The AustMS welcomes its new members of Council, and is particularly pleased to announce its new Incoming President, Professor Jessica Purcell, and Vice-President, Professor Aidan Sims.
Jessica Purcell: I am a Professor of Mathematics in the School of Mathematics at Monash University. I am also Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Science at Monash University. I was Chair of WIMSIG from 2019 to 2020, and I’m currently finishing up my term as Immediate Past Chair of WIMSIG. My research is in geometry and topology. In research, I work on problems in the overlap of hyperbolic geometry, 3-manifolds, and knot theory. I obtained my PhD in Mathematics from Stanford University, and held positions in the US (a postdoc at University of Texas at Austin, a continuing position at Brigham Young University) and the UK (postdoc at Oxford University). A sabbatical at the University of Melbourne in 2014 helped convince me to move to Australia long term, and I joined Monash in 2015. I seek to make mathematics open and welcoming, and I want to see the support and opportunities to ensure its healthy future.
Aidan Sims: I’m Aidan Sims, currently in the School of Maths and Applied Stats at the University of Wollongong, which stands in Yuin Country. I was born on Anēwan Country (in Armidale), and completed my undergrad degree and PhD (2004) at the University of Newcastle on Awabakal Country. I came to UOW in 2007. My research is focussed on functional analysis and operator algebras, with a few forays into algebra and topology. Personally, I’m especially enthusiastic about promoting equity, diversity and inclusivity in the AustMS and in mathematics more generally.
You can read a short interview with Prof. Purcell here, and Prof. Sims here.
