Terry Lyons (pictured), Wallis Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, has been appointed as Director of the Wales Institute for Mathematical and Computational Sciences (WIMCS).
Professor Lyons will undertake the role in addition to his post at the University of Oxford’s Mathematical Institute.
The £5million WIMCS was launched at Swansea University in December 2006. Swansea is leading the collaborative venture to develop the research institute, which draws together existing mathematical and computational science excellence in Wales, to improve the competitiveness of Welsh research in these areas both in the UK and internationally.
The Institute involves a diverse range of departments in Swansea University, Cardiff University, Aberystwyth University, and Bangor University, and is supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’ Reconfiguration and Collaboration Fund.
Professor Lyons said: "It can be difficult to grasp the full scale of the contribution mathematics makes to our daily lives. For instance, the newest generations of mobile telephones rely on statistical averaging techniques to work; sophisticated mathematical analysis is required in order to turn the data from hospital body scanners into information doctors can use."
"I am very excited that the Welsh Assembly Government and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, together with the Welsh universities, have realised the importance of these contributions and the need to build and develop on the excellence that already exists within the Welsh mathematical and computational community, and to ensure that mathematicians collaborate across Wales."
"I believe WIMCS can make an important contribution to creating an environment where researchers in Wales can flourish and carry out research at an international level. We can produce a steady stream of highly qualified individuals, who will contribute to the development of the disciplines, their applications, and the Welsh industrial base. I very much look forward to leading it in this direction."
Swansea University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Nigel Weatherill, said: "We are delighted to have attracted such an eminent mathematician as Professor Lyons to lead the work of WIMCS. His appointment is confirmation of how the institute has already established itself as a world-class centre of research in the mathematical and computational sciences."