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MEDIA RELEASE — February 23, 2017

Canadian Mathematical Society

MEDIA RELEASE
February 23, 2017

Professor Robert McCann to receive the 2017 CMS Jeffery-Williams Prize

McCann's research is at the forefront of the development of the theory and applications of optimal transportation

Robert McCann (University of Toronto)

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is pleased to announce that Professor Robert McCann (University of Toronto) has been named the recipient of the 2017 CMS Jeffery-Williams Prize for his exceptional contributions to mathematical research. McCann will receive his award and present a lecture at the beginning of the Mathematical Congress of the Americas in July 2017.

McCann is an internationally recognized expert in applied mathematics at the forefront of the development of the theory and applications of optimal transportation. Together with his collaborators and peers worldwide, he has led a renaissance in the theory of optimal transportation, helping to transform it into one of the most vibrant and exciting areas in mathematics today.

In their nomination letter for McCann, Edward Bierstone (University of Toronto) and Nassif Ghoussoub (University of British Columbia) noted that: “McCann’s work itself impacts areas as diverse as geometry, analysis, dynamics, partial differential equations, economics, weather prediction and computer vision.”

McCann completed his undergraduate studies at Queen’s University in 1989. He earned his PhD from Princeton University in 1994 for his thesis introducing the concept of displacement convexity under the supervision of Elliot H. Lieb.

McCann held an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship and Tamarkin Assistant Professorship at Brown University (1994-98). In 1998, he accepted a tenured assistant professorship at the University of Toronto and has been a full professor in the department of mathematics since 2004. He has concurrently held various visiting positions, most recently at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (2016), the Fields Institute for Mathematical Sciences (2014), the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (2012) and the University of Chicago (2012).

McCann currently serves on the editorial boards of Advances in the Calculus of Variations, Journal of Differential Equations, SIAM Journal of Mathematical Analysis, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Mathematics (2007-2016).

McCann's exceptional contributions to mathematical research have been recognized with several distinguished research awards and honours. A selection of these recognitions include the Monroe H. Martin Prize of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland (2001), the Coxeter­James Prize of the Canadian Mathematical Society (2005), election to both the Royal Society of Canada (2014) and the Fields Institute (2015), and the Simons Fellowship in Mathematics (2016).

About the Jeffery-Williams Prize

The Jeffery-Williams Prize was inaugurated to recognize mathematicians who have made outstanding contributions to mathematical research. The first award was presented in 1968 and is named after Ralph Jeffery and Lloyd Williams, who were two influential CMS board members.

For information about past recipients visit: Jeffery-Williams Prize

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)

The CMS is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning, and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements.

For more information, please contact:

Melissa Bingöl-Phillips
Communications and Special Projects Coordinator
Canadian Mathematical Society
Tel: (613) 733-2662 ext. 728
commsp@cms.math.ca
or Prof. Nantel Bergeron (York)
Chair, CMS Research Committee
Tel: (416) 736-5250
bergeron@yorku.ca