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Barbara Keyfitz
Keyfitz.jpg
Keyfitz in 1982
Nationality Canadian, American
Alma mater New York University
Title Professor
Awards Krieger–Nelson Prize, SIAM Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession
Scientific career
Institutions Ohio State University
Columbia University
Princeton University
Arizona State University
University of Houston
Doctoral advisor Peter Lax

Barbara Lee Keyfitz is a Canadian-American mathematician. She is a special professor of mathematics at Ohio State University. Her work focuses on complex math problems called nonlinear partial differential equations and conservation laws. These help us understand how things change in the world, like how heat spreads or how waves move.

Her Amazing Career

Barbara Keyfitz started her studies at the University of Toronto. She earned her Ph.D. in 1970 from New York University. Her teacher there was a famous mathematician named Peter Lax.

Before joining Ohio State University, Professor Keyfitz taught at many other universities. These included Columbia University, Princeton University, Arizona State University, and the University of Houston. At the University of Houston, she held a special title as the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Mathematics.

She also led the Fields Institute from 2004 to 2008. This institute is a big center for math research.

Leading Math Groups

Professor Keyfitz has also been a leader in important math organizations.

  • She was the president of the Association for Women in Mathematics from 2005 to 2006. This group supports women who work in math.
  • In 2011, she became the president of the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. This group helps connect math with real-world problems.
  • She was also a Vice-President of the American Mathematical Society from 2011 to 2014.

Awards and Special Honors

Barbara Keyfitz has received many awards for her important work in mathematics.

  • In 2005, she won the Krieger–Nelson Prize from the Canadian Mathematical Society. This is a top award for Canadian women in math.
  • She was chosen as the Noether Lecturer in 2011 by the Association for Women in Mathematics. This is a special talk given by an outstanding woman mathematician.
  • In 2012, she won the SIAM Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession. This award is for helping the math community.
  • She was also the AWM-SIAM Sonia Kovalevsky Lecturer in 2012. This lecture honors another famous woman in math.

Fellowships

Being a "fellow" means you are recognized as a top expert in your field.

About Her Life

Barbara Keyfitz was born in Ottawa, Canada. Her father, Nathan Keyfitz, was also a very smart person who studied populations. She is married to Marty Golubitsky, who is also a mathematician. They have two children.

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