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Tuesday, 17 July 2012

A mathematician who is in the top one per cent of highly-cited mathematicians in the world, Winthrop Professor Cheryl Praeger, will present the Annual Lecture of the UWA Historical Society next week.

Professor Praeger, Director of The University of Western Australia's Centre for the Mathematics of Symmetry and Computation, has taught and researched at UWA since 1976 as a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professor.

In her lecture, ‘Mathematics and Women: 36 Years at The University of Western Australia', she will reflect upon her years on campus, experiences and achievements.

Professor Praeger said many disciplines such as physics and economics had always relied on a foundation of mathematics.

"But now virtually every area of our lives depends on the mathematical sciences - from healthcare to telecommunications; from understanding climate change to making secure financial transactions," she said.

"We need to ensure a strong mathematical education for our young people to underpin their other skills, whether in science, medicine, engineering or technology."

Professor Praeger is an Australian Research Council Federation Fellow.  She received BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Queensland, a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has received honorary doctorates from the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand and the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium.

Her research has focused on the theory of group actions and their applications in Algebraic Graph Theory and for Combinatorial Designs; and algorithms for group computation including questions in statistical group theory and algorithmic complexity.

Prior to her UWA appointment, Professor Praeger held a Research Fellowship at the Australian National University and taught for a semester at the University of Virginia.

Professor Praeger is a member of the Order of Australia, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Executive Committee member of the International Mathematical Union, member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts, foundation board member of the Australian Mathematics Trust, Chair of the Australian Mathematics Olympiad Committee, former president of the Australian Mathematical Society, former Chair of the Australian Council of Heads of Mathematical Sciences and was 2009 Western Australian Scientist of the Year.

WHAT: Free public lecture:  ‘Mathematics and Women:  36 Years at The University of Western Australia'

WHEN: 6.15pm, Wednesday 25 July

WHERE: Weatherburn Theatre , UWA

RSVP: Ron Bodycoat on (08) 9384 6166.

Media references

Winthrop Professor Cheryl Praeger (UWA School of Mathematics and Statistics)  (+61 8)  6488 3344
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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