Praeger

Professor Cheryl Praeger received a BH Neumann Award at the University of Western Australia, on Thursday 18 November 2010.

Cheryl receives the award from Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, Professor Bill Louden.

Citation

External to her Trust activities, Cheryl Praeger’s career is full of high achievement. Her research papers, normally in algebra and discrete mathematics, would rank her among the very top among Australian mathematicians. Indeed her selection as an “ISI highly cited researcher” places her among the very top mathematicians world-wide.

Born in Toowoomba and educated at University of Queensland and University of Oxford (where her PhD supervisor was BH Neumann’s son Peter) she also holds a DSc at UWA and an honorary doctorate at the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand and also at the Free University of Brussels (as translated into English).

At the age of 35 she was appointed as Professor at the University of Western Australia in 1983, the Chair which had been held by Larry Blakers before his retirement. She served a term as President of the Australian Mathematical Society (AustMS), 1992 to 1994 (the first female to do so). She was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1996 and was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1999.

She was the first Australian-based mathematician to be elected to the Executive (in 2006) of the International Mathematical Union and was re-elected to a second 4 year term in 2010. She has won numerous awards and prizes. For example she was the first Pure Mathematician to win an Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship in 2007 and she is currently Western Australia’s Scientist of the Year. As well as her research interests she has taken a particular interest in the teaching of mathematics, taking various advisory roles such as a term on the Education Advisory Committee of the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (AMSI), and other federal and state roles. She also currently chairs the Australian Council of Heads of Mathematical Sciences.

Within the Australian Mathematics Trust, and its related events in Western Australia, Cheryl has contributed to the fullest level. She has chaired the Organising Committee of the Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad since it was established by the WA AMOC committee 13 years ago. She has been a member of the Trust’s Board since the Trust was formed as a merger of the Australian Mathematics Foundation and Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee (AMOC) in 1992. Originally she was on the Board representing AustMS. However in 1996 she became Deputy Chair of AMOC and then Chair in 2002. She remains on the Board of the Trust, now representing the AMOC. She was also on the Problems Committee of the Australian Mathematics Competition between 1987 and 1989.

As a mathematician she represents a role model for our young Olympiad students to aspire to. In her own state she not only inspires students but also teachers and educators. With Cheryl’s encouragement, the number and range of enrichment activities available to students is second to none. Also the number of teachers and educators providing such activities is second to none.

Cheryl qualifies for the BH Neumann Award not just because of her own high standards and achievements, but also for the inspiration she gives to others and the enjoyment she gets from admiring the achievements of others.

Peter Taylor

Thursday 18 November 2010

Cheryl with husband John Henstridge and son Timothy.

Cheryl with BH Neumann winners from Western Australia, from left Jamie Simpson, Phil Schultz, Russell Coad, Lucho Stoyanov, Terri Blakers (widow of Larry), Elena Stovanova and Norm Hoffman.

Members of the WA Junior Olympiad Committee, from left, Cheryl, Jamie Simpson, Alice Devillers, Janet Hunt, Phil Schultz, Michael Giudici, Elena Stoyanova, Greg Gamble. Missing is Mark White.