SIAM 50th Anniversary and 2002 Annual Meeting

Prizes, awards, and special lectures are shown in alphabetical order

I. E. Block Community Lecture

The I. E. Block Community Lecture was instituted in 1995 to encourage public appreciation of the excitement and vitality of applied mathematics by reaching out as broadly as possible to students, teachers, and members of the local community, as well as to SIAM members, researchers, and practitioners in fields related to applied and computational mathematics. The lecture is open to the public and is named in honor of I. Edward Block, a founder of SIAM who served as its Managing Director for nearly 20 years.


Christopher Bregler begins his I. E. Block Community Lecture.

2002 Lecturer: Christoph Bregler, Stanford University

Title of Lecture: "From Muybridge to Virtual Humans, the Mathematics of Motion Pictures"

Christoph Bregler is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University since 1998. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC-Berkeley in 1995 and 1998 respectively, and his Diplom from Karlsrühe University in 1993. He also worked for several companies including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Interval, and Disney Feature Animation. He is a member of the Stanford Movement Research Group, which does research in Vision and Graphics with a focus on Motion Capture, human face, speech, and body movement analysis and synthesis, and artistic aspects of animation.

The I. E. Block Community Lecturer receives a $500 honorarium and an engraved clock.

Julian Cole Lectureship

Awarded for an outstanding contribution to the mathematical characterization and solution of a challenging problem in the physical or biological sciences, or in engineering, or for the development of mathematical methods for the solution of such problems.

The initial funds for this award were contributed by the students, friends, colleagues, and family of the late Julian Cole, a long-time SIAM member and volunteer.

This is the first time the award is being given.


Stephen J. Chapman and Tom Manteuffel

2002 Winner: Stephen Jonathan Chapman, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Citation: In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the mathematical theory of superconductivity, for the solution of particular problems in that field which will influence the emergence of this new technology, and for his contributions to new techniques and methods in applied mathematics.

Title of Lecture: "Exponential Asymptotics and Linear and Nonlinear Eigenvalue Problems"

Stephen Jonathan Chapman is Professor of Mathematics and Its Applications at the Mathematical Institute at Oxford University, England. He received his B.A. in Mathematics (First Class) from Merton College, Oxford University, and his Ph.D. from St. Catherine's College, Oxford University. Chapman was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Mathematics at Stanford University (1992-1993) and a Nuclear Electric Research Fellow at St. Catherine's College, Oxford University (1993-1995). He served as a Royal Society University Research Fellow from 1995 to 1999.

The Julian Cole Lecturer receives a cash prize of $1,000 and a framed, hand-calligraphed certificate.

Richard C. DiPrima Prize

Established in 1986, the prize is awarded to a young scientist who has done outstanding research in applied mathematics (defined as those topics covered by SIAM journals) and who has completed his/her doctoral dissertation and completed all other requirements for his/her doctorate during the period running from three years prior to the award date to one year prior to the award date.

The prize, proposed by Gene H. Golub during his term as SIAM President, is funded by contributions from students, friends, colleagues, and family of the late Richard C. DiPrima, former SIAM President.


Gang Hu and Tom Manteuffel

2002 Winner: Gang Hu, California Institute of Technology (now employed by Lehman Brothers, New York)

Citation: For his dissertation, "Singularity Formation in Three-Dimensional Vortex Sheets," in which he addresses a long-standing problem in applied mathematics, namely the characterization of singularities on a vortex sheet, and uses a combination of modeling, asymptotics, rigorous analysis, and numerical computation to obtain and validate his results.

Gang Hu received his B.S. Degree in 1995 from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. He studied under Thomas Y. Hou in the Applied Mathematics Department of California Institute of Technology, where he received his Ph.D. He is currently employed by Lehman Brothers in New York in their Fixed Income Research Department, where he is working on a team to design an automatic trader.

There is no lecture associated with this prize.

The winner of the Richard C. DiPrima Prize receives $1,000 and a framed, hand-calligraphed certificate.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications

Frederick A. Howes Commendation for Public Service

Created by the SIAM Board of Trustees in 1998 and renamed in 2001 in memory of Fred Howes, this award recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to the promotion of computational and applied mathematics through public service.


Marc Q. Jacobs, H. T. Banks, and Philippe Tondeur

2002 Recipients: Marc Q. Jacobs and Philippe Tondeur

Marc Q. Jacobs, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (retired)

Citation: For his exemplary service and leadership in the development of research programs in control theory and dynamical systems at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. For more than a decade at AFOSR, he developed new research directions to significantly broaden the program, and he created strong ties between the Air Force laboratories and the academic research community. In doing so, he enhanced the visibility of mathematics at the Department of Defense, and he championed the application of dynamics and control to Air Force problems. His leadership had a profound impact on the discipline.

Marc Q. Jacobs is widely known for his contributions to optimal control theory and dynamical systems. Prior to joining AFOSR for the second time in December 1991, he was Professor of Mathematics at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. In 1979, he was named to the Defoe Distinguished Chair in Mathematics at the University of Missouri in recognition of his distinguished research and teaching. Dr. Jacobs received his B.S., M.A., and Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

Philippe Tondeur, Division of Mathematical Sciences, National Science Foundation

Citation: For his inspiring and energetic leadership of the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the National Science Foundation. During his three years at DMS, he raised the visibility of the mathematical sciences within the Foundation and the scientific community. Building on a foundation laid by his predecessors, he argued successfully for the need for increased funding in the mathematical sciences and developed programs to address the identified needs. His leadership had a profound impact on all of the mathematical sciences.

Philippe Tondeur earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Zurich and subsequently was a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Paris, Harvard University, the University of California-Berkeley, and Wesleyan University. He served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1996-1999. Dr. Tondeur is completing his term as Director of the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the National Science Foundation.

There is no lecture associated with this Commendation.

Commendation recipients are presented with a framed, hand-calligraphed certificate.

JPBM Award in Communications

This (usually) annual award was established by the AMS-MAA-SIAM Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) in 1988 to reward and encourage journalists and other communicators who, on a sustained basis, bring accurate mathematical information to non-mathematical audiences. Any person, a mathematician or non-mathematician, is eligible as long as that person is primarily a communicator with non-mathematical audiences.


Claire and Helaman Ferguson

2002 Winners: Claire and Helaman Ferguson, Laurel, Maryland

Citation: The JPBM Communications Award is presented to the Fergusons, who together have dazzled the mathematical community and a far wider public with exquisite sculptures embodying mathematical ideas, along with artful and accessible essays and lectures elucidating the mathematical concepts.

Helaman Ferguson began his studies as an apprentice to a stone mason, then studied painting at Hamilton College and sculpture in graduate school. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Washington in Seattle and taught the subject for 17 years at Brigham Young University. He now lives and works in Laurel, Maryland where he has set up an extensive studio in his home. In addition to selling his works, he designs algorithms for operating machinery and for scientific visualization. He has exhibited and sold his sculptures worldwide.

Claire Ferguson has worked closely with Helaman as curator, expositor, and publicist on his mathematical sculptures. She is author of the book "Helaman Ferguson, Mathematics in Stone and Bronze." She is also an artist in her own right and has won scholarships and prizes for her work.

There is no lecture associated with this award.

The winner of the JPBM Communications Award receives a $1,000 cash prize and a hand-calligraphed certificate.

SIAM Award in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling

The SIAM Award in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM), established in 1988, is awarded to two of the teams judged as "Outstanding" in the annual MCM. One winning team of students is chosen for each of the problems posed in the MCM.


From left to right: James Case, David Arthur, Sam Malone, Ben Fusaro, Ernie Esser, Ryan Card, Jeff Giansiracusa, and Tom Manteuffel

2002 Winners:

Winning students each receive $800 (prize and travel), complimentary membership in SIAM for three years, and a framed, hand-calligraphed certificate for the students' schools.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications

The George Pólya Prize

The George Pólya Prize in 2002 is given for a notable contribution in an area of interest to George Pólya such as approximation theory, complex analysis, number theory, orthogonal polynomials, probability theory, or mathematical discovery and learning.


Harold Widom, Craig A. Tracy, and Tom Manteuffel

2002 Winners: Craig A. Tracy and Harold Widom

Citation: The George Pólya Prize is awarded to Craig A. Tracy and Harold Widom for their remarkable work on random matrix theory, a subject with multiple connections to complex analysis, orthogonal polynomials, probability theory and integral systems.

Craig A. Tracy, University of California, Davis

Craig A. Tracy is Professor of Mathematics at University of California, Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Physics at SUNY at Stony Brook in 1973 under the thesis supervision of Barry McCoy. He did postdoctoral work at the University of Rochester (1973-1975), SUNY at Stony Brook (1975-1978) and was on the faculty of Dartmouth College (1978-1984) before joining UC Davis. Professor Tracy was Chair of the Department of Mathematics at UC Davis from 1994 to 1998.

Harold Widom, University of California, Santa Cruz

Harold Widom is Professor Emeritus in Applied Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He attended Stuyvesant High School in New York and received his B.S. Degree from City College of New York. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Chicago. Professor Widom taught mathematics at Cornell University from 1955 to 1968. He has been at the University of California, Santa Cruz since 1968 and received his Emeritus status in 1994. He has been a Sloan Fellow and has won two Guggenheim Fellowships.

Title of Lecture: "New Universal Limit Laws: Largest Eigenvalue Distributions of Random Matrices and Their Applications"

The Pólya Prize consists of a $20,000 cash award (to be shared by this year's recipients) and an engraved medal.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications

The W. T. and Idalia Reid Prize

The W. T. and Idalia Reid Prize in Mathematics was established by SIAM in 1993 to recognize outstanding work in, or other contributions to, the broadly defined areas of differential equations and control theory. The prize, given annually, may be awarded either for a single notable achievement or a collection of such achievements. The prize fund was endowed by the late Mrs. Idalia Reid to honor her husband.


H. T. Banks and Tom Manteuffel

2002 Winner: H. Thomas Banks, North Carolina State University

Citation: The W. T. and Idalia Reid Prize is awarded to H. Thomas Banks for his fundamental contributions to the theoretical and computational foundations in the identification and control of infinite dimensional systems.

Title of Lecture: "Riccati Equations in Feedback Control and Estimation"

H. Thomas Banks is a University Professor and Drexel Professor of Mathematics at North Carolina State University where he directs the Center for Research in Scientific Computation. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Southern California where he served as the Director for the Center for Applied Mathematical Sciences from 1989 to 1992, and he served on the faculty at Brown University's Division of Applied Mathematics from 1968 to 1989. He received his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Purdue University in 1967, and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University. His research interests are in estimation and control of distributed parameter systems, along with computational methods, acoustics elasticity, electromagnetics, fluid /structure interactions, mathematical biology, smart materials, and structures.

The W. T. and Idalia Reid Lecturer receives $10,000 in cash and an engraved medal.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications


Pierre-Antoine Absil and Andreas Waechter


Dong Eui Chang and Tom Manteuffel


Atife Caglar and Tom Manteuffel


Philipp Kuegler and Tom Manteuffel

SIAM Student Paper Prizes

The SIAM Student Paper Prizes are awarded every year to the student author(s) of the most outstanding paper(s) submitted to the SIAM Student Paper Competition. This award is based solely on the merit and content of the student's contribution to the submitted paper. The purpose of the Student Paper Prizes is to recognize outstanding scholarship by students in applied mathematics or computing.

2002 Winners:

Pierre-Antoine Absil
University of Liege, Belgium
Title: "A Grassmann-Rayleigh Quotient Iteration for Computing Invariant Subspaces"

Dong Eui Chang
California Institute of Technology
Title: "Controlled Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Systems"

Andreas Waechter
Carnegie Mellon University
(now employed by IBM T.J. Watson Research Center)
Title: "Global and Local Convergence of Line Search Filter Methods for Nonlinear Programming"

Honorable Mention:

Atife Caglar
University of Pittsburgh
Title: "Weak Imposition of Boundary Conditions for the Navier-Stokes Equations by a Penalty-Lagrange Multiplier Method"

John Dunagan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Title: "Optimal Outlier Removal in High-Dimensional Spaces"

Philipp Kuegler
Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria
Title: "Identification of a Temperature Dependent Heat Conductivity from Single Boundary Measurements"

SIAM Student Paper Prize winners receive $1,500 (prize and travel) and a hand-calligraphed certificate.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications


John von Neumann Lecture

Established in 1959, this lecture is in the form of an honorarium for an invited lecture. The lecturer will survey and evaluate a significant and useful contribution to mathematics and its applications. It may be awarded to a mathematician or to a scientist in another field, but, in either case, the recipient should be one who has made distinguished contributions to pure and/or applied mathematics.

2002 Lecturer: Eric S. Lander, Whitehead Institute, MIT Center for Genome Research

Citation: One of the driving forces behind today's revolution in genomics, the study of all of the genes in an organism and how they function together in health and disease, Eric Lander is being recognized for his work as a geneticist, molecular biologist, and mathematician. Under his leadership, the Center for Genome Research has been responsible for developing most of the key tools of modern mammalian genomics. He also has pioneered the application of genomics to a wide range of medical problems, including cancer, diabetes, hypertension, inflammatory bowel disease, and asthma.

Title of Lecture: "The Human Genome and Beyond"

Eric Lander earned his B. A. in Mathematics from Princeton University in 1978 and his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Oxford University in 1981. He was Assistant and Associate Professor of Managerial Economics at the Harvard Business School from 1981 to 1990. Dr. Lander joined the Whitehead Institute as a Fellow in 1986 and joined the faculty of the Whitehead Institute and MIT in 1989 where he is a Full Professor. He was named a Rhodes Scholar in 1978 and received a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1987 for his work in genetics. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in 1997, the U.S. Institute of Medicine in 1998, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1999.

The John von Neumann Lecturer receives an honorarium of $2,500 and a hand-calligraphed certificate.

Previous Recipients and Prize Specifications

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