Simpson

Associate Professor Jamie Simpson, of Curtin University of Technology, Perth, received a BH Neumann Award from Board Member Professor Cheryl Praeger at a function at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Perth on Friday 11 June 2004.

Jamie receives his Award from Professor Praeger.

Jamie with family from left Tom, Judy and Genevieve.

Citation

Jamie Simpson holds a PhD from the University of Adelaide. He has been on the staff of Curtin University since 1989. Senior Lecturer since 1992, Associate Professor since 2001.

He has a positive attitude to his teaching of mathematics and particularly addresses the negatives of mathematics phobia and negative feelings engendered at school if students have seen mathematics just taught as formulae, and everything being either right or wrong.

His background helps him teach students of wide interests. His first degree was in physics, and included some geology, which he followed up with vacation work at the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Canberra. His first job was as a computer programmer in the days of punch cards and his research impacts on Computer Science. He has also been a teacher and taught in Papua New Guinea with an Anglican Mission.

He enters Curtin students in two University competitions, the Sydney University Mathematics Society (SUMS) competition and the Blakers Competition run by UWA.

He has been nominated by the Student Guild at Curtin for a Curtin Excellence in Teaching Award.

The reason why Jamie came most under notice for the BH Neumann Award is his work with gifted secondary school students, particularly having organized the International Mathematics Tournament of Towns in Perth. This requires choosing the team members, running several (usually 6) Saturday afternoon training sessions during the year and supervising and marking the exams. Students are given a certificate for participating by the Australian Mathematics Trust and those who do very well are given a Diploma by the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He is involved in helping gifted students in various other ways. He is Associate Director of the WA Olympiad and chair of its Problems Committee and helps run the WA Olympiads. There are various special courses run in the state for gifted students. He helped set up the Curtin University School of Mathematics and Statistics enrichment program and taught classes in its first year. Jamie also gives lectures in the UWA-run WA Academy for Young Mathematicians. He is a member of the Senior Problems Committee for the Australian Mathematical Olympiad Committee, which involves composing and assessing problems to be used in elite competitions. He has twice been a mentor (or personal coach) for two students in Australia's Mathematical Olympiad team for the International Mathematical Olympiad. One of these students, Akshay Venkatesh, won a bronze medal and the other, Christopher Barber, gained an honourable mention.

Jamie has a great interest in mathematics educations generally and has served on the Curriculum Council's Mathematics Syllabus Committee.

Jamie has many research papers in areas such as number theory and discrete mathematics. One of the more interesting applications to come out of this has been work designing draws for the Western Australian Football League.

Peter Taylor

Friday 11 June 2004