Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Michael Groechenig awarded 2024 New Horizons Prize in Mathematics

lanthierj — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:12:22 +0000

Michael Groechenig awarded 2024 New Horizons Prize in Mathematics

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Fri, 09/15/2023 - 15:12

Faculty

Mississauga

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

New Horizons Prize

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Michael Groechenig (photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

Michael Groechenig, an associate professor in the ��Ƶ Mississauga’s department of mathematical and computational sciences, has received the prestigious 2024 New Horizons Prize in Mathematics from the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.

Billed as “the Oscars of Science,” the Breakthrough Prize was founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner and Anne Wojcicki to recognize the world's top scientists working in the fundamental sciences.

The New Horizons Prize in Mathematics is awarded to promising early-career researchers who have already produced important work. Jacob Tsimerman of the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts & Science was recognized with the 2022 prize.

Groechenig received the award for his insights into arithmetic geometry, specifically for his contributions to the theory of rigid local systems and applications of p-adic integration to mirror symmetry and the fundamental lemma.

“I was feeling quite surprised and very humbled when I learnt about having won the New Horizons,” Groechenig says. “It’s such an honour to receive that recognition from my community.

“I’m grateful to my collaborators Hélène Esnault, Dimitri Wyss and Paul Ziegler for the many interesting things they have taught me and for our joint work on the papers for which the prize was awarded.”

Groechenig was awarded a Sloan Fellowship in 2022.

Yevgeny Liokumovich awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 16:08:27 +0000

Yevgeny Liokumovich awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 11:08

Faculty

Mississauga

Sloan Research Fellowships

U of T Mississauga

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

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Assistant Professor Yevgeny Liokumovich of the department of mathematical and computational sciences at the ��Ƶ Mississauga has been awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship.

Liokumovich studies quantitative topology and a specialized area of geometric analysis known as min-max theory – working with complicated shapes, involving higher dimensions and other confounding factors, to solve problems related to advanced mathematics and everyday scenarios.

“I'm interested in all spaces that can be locally described mathematically as a flat plain or its higher dimensional analogs. What are the ways they can be deformed? What kinds of geometry can they possibly have?” Liokumovich says. “Min-max Theory can be used to construct objects known as minimal surfaces. Minimal surfaces have been used to prove important results in general relativity, and I am hoping that they will also lead to new insights.”

Liokumovich, who grew up in Kazahkhstan and moved to Toronto in Grade 11, did his undergraduate work and PhD at U of T. He says the chair of his department, Konstantin Khanin, encouraged him to apply for the fellowship.

“He was very enthusiastic, but I was kind of unsure. I always hesitate asking people for reference letters. They’re very busy people working on very important problems. But Konstantin encouraged me to overcome that.”

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Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

lanthierj — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:47:16 +0000

Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 02/17/2021 - 06:47

Faculty

Mississauga

St. George

Sloan Research Fellowships

Faculty of Arts & Science

U of T Mississauga

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

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L-R: David Curtin, Yevgeny Liokumovich, Roger Grosse, Sophie Rousseaux, Tovi Grossman

Four researchers from the Faculty of Arts & Science and one researcher from the ��Ƶ Mississauga have received prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships for 2021.

The fellowships are awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to early career researchers in Canada and the United States “whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.”

The five researchers, who will each receive USD $75,000 over two years to stimulate their fundamental research, are:

Assistant Professor David Curtin, department of physics, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Roger Grosse, department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Tovi Grossman, department of computer science, Faculty of Arts & Science
Assistant Professor Yevgeny Liokumovich, department of mathematical and computational sciences, U of T Mississauga
Assistant Professor Sophie Rousseaux, department of chemistry, Faculty of Arts & Science

“I’m thrilled that today four accomplished [Faculty of Arts & Science] researchers were named Sloan Research Fellows,” said Professor Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. “We are very fortunate to have these promising early-career scholars among our faculty. They are, without a doubt, researchers to watch.”

“I congratulate Yevgeny Liokumovich on being named a Sloan Research Fellow,” said Professor Konstantin Khanin, chair of U of T Mississauga's department of mathematical and computational sciences. “It’s a well-deserved recognition for a young mathematician who has obtained fundamental results in the field of Geometric Analysis.

“I am delighted and proud he has received this honour and very much look forward to seeing where his research takes him in the future.”

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Andrew Petersen wins 2018-2019 OCUFA Teaching Award

lanthierj — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 16:48:33 +0000

Andrew Petersen wins 2018-2019 OCUFA Teaching Award

Teaching

lanthierj Wed, 11/20/2019 - 11:48

Faculty

Mississauga

Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

landscape

(photo by Drew Lesiuczok)

Andrew Petersen, an associate professor, teaching stream in the ��Ƶ Mississauga’s department of mathematical and computational sciences, has received the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association’s 2018-2019 OCUFA Teaching Award for his contributions to the advancement of innovation in teaching and learning practices.

Petersen trained to design and program computer chips, but discovered a passion for pedagogy as a teaching assistant during his graduate studies.

He has created reading groups for students and colleagues to stay up-to-date on best practices and new pedagogical research, and established the website for U of T’s tri-campus Computer Science Education Research Group.

“Andrew has made a huge difference, particularly in the educational research community,” says Michelle Craig, associate professor, teaching stream with the department of computer science on the St. George campus. “This has changed the way we teach, and improves our practice all the time.”

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Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Michael Groechenig awarded 2024 New Horizons Prize in Mathematics

Read more about the Breakthrough Prize

Yevgeny Liokumovich awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship

Read the U of T Mississauga story

Five U of T researchers recognized with Sloan Research Fellowships

Andrew Petersen wins 2018-2019 OCUFA Teaching Award

Read the U of T News story