Prof. Cheryl E. Praeger AC FAA
PROFILE
Cheryl Praeger is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, and Senior Honorary Fellow, at the University of Western Australia, and when appointed Professor in 1983, was only the second woman to be professor of mathematics at an Australian university. In 2019 she became the first Western Australian and first pure mathematician to receive the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science.
Cheryl works on the mathematics of symmetry, exploiting deep theory about the finite simple groups to solve group theoretic, combinatorial, geometric, and computational problems, including questions in statistical group theory and algorithmic complexity. She has published more than 450 research articles and several books on her research, and received honorary doctorates from six universities across three continents.
The citation for her appointment as Companion of the Order of Australia read:
“for eminent service to mathematics, and to tertiary education, as a leading academic and researcher, to international organisations, and as a champion of women in STEM careers”.
QUALIFICATIONS
- DSc, University of Western Australia, 1989
- DPhil, University of Oxford, 1973
- MSc, University of Oxford, 1972
- MSc, University of Queensland, 1972
- BSc, (Hons) Mathematics, University of Queensland, 1970
SCIENCE/FAITH INTERESTS
Cheryl grew up in a Christian family in South-East Queensland. She wanted to study mathematics from her high school days. She feels that her mathematical collaborations across the world are integral to her Christian faith. Her passion for justice and human rights lead to her service on the International Science Council’s Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science.
An outcome of the media publicity resulting from Cheryl’s 2019 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science was an invitation to write an extended piece for the Australian Weekend Fin Review, entitled “On Maths and God”. This led to further invitations to speak about her life and faith.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Australian Academy of Science (Fellow; former Foreign Secretary and Council member; recipient of Ruby Payne-Scott Medal, and Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal)
- International Science Council (Fellow)
- Institute for Combinatorics and its Applications (Honorary Fellow, recipient of Euler Medal)
- Australian Mathematical Society (Honorary Life Member, former President, recipient of George Szekeres Medal)
- London Mathematical Society (Honorary member)
- American Mathematical Society (Fellow)
- International Mathematical Union (former member Executive committee)
- International Commission for Mathematics Education (former Vice President, and executive committee member)
- Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (Former member Executive Council, and Chair of the Women in Science and Engineering Committee)
- Australian Mathematics Trust (Former Board member, and Chair of the Australian Mathematics Olympiad Committee)