James D. Murray facts for kids

James Dickson Murray, born on January 2, 1931, is a famous retired professor. He taught applied mathematics at the University of Washington and University of Oxford. He is most known for his important book called Mathematical Biology.

Early Life and Education

James Murray was born in Moffat, Scotland. He went to St. Andrews University where he studied math. In 1953, he earned his bachelor's degree with high honors. He then completed his PhD, a very advanced degree, at the same university in 1956.

Career and Amazing Discoveries

Professor Murray started his teaching career at the University of Durham in the UK. Later, he worked at other well-known universities like Harvard University and Oxford. In 1965, when he was 34, he became a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan.

He later became a professor of mathematical biology at the University of Oxford. He also helped start and lead the Centre for Mathematical Biology there. In the late 1980s, he moved to the University of Washington in Seattle. He spent the rest of his career there as a math professor and also taught zoology.

Professor Murray's research covered many different and important topics. For example, he helped us understand how the human body works when someone uses an ejection seat to leave an airplane quickly. He also studied how to prevent severe scars from forming. His work helped explain how fingerprint patterns are made. He even looked into how animals get their coat patterns and how wolves and deer share their territories.

Awards and Special Honors

Professor Murray has received many important awards for his work. In 1979, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Then, in 1985, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Being a Fellow of the Royal Society is a very high honor for scientists.

In 2008, Professor Murray and Professor T. J. Pedley were given the Gold Medal by the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications. They received this award for their "outstanding contributions to mathematics" over many years.