Jane M. Hawkins facts for kids
Jane Margaret Hawkins is an American mathematician. She is a professor of mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work focuses on how things change over time, which mathematicians call dynamical systems. She also studies complex dynamics, including things like cellular automata and Julia sets.
More recently, she has used cellular automata to create models. These models help understand how diseases like HIV, Hepatitis C, and Ebola spread.
Her Journey in Math
Jane Hawkins earned her first degree in mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross. This college is in Worcester, Massachusetts. She then received a special award called a Marshall Scholarship. This scholarship allowed her to study in the United Kingdom.
She earned her Ph.D. (a high-level degree) from the University of Warwick in 1981. Her main teacher was Klaus Schmidt. Her Ph.D. paper was about how systems change over time.
Professor Hawkins taught at the State University of New York, Stony Brook from 1980 to 1987. After that, she joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She has written important books about mathematics. Her book Ergodic Dynamics came out in 2021. Another book, The Mathematics of Cellular Automata, was published in 2024.
Helping the Math Community
Jane Hawkins has done a lot to support mathematical research. In 2004 and again in 2012, she spoke to a special group in the U.S. government. She explained why it was important to give money for math research.
She also held important roles in the American Mathematical Society (AMS). This is a big group for mathematicians. She was the Treasurer, which means she managed their money. She also led the AMS Investment Committee and was on the Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2021.
Professor Hawkins has worked hard to encourage women in mathematics. She was a faculty member and speaker at the George Washington University's Summer Program for Women in Math (SPWM). She participated in this program from 1999 until it ended in 2013.
Awards and Honors
Jane Hawkins was the first female valedictorian at the College of the Holy Cross. A valedictorian is the student with the highest grades in their graduating class.
In 2012, she became one of the first people to be named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. This is a special honor given to mathematicians who have made important contributions.
About Her Life
Jane Hawkins is married to another mathematician, Michael E. Taylor. She says he encouraged her to keep doing her research in mathematics.
