Catherine Hobbs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catherine Hobbs
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Catherine Ann Hobbs
1968 Bristol, UK
|
| Alma mater | University of Warwick (BSc Mathematics) University of Liverpool (PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics Singularity theory |
| Thesis | On Kinematic Singularities of Low Dimension (1993) |
| Doctoral advisor | Dr Christopher Gibson |
Catherine Ann Hobbs (born 1968) is a British mathematician and educator. She is a professor and a dean at Coventry University. Her work focuses on using singularity theory to understand things in science. She also cares a lot about helping and encouraging girls and women to study science, technology, engineering, and math.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Catherine Hobbs was born in 1968. Her father, David Hobbs, taught mathematics education at the University of Exeter. He helped write important math textbooks for schools. These books introduced new math ideas to students. Her mother, Rosalind Hobbs, was a primary school teacher.
Catherine went to the University of Warwick from 1986 to 1989. There, her teachers encouraged her to continue studying math after her first degree. She then earned her PhD from the University of Liverpool between 1989 and 1993. Her PhD research looked at how singularity theory could be used in robotics.
Career Highlights
Catherine Hobbs started her teaching career at the University of Nottingham in 1992. In 1994, she moved to Oxford Brookes University. She became a senior lecturer and later led the Department of Mathematical Sciences. She also became an Associate Dean there.
In 2010, she became the head of a department at the University of the West of England in Bristol. Today, she is the Academic Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing at Coventry University. This means she helps lead the entire faculty.
Catherine Hobbs has also held important roles in big math organizations. From 2014 to 2017, she led the Committee of Heads of Departments of Mathematical Sciences in the UK. Since 2017, she has been a vice president of the London Mathematical Society. In 2023, she became the Honorary Education Secretary of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. She also became the Chair of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematical Research.
Math Research
Catherine Hobbs's research is about using pure mathematics to solve problems in science. For example, she has studied how geometry applies to robotics. She has also worked on understanding complex math problems related to dynamical systems. These are systems that change over time, like weather patterns or how planets move.
Supporting Women in STEM
When Catherine Hobbs was a student, she was often the only girl in her advanced math classes. She also noticed very few women working as professors in math. This made her want to help more women get into STEM fields.
She has created programs to help mentor young women. She has also organized events and talks to show girls examples of successful women in science. She was very active in an organization called European Women in Mathematics. She helped organize their conferences and edited their publications.
Catherine Hobbs was part of a government group that advised on women in STEM from 2009 to 2011. She also worked with the WISE Campaign, which encourages women in science and engineering. In 1999, she helped start the London Mathematical Society's Women in Mathematics Committee. This committee won an award in 2016 for its work in promoting diversity in STEM.
Awards and Recognition
Catherine Hobbs is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. In 2019, she was recognized as a National Teaching Fellow. This award celebrates excellent teaching in higher education.
