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Professor Nigel Hitchin, FRS, Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford, has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of Warwick. Nigel Hitchin is one of the world's foremost geometers, whose "insights", in the words of the citation, "have led him to solutions which required both virtuoso technical skill and the latest mathematical techniques."

The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) and the London Mathematical Society (LMS) have announced that Professor Marcus du Sautoy, University of Oxford, will receive the 2014 Christopher Zeeman Medal for the Promotion of Mathematics to the Public.

Marcus du Sautoy has held the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford since 2008 and has been communicating mathematics to the general public for more than 20 years. Marcus has appeared in and presented numerous radio and TV programmes, written many popular books and contributed to theatrical productions. These include the School of Hard Sums and TalkSport as well as news programmes on the World Service, BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and local radio. In 2006 Marcus become only the third mathematician to deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. His play X&Y, which grew out of his collaboration with Complicité Theatre Company’s production of A Disappearing Number, is an illuminating, thrilling work of theatre with mathematics genuinely at its core. His work with audiences exploring the mathematics in Mozart’s Magic Flute is similarly remarkable as a piece of mathematical communication.

In a joint statement, IMA President Professor Dame Celia Hoyles and LMS President Professor Terry Lyons FRS said, ‘We are delighted to award the 2014 Zeeman Medal to such a brilliant mathematician and exceptional communicator as Marcus du Sautoy. Mathematics plays a vital role in every aspect of our society and Professor du Sautoy plays a unique role in helping the public to become more excited about mathematics. He has an amazing ability to communicate the magic of mathematics to young and old alike, and to enthuse upcoming generations to engage with the subject.’

The Christopher Zeeman Medal is a triennial award of the IMA and LMS to recognise and reward the contributions of mathematicians involved in promoting mathematics to the public, and to encourage others to work in this area by demonstrating that such activities are valued and are a part of a mathematician’s role and responsibilities. The medal is named in honour of Professor Sir Christopher Zeeman, FRS, one of the UK’s foremost mathematicians who spent much of his career at the Universities of Warwick and Oxford sharing his love of mathematics with the public. In 1978, Sir Christopher was the first ever mathematician to be asked to deliver the Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures in its 125 year history.

Professor Ben Green FRS has won the Royal Society's Sylvester Medal for his result on primes in arithmetic progression, and his subsequent proofs of a number of spectacular theorems over the last five to ten years. The Sylvester Medal is awarded biennially (in even years) “for the encouragement of mathematical research”.  The award was created in memory of the mathematician James Joseph Sylvester FRS, who was Savilian Professor of Geometry at the University of Oxford in the 1880s. It was first awarded in 1901. Originally it was awarded triennially, but from 2010 it is now awarded biennially in even years.

Marcus du Sautoy has been awarded The Sir George Thomson Gold Medal from the Institute of Measurement and Control. Awarded quinquennially, the Medal acknowledges contributions to measurement science resulting in fundamental improvements in the understanding of the nature of the physical world.  Sir George Thomson was the first President of the Institute, which office he held from 1944 to 1948.

The award of the Medal to Professor du Sautoy, Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, is in recognition of his considerable efforts to promote a positive public perception of mathematics and to explain the mathematician’s role in helping our understanding of our world.  The prize recognises the important contribution made by the series Marcus made on measurement for the BBC: Precision: The Measure of All Things. As part of the award he will give the Thomson lecture at the Royal Society on October 23, entitled 'From Measurement to Mathematics.'

Professor Ruth Baker has been awarded a Whitehead Prize by the London Mathematical Society for her outstanding contributions to the field of Mathematical Biology.

Congratulations to Kishan Patel who has won the 2014 Hansjoerg Wacker Prize of the European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry. This prize is awarded for a Masters thesis on Industrial Mathematics.  Kishan completed the MSc in Scientific Computing and Mathematical Modelling in 2012 at the University of Oxford and his dissertation on 'Imaging with X-Ray Emitter Arrays' was supervised by Raphael Hauser and sponsored by Radius Health. The chairman of the Prize Committee wrote: 'This year’s winner stands out due to a very impressive combination of different areas of mathematics, excellent algorithmic and programming skills together with a significant impact for an industrial imaging process.'

The Mathematical Institute was one of 12 departments who scooped a Bronze Award at the Universitys first ever Green Impact Awards Ceremony held on 18th June 2014 hosted at the Andrew Wiles Building, Mathematical Institute.

This award is in recognition for our achievements in a number of areas, including promoting green IT, recycling methods, sustainable energy efficient buildings, travel and cycling schemes and encouraging staff to reduce their energy usage.

The University signed up to Green Impact last year - an environmental accreditation and award scheme which helps departments improve their working environments for all, whilst gaining recognition for their efforts.

During this first successful year, 199 members of staff have formed 23 departmental teams across the University. These teams help deliver a range of sustainable initiatives - impacting over 5000 members of staff.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton attended to present awards alongside other representatives from across the University.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to our success. For more information about the scheme please contact a member of our building operations team.

Quotes from the Vice-Chancellor

"environmental sustainability is the responsibility of us all
it should be part of everything that we do
everyone wins and its fun
this initiative helps forge relationships and partnerships across the University these networks are important and help us learn from each other
also helps us connect with other universities

The 2014 Ramanujan Prize has been awarded to Miguel Walsh of the Mathematical Institute in the University of Oxford for his outstanding contributions to Ergodic Theory and Number Theory, including a proof of the norm convergence of multiple polynomial or nilpotent ergodic averages, a long-standing problem in ergodic theory, and important results in inverse sieve problems leading to a sharp bound on the number of rational points on curves.  

In March Dr Walsh was awarded a Clay Research Fellowship, which he takes up on July 1.  He will hold the fellowship in Oxford. 

The Ramanujan Prize is awarded jointly by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, the Department of Science and Technology (Government of India) and the International Mathematical Union. More details can be seen on the ICTP website.

Congratulations and thanks to the following winners of the Mathematical Institute Teaching Awards:

Lifetime Teaching Awards: Prof. Karin Erdmann, Dr Jackie Stedall and Prof. David Stirzaker. 

Individual Teaching Awards: Prof. Peter Howell, Prof. Colin Macdonald, Prof. Michael Monoyios, Prof. Oliver Riordan and Prof. Paul Tod. 

The awards will be presented at the Undergraduate Welcome Party in the Michaelmas Term.