April 8, 2016 [TORONTO] The Fields Institute is pleased to announce in conjunction with the Canadian Applied and Industrial Mathematics Society (CAIMS) that Dr. Huaxiong Huang is the 2016 winner of the CAIMS-Fields Industrial Mathematics Prize. This prize is awarded to a researcher in recognition of exceptional research in any branch of industrial mathematics. The bulk of their research should be conducted in Canada. 

At the time of the announcement John Stockie, of Simon Fraser University, and a selection committee member for the CAIMS-Fields Industrial Mathematics Prize, remarked that “Huaxiong Huang has been a central figure in developing industrial mathematics as a vibrant research discipline in Canada. For most of his career he has been heavily involved both as an organizer and a researcher.”

“Huang was the inaugural Industrial Coordinator at the Pacific Institute of Mathematical Sciences [PIMS], he played a critical role in the early years of the Industrial Problem-Solving Workshops [IPSW], and he was also involved in the Graduate Industrial Mathematical Modelling Camps [GIMMC], where he not only initiated many new ties with industrial partners but he was also a tireless promoter of the value of industrial mathematics to the academic community. He has since continued to participate as a key organizer of most Canadian IPSWs, while also distinguishing himself through his contributions at similar workshops held around the world,” Stockie also said.

Upon learning of the news, Dr. Huang said that he was both “honoured and humbled” that he had been not only considered but awarded the prize.

Professor Huang has an impressive research record, with over 75 journal publications that involve a surprisingly broad cross-section of applied mathematics including partial differential equations, asymptotics, fluid mechanics, probability, stochastic processes, and scientific computing. His work impacts a broad sphere of influence to the study of applications ranging from industrial sectors such as banking, insurance, biomedicine, energy, and material science. 

In the words of one referee: “his papers shed new light on practical issues across physical, biological and social science. I know of only a tiny handful of applied mathematicians around the world who have the courage and imagination to do this”. 

About the CAIMS-Fields Industrial Mathematics Prize

The CAIMS-Fields annual industrial mathematics prize is awarded to a researcher in recognition of their exceptional research in any branch of industrial mathematics, interpreted broadly. The nominee's research should be primarily conducted in Canada, and is not only a high honour to bestow upon an individual, but it is also an acknowledgement of industrial mathematics as a fundamental and vibrant discipline within the research culture of Canada.

The award consists of a cash prize of $1,000 and a commemorative plaque that is presented at the CAIMS Annual Meeting. The recipient is invited to deliver a lecture at the CAIMS Annual Meeting in the year of their award.

The Fields Institute began co-sponsoring this prize in 2015. Prior to the Fields Institute’s sponsorship, the prize was known as the CAIMS-Mprime Industrial Mathematics.

About Dr. Huaxiong Huang

Dr. Huang was trained as an applied mathematician. He received his PhD in Mathematics in 1992 from the University of British Colombia, obtaining his postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins and Simon Fraser Universities. He is a professor at York University, where he has been teaching in the Mathematics Department since 1999. He is presently the Associate Director for Industrial Liaison at the Fields Institute. 

He maintains an active professional life within the mathematics field, editing several journals related to his interests in Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing, Financial and Industrial Mathematics, Biomathematics, and Fluid Mechanics. It is clear from professor Huang’s credentials and research interests that he is a perfect fit for this role.

About the Fields Institute

Founded in 1992, the Fields Institute is a leading international research centre located on the campus of the University of Toronto.

The mission of the Institute is to enhance mathematical activity in Canada by bringing together mathematicians from Canada and abroad, and by promoting contact and collaboration between professional mathematicians and the increasing numbers of users of mathematics. Thus the Institute supports research in pure and applied mathematics, statistics and computer science, as well as collaboration between mathematicians and those applying mathematics in areas such as engineering, the physical and biological sciences, medicine, economics and finance, telecommunications and information systems.

Every year, its programs attract more than 4000 participants from around the world. The Institute is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the National Science Foundation (US), and a growing list of partner universities and corporations in Canada, the United States, and Europe.

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