Lisa Piccirillo Awarded 2021 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize in Mathematics

Assistant Professor Lisa Piccirillo was selected for an inaugural 2021 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize, created in 2019 by the Breakthrough Foundation to recognize outstanding early-career women in mathematics. Lisa is cited for “resolving the classic problem that the Conway knot is not smoothly slice.” She was also recently named one of this year's WIRED25 for "People Who Are Making Things Better."

“I can’t wait to see what comes next from these brilliant young women,” said School of Science Dean Nergis Mavalvala, congratulating Lisa Piccirillo, fellow New Frontiers prizewinner and 2018 Math PhD alum Nina Holden, and two women faculty physicists, each selected for the Breakthrough's New Horizons Prize in Physics.

Congratulations Lisa!

Read more in the MIT News.

Semyon Dyatlov, Pei-Ken Hung, and Jonathan Kelner Receive Teaching with Digital Technology Awards

Professors Semyon Dyatlov and Jonathan Kelner and CLE Moore Instructor Pei-Ken Hung each received the 2020 Teaching with Digital Technology Award for enhancing on-campus and remote teaching.

"They worked very hard to improve teaching and learning for MIT students in this digital era, and they also helped the rest of the department get up to speed," says Department Head Michel Goemans.

The awards are student-nominated and co-sponsored by MIT Open Learning and the Office of the Vice Chancellor.

Congratulations Semyon, Pei-Ken, and Jon!

Read more at the MIT News.

Elchanan Mossel Named 2020 Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow

Elchanan Mossel has been selected by the Department of Defense for a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship for his research on information flows on networks.

He is among eight distinguished faculty scientists and engineers who will be provided fellowship funds "to advance transformative, university-based fundamental research."

Congratulations Elchanan!

Alexei Borodin and Zhiwei Yun Named Simons Investigators

Alexei Borodin and Zhiwei Yun were each selected to receive a 2020 Simons Investigator award in Mathematics.

This program "supports outstanding theoretical scientists in their most productive years, when they are establishing creative new research directions, providing leadership to the field and effectively mentoring junior scientists."

They are among 15 of the 2020 Simons Investigators in Mathematics, Physics, Astrophysics, and Computer Science.

Alexei and Zhiwei join their fellow Simons Investigators Larry Guth, Elchanan Mossel, Bjorn Poonen, and Paul Seidel.

Congratulations Alexei and Zhiwei!