Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of Canterbury Alumni Newsletter National recognition for UC mathematicians by NZMS, pg 4 11 Editorial Congratulations Welcome to the first of our Congratulations to the students who Congratulations to the students who annual Alumni Newsletters graduated at the graduation ceremony graduated in April 2011. for graduates in Mathematics in December 2010. PhD and Statistics! The last twelve PhD months have certainly Blair Robertson (Mathematics) made for an exciting and Scott Graybill (Bioengineering) BSc(Hons): unusual year. Xin Zhao (Statistics) Luke Davies (Mathematics) BSc(Hons) There has been the annual cycle of Jacky Po-Chien Sung (Mathematics & Statistics) courses, exams and graduations Ahmad Fazil Bin Alias John Trengrove (Mathematics) (Statistics & Mathematics) interleaved, as usual, with the cycle Chen Chen (Statistics) of research seminars, workshops Nicholas Brettell (Mathematics) and conferences. But this time BSc William Frost (Mathematical Physics) these events needed to dodge Luke Davies (Mathematics) Nurul Idris (Mathematics) a succession of earthquakes, Korinne Brown (Mathematics) aftershocks and snowfalls. Clare O’Connell (Mathematics & Philosophy) Michael Burrell-Smith (Statistics) Staff and students have been BSc amazingly resilient through all the Lisa Hepp (Mathematics) Norazeh Abd Shukor (Mathematics & Statistcs) disruptions, and I think my abiding Luke McFarlane memory of this year is going to Nuradilla Azhari (Mathematics & Statistics) (Mathematics & Computer Science) be the cheerful enthusiasm of Rowen de Vries (Physics & Mathematics) Andrew Johnson (Mathematics & Physics) students determined to make a William Frost (Physics & Mathematics) Catherine Cumpstone success of everything they did. (Statistics & Biological Sciences) In the following pages you will Adam Gray (Mathematics & Computer Science) see some of the year’s successes Yang Hu (Statistics) Serina Hapi (Mathematics) celebrated, as well as updates on Alastair Jamieson-Lane (Mathematics) Chyau-Feng Tony Cheng other events in the Department of Jeevananthan Kasinathan Panadam (Mathematics & Physics) Mathematics and Statistics over (Physics & Mathematics) Edwin Flores the last twelve months. (Mathematics & Computer Science) Happy reading! Daniel Laws (Statistics) Robert King (Mathematics & Computer Science) Dr John Hannah (Editor) Wan Zanariah Binti Md Jahaya Dept of Mathematics and Statistics (Mathematics & Statistics) Choon Siong Lim (Mathematics & Economics) Nurul Afiqah Binti Md Najib Lisa Sands (Mathematics & Statistics) (Physics & Mathematics) Nelson Shaw Fiona Morrison (Statistics) (Mathematics & Computer Science) Shane Neiman (Statistics) Katherine Wilson (Statistics & Psychology) Jasmine Robinson (Chemistry & Mathematics) Chontelle Tuck (Mathematics). Luke Stevens (Mathematics) GradDipSc Jesse Unger (Mathematics & Economics) Tomohiro Uchiyama (Mathematics). Paul van Berkel (Mathematics & Physics) PGDipSc Uthpala Vattala (Statistics) Guanyu Zheng (Statistics). Matthew Ward (Mathematics & Psychology) Miaofei Zhao (Statistics & Economics) BA Ann Lah (Mathematics & Chinese) Fast Track your CV to NZ’s Leading Employers Open up fantastic new career opportunities with over 50 of New Zealand’s leading employers by registering your skills and availability with Track Me Back’s online employment community. Whether you are a qualified Kiwi onshore or offshore, it’s likely your skills are in demand throughout New Zealand across many industries. If you are offshore, what better way to make yourself visible to the HR and Recruitment teams in some of our largest employers before you come home, than to have a profile up on Track Me Back enabling them to search on your skills and contact you directly. Visit www.trackmeback.co.nz to learn more about our employers and REGISTER TODAY! Sign up for ‘Hot Jobs’ new monthly jobs bulletin direct from New Zealand’s leading employers. 2 2010 Graduation afternoon tea and prizegiving Each year the department holds an afternoon tea for students attending the graduation ceremonies. The 2010 afternoon tea was held on Tuesday 14 December and was combined with a celebration of department prize winners. We were delighted that Peter Wily was able to attend, to present the first Helen Wily Prize in memory of his late wife. Congratulations to all our prize-winners, including Katy Bergstrom, co-winner of the W B Wilson Prize, who was unable to attend. Thomas Heyang Li (Page Prize) Jennifer Harlow (Helen Wily Prize) Nicholas Brettell (Cook Prize co-winner) Hun Lee (W B Wilson Prize co-winner) Simon Todd (Peter Bryant Prize 200-level) James Hadfield (Cook Prize co-winner) James Bonifacio (Gordon Petersen Prize) Joshua Chen (Peter Bryant Prize 100-level) 2011 University of Canterbury Research Medal The 2011 University of Canterbury Research Medal will be awarded to Professor Douglas Bridges of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The medal will be presented at the Graduation ceremony on the afternoon of 14 December 2011. Professor Bridges is a world authority on constructive mathematics and is a very fitting recipient of the University’s premier research award. Congratulations to Douglas and more photos in our next edition! 3 National recognition for UC mathematicians Professor Charles Semple and award in the past – Rod Downey, PhD mathematics student Marston Conder and Gaven Martin Rachael Tappenden received – so it is a big honour to be this two of three awards presented year’s recipient.” annually by the New Zealand Rachael was presented with Mathematical Society the NZMS Aitken Prize, which (NZMS) at the organisation’s is awarded to the student who colloquium in Dunedin in delivered the best student talk at the NZMS colloquium. It is the December 2010. fourth consecutive time a doctoral Charles, who is President of student from the UC mathematics the society, was awarded the and statistics department has NZMS Research Award for collected the award. his contributions to discrete Rachael’s talk was titled mathematics, the branch of “Extensions of Compressed mathematics that provides the Sensing” and discussed a way of theoretical underpinnings to reconstructing signals and images computer science. His particular from small datasets which has area of expertise in this area is applications in medical imaging. matroid theory, which involves working with structures that “Being able to speak well in public underlie the solution of many is an important skill to have if optimisation problems. you’re going into academia so winning this award is a good sign The award also recognised Charles’ for me. It also means that what I’m work in the field of phylogenetics doing is interesting.” – the reconstruction and analysis Charles and Rachael with their awards. of phylogenetic (evolutionary) Rachael was one of 20 students foster mathematical research in trees and networks based on Charles said he was pleased to from around the country who were New Zealand and to recognise inherited characteristics – and receive such recognition from his considered for the award, which excellence in research carried out computational biology. peers “particularly given who has comes with a $500 prize. by New Zealand mathematicians. won the award previously”. It is the third time a UC academic The previous UC recipients were has received the award since “Some big names in New Zealand Neil Watson (1995) and Mike Steel mathematics have received this it was established in 1990 to (1999). Chris is now a researcher and need for costly trial and error runs lecturer in the University’s currently used to tune the control Department of Electrical and systems and significantly reduce Former student Computer Engineering, and the long turnaround time required was among 10 recipients of to launch and accurately position awarded the fellowships, which are a payload. administered by the Royal Society Chris received his BSc (Hons) prestigious of New Zealand. degree with First Class Honours Chris will receive $160,000 per in Mathematics in 1997, and PhD fellowship year over a five-year period. The in Mathematics in 2001, from the aim of the scheme, set up by the University of Canterbury. Government in 2010, is to support The chairperson of the selection researchers in the three to 10 year panel, Professor Margaret Brimble, period after they have completed said the high calibre of the a doctoral degree. Chris will use applicants made choosing the final the funding to further his work in ten a difficult decision. “Those the development of a system to chosen demonstrated exceptional control rockets. talent and promise. We believe This work involves building a they will be New Zealand’s future mathematical model of the research leaders and are worthy of Dr Chris Hann, a former student and PhD graduate of the rocket as it travels through space, this investment.” department, has been awarded a prestigious Rutherford including directly identifying Discovery Fellowship totalling $800,000 over five years to help random wind loads to allow prediction and stabilisation of the him develop his research career in New Zealand. rocket. This approach will avoid the 4 Staff News UC Teaching Awards Professor Jan Evans-Freeman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engineering), presents Irene David with a UC Teaching Award at a function on 14 July at NZi3. These annual awards recognise teaching excellence at the university and Irene was one of 6 UC recipients for 2011. Irene is currently the Director of Teaching - Tutors, and a Senior Academic Tutor.