD: 2005 Habilitation, University of Bonn; 1996 PhD, Moscow State University Previous appointments: 2002-04 --- Lise-Meitner Habilitation fellowship, University of Bonn; 2001-02 --- Visiting assistant professor, SUNY Binghamton; 2000-01 ---Visiting professor, Max-Planck-Institute fur Mathematik, Bonn; 1999-00 --- ATER at ENS of Lyon; 1998-99 --- NATO fellowship at Institute Fourier, Grenoble Research interests: Geometry and analysis on groups acting on buildings; Fundamental groups of algebraic varieties; Geometry of Riemann surfaces; Knot theory; Geometric and combinatorial group theory; Constructing C*-algebras and computing their K-theory; Noncommutative geometry and operator theory. LMS service: 2005-2006 Member of the organizing committee of BMC2006; organizer of LMS funded conferences "Beauville surfaces and groups", 2012 and LMS Durham Symposium 2013. Personal statement: Maintaining high standards of research is the key purpose of the LMS as a learned society, and one of the best ways to achieve this is active promotion of international collaboration. If elected, I will work towards the LMS fulfilling its principal obligation: advancement of mathematics. I believe we have to expand and develop further our research grant schemes and put more emphasis on collaboration; for instance, efficiency of travel and conference grants depends not only on their monetary value, but also on awarding them at a short notice. In the current increasingly harsh environment advancement of mathematics means supporting mathematicians, including those at vulnerable stages of their careers. The LMS should offer efficient, timely, and real help to early career researchers and to mathematicians between jobs (the latter frequently lose access to electronic resources -- and this is one of the areas where the LMS is able and should step in). The LMS should also help older colleagues (who are now increasingly cut out, on their retirement, from their former universities) to continue their life in mathematics, by providing their community with visible web presence, access to electronic libraries, etc.
Michael Wemyss, Reader, University of Edinburgh. Email: [email protected] Home page: www.maths.ed.ac.uk/~mwemyss PhD: University of Bristol, 2008. Previous appointments: Lecturer 2010-2015 in Edinburgh, Postdoc 2009-2010 in Oxford, and 2008-2009 in Nagoya. Research interests: Algebra and Geometry, particularly the minimal model programme, derived categories, noncommutative resolutions, moduli spaces and singularity theory, together with the related commutative algebra structures, cluster theory and combinatorics. LMS Service: Additional information: For the past three years I have organised the regional GLEN algebraic geometry seminar through an LMS Scheme 3 grant, and in addition I have organised various conferences and workshops in Edinburgh. Between January and July this year I was acting Head of the Hodge Institute, and I currently hold an EPSRC Early Career Fellowship. Personal Statement: It is important for UK mathematics that the LMS continues to play its many roles. Externally, it needs to remain at the forefront of our interactions with other organisations and bodies. I would work towards strengthening the LMS voice when communicating between the mathematics community and our funding bodies, with the move away from fellowships and small grants towards the much larger grant model the new reality. The LMS needs to continue developing research 10 mathematicians (especially young researchers) and supporting all types of mathematics, with its key role in distributing small research grants to the UK community, and supporting regional seminars and its many other regional meetings and events. If elected I would also champion diversity in all its aspects, as the long-term strength of UK mathematics depends on this: diversity in people, diversity in geographical location, and diversity in mathematical research areas.
Candidates for election to Nominating Committee (2 vacancies)
Professor Ursula Martin CBE, University of Oxford Email: [email protected] Home page: https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/ursula.martin/ PhD: Warwick 1979 Previous appointments: Ursula Martin joined the University of Oxford as Professor of Computer Science in 2014. She holds an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship. Prior to this she held a chair of Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London where she was Vice-Principal for Science and Engineering, and subsequently director of a major project promoting research impact. She has previously held appointments at the University of St Andrews, Royal Holloway University of London, Manchester and Urbana Champaign. Research interests: Algebra; combinatorics; logic; computer science; computer proof; collaborative mathematics; history of computing LMS service: Member at large of Council 1994-1999, Member and Chair of Computer Science Committee 1994-1999, Member of Women in Mathematics Committee 1998-2004. Additional information:
Andrew Harold Osbaldestin, Head of Department of Mathematics and Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Portsmouth. Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.port.ac.uk/department-of-mathematics/staff/prof-andrew-osbaldestin.html PhD: Nottingham University, 1983. Previous appointments: Research Assistant, Queen Mary College, London 1983-1985; Senior Lecturer, Loughborough University 1985-2003. Research Interests: Nonlinear and complex systems. LMS Service: - Additional Information: I am a past Chair of HoDoMS (Heads of Departments of Mathematical Sciences in the UK) serving from 2007-9 having previously served as Secretary 2005-7. I am a member of the IMA Higher Education Committee. I have acted as external examiner and/or assessor at many institutions including both Russell Group and post-92 universities.
Sarah Elizabeth Rees, Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of Newcastle Email: [email protected] Home page: http://www.mas.ncl.ac.uk/~nser PhD: D Phil from Oxford, examined 1983. Previous appointments: U Libre de Bruxelles, U Illinois (Chicago), Birmingham (UK), Warwick Research interests: various aspects of group theory (combinatorial, geometric, algorithmic), decision problems, formal languages and theory of computation LMS service: member of Council 1998-2004, member of Programme Committee, Publications Committee, subsequently on Nominating Committee, Prizes Committee, departmental LMS rep, LMS rep on BMC scientific committee Additional information: Have been organising North British Geometric Group Theory Seminar (funded by LMS scheme 3, Ed Math Soc and GMJ trust fund) for more than 10 years
Chris Rogers, Professor of Statistical Science, University of Cambridge Email: [email protected] Homepage: www.statslab.cam.ac.uk/~chris/ PhD: 1980, University of Cambridge Previous appointments: Lecturer, University of Warwick (1980-1983); Lecturer, University College of Swansea (1984-1985), Lecturer, University of Cambridge (1985-1990); Professor, Queen Mary &
11 Westfield College (1991-1993); Professor, University of Bath (1994-2002); Professor, University of Cambridge (2002-present) Research interests: Probability, stochastic processes, mathematical finance, applied statistics. LMS service: Additional information: I have been an organizer of three programmes at the Isaac Newton Institute: Financial Mathematics (1995), Developments in Quantitative Finance (2005), Systemic Risk (2014). I am an editor or advisor of several journals: Finance & Stochastics, Mathematical Finance, Annals of Applied Probability, Applied Probability, Journal of Computational Finance. Personal statement: I believe that a mathematical training offers something uniquely valuable, and widely applicable, and that as a community we need to proclaim this. At the same time, we need to recognize that we are now teaching the iphone generation; the world has changed enormously since most of us graduated, and what we teach and the way we teach it has to adapt to these changes or our claims about the applicability of mathematics will ring hollow. If elected I will hope to be able to propose candidates who will defend and advance the role of mathematics.
12 NOMINATION INFORMATION
Officer Roles
Role Nominee Nominator
President Simon Tavaré Nominating Committee
Ken Brown Vice-Presidents (2 vacancies) Nominating Committee John Greenlees
Treasurer Robert Curtis Nominating Committee
General Secretary Stephen Huggett Nominating Committee
Programme Secretary Iain A. Stewart Nominating Committee
Publications Secretary John Hunton Nominating Committee
Education Secretary Alice Rogers Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council Roles Five 2-year terms and two 1-year terms are to be contested in the election. The list is alphabetical.
Role Nominee Nominator
Member-at-Large of Council Francis W. Clarke Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council Richard Craster Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council Anne Christine Davis Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council David M. Evans Nominating Committee
Nominator: Tim Gowers Member-at-Large of Council Tony Gardiner Seconders: Peter Cameron, John Truss, Kevin Buzzard.
Member-at-Large of Council Sam Howison Nominating Committee
Nominator: Beatrice Pelloni Member-at-Large of Council Michael Levitin Seconders: Lyonell Boulton, Ari Laptev, Marco Marletta.
13 Member-at-Large of Council Diane Maclagan Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council Graham Niblo Nominating Committee
Member-at-Large of Council Gwyneth Stallard Nominating Committee
Nominator: Inna Capdeboscq Seconders: Michael Dritschel, Member-at-Large of Council Alina Vdovina Corneliu Hoffman, Norbert Peyerimhoff
Member-at-Large of Council Michael Wemyss Nominating Committee
Four Members-at-Large who were elected for two years in 2014 have a year of their terms left to serve; they are: Alexandre Borovik, Tara Brendle, Cathy Hobbs and Beatrice Pelloni.
In 2015, the role of Librarian (Member-at-Large) will be open for election. This is a distinct role created at the 2012 AGM. The term of office is one year, to a maximum of ten years.
Role Nominee Nominator
Librarian (Member-at-Large) June Barrow-Green Nominating Committee
Nominating Committee – Note: The list is alphabetical
Role Nominee Nominator
Nominating C’ttee Ursula Martin Nominating Committee
Nominating C’ttee Andrew Osbaldestin Nominating Committee
Nominating C’ttee Sarah Rees Nominating Committee
Nominating C’ttee Chris Rogers Nominating Committee
The continuing members of the Nominating Committee are: Keith Ball, Martin Bridson, Paul Glendinning and David Tranah. In addition, Council will appoint a representative to the Committee and a Chair, who will replace Penny Davies who is coming to the end of her term.
14 SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTE
There are many different ways of conducting an STV election. The version to be used in the current LMS election is known as Meek’s method. It has the approval of the Electoral Reform Society and is used by other reputable organisations such as the Royal Statistical Society. From an elector’s point of view, the system is simple: numbers have to be placed against candidates’ names on the ballot paper to indicate the voter’s order of preference. Equal rankings are allowed, and not all candidates have to be given a rank.
Two basic principles govern the counting. First, if a candidate needs v votes to be elected but actually has n > v, then a fraction (n − v) / n of each of these votes is passed on to candidates ranked lower on each relevant ballot paper. Naturally this means that some ‘votes’ have become fractional, but this causes no problems. Secondly if, after the above procedure has been iterated as far as possible, there are still vacant seats, all the votes of the candidate with the lowest total vote are redistributed in the same way. (If two candidates are tied at the lowest vote, one is chosen by a random process.) A precise description of the procedure follows.
1. Each candidate, at any stage of the election, is either elected, hopeful or excluded. Initially everyone is hopeful.
2. At each stage of the count, each candidate x has an associated weight wx. At this stage the candidate keeps a proportion wx of any vote or fraction of a vote received, and the remaining proportion (1 − wx) is passed on to another candidate (or in equal shares to a group of candidates if these have equal rankings). Excluded candidates have weight 0, so keep nothing. Hopeful candidates have weight 1 and keep everything which is passed to them. Elected candidates have weights between 0 and 1 determined as in §4.
3. If on a ballot paper a candidate a is ranked first, b second, c third and so on, then, at any stage a receives from that elector wa of the vote, b receives (1 – wa) wb of the vote, c receives (1 – wa) (1 – wb) wc of the vote, and so on. Notice that if any candidate listed is hopeful, all fractions transferred to later candidates are 0. If any part of the vote remains to be passed on after the whole list has been dealt with (which could happen easily if the ballot paper ranks only one candidate), that part is counted as excess. Initially there is no excess.
4. The quota – the vote a candidate must exceed at any stage in order to be elected – is defined to be (total votes – total excess) / (number of seats + 1). The weights for elected candidates at each stage are determined (uniquely) by the requirement that the vote which remains with each of them is equal to the current quota; these weights are calculated by an iterative procedure.
5. At each stage the quota and weights are calculated according to §4, and then the procedures of §§2,3 are applied. Any candidate with more than the current quota of votes is declared elected and retains this status thereafter. If this means that at least one hopeful candidate changes to an elected candidate, the procedure is repeated.
6. If no hopeful candidate was elected in §5, the hopeful candidate with the lowest total vote at this stage (or one such chosen at random if there are many) is declared excluded, and the procedure is repeated with that candidate’s weight changed to 0.
7. When the total number of elected candidates is equal to the number of seats the process stops.
NOTE: The description above is the same as in the May 1999 Newsletter and is essentially taken from the paper Single transferable vote by Meek’s method by I.D. Hill, B.A. Wichmann and D.R. Woodall (Computer J 30 (1987) 277–281), where more details are presented.
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