Three professors elected Fellows of new UK maths academy

Three of Reading’s distinguished academics have been honoured with election to the Fellowship of the UK’s Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.

Professor David Lane FAcadMathSci, a specialist in strategic analysis using system dynamics and systems thinking at Henley Business School, University of Reading; Professor Jennifer Scott FAcadMathSci, Professor of Applied Mathematics and Director at Reading of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Mathematics for our Future Climate; and Professor Paul Glaister CBE FAcadMathSci, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education, the latter two both in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Reading, have all been named among the 100 inaugural cohort of Fellows of the Academy.

The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences is a new national body sitting alongside the UK’s other four national academies: The Royal Society, The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering, and The Academy of Medical Sciences.

The Academy’s Fellowship will bring together the UK’s strongest mathematicians, who have been recognised for being leaders in their fields, across academia, education, business, industry, and government, to help solve some of the UK’s biggest challenges. Their breadth of experience and depth of expertise will make the Fellowship much greater than the sum of its parts.

Working across focussed committees, the Fellows will contribute to projects of national importance, such as strengthening mathematical education in the UK, supporting responsible AI, addressing the UK’s leaky mathematical talent pipeline, and leveraging the mathematical sciences to tackle climate change.

The appointment of the Academy’s inaugural cohort of Fellows is a historic milestone for an organisation positioned to be critical to the UK’s future prosperity and success for years to come.

Professor David Lane said: “Mathematics is a rigorous and elegant discipline that is both a joy in itself, and a powerful tool for addressing complex problems and supporting policy. The Academy aims to reinforce the development and use of mathematics in the UK across a spectrum of activities, including world-class research, innovative practical applications, stimulating educational approaches, and just plain delight. I am delighted to have been invited to join the inaugural cohort of Fellows, and to contribute to this project.”

Professor Jennifer Scott said: “This honour recognises my dual career that has combined working for more than 30 years as a Computational Mathematician at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory with, in the last 10 years, my academic position and CDT Directorship at the University of Reading. I am extremely grateful to colleagues in both institutions, as well as to my collaborators, for their support, encouragement and inspiration.”

Professor Paul Glaister CBE said: "I am very honoured to receive this recognition. I am hugely grateful to the many people and groups I have worked with across the UK, internationally, and within the University of Reading. I am indebted to them all for their enduring support of my activities, and for the opportunities I have had to be able to pursue my passion for mathematics and mathematics education.”

More details the background and activities of the three Reading-based Fellows are available online:

• Professor David Lane Henley Business School profile
• Professor Jennifer Scott UKRI biography
• Professor Paul Glaister Academy biography

Professor Robert Van de Noort CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “My warmest congratulations to all three of our colleagues on their election to the Fellowship of the UK’s Academy for the Mathematical Sciences.

“We are immensely proud that Reading should be home to three inaugural Fellows. This demonstrates the strength and breadth within the University’s community of mathematicians, which underpins all of our most important and impactful study in the sciences and social sciences.”

Lord Vallance KCB FRS FMedSci FRCP HonFREng, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), said: “Mathematics sits at the heart of the UK’s scientific and technological strength and is essential to the development of the industries of the future, in exciting fields like AI and quantum.

"The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences’ inaugural Fellows represent the very best of this national capability, and I commend the Academy for bringing them together. Their expertise strengthens our security, boosts productivity and supports high‑quality jobs across the country, so it is only right that they are celebrated."

Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, the President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, said: “I’m delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows — individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.

“As Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK’s research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.”