Ruth J. Williams facts for kids

Ruth Jeannette Williams is an Australian-born American mathematician. She is a very important professor at the University of California, San Diego. There, she holds a special position called the Charles Lee Powell Chair. Her research helps us understand probability theory and stochastic processes. These are types of math that deal with chance and things that change over time.

Early Life and Learning

Ruth Williams was born in Australia. She moved to the United States in 1978.

She studied at the University of Melbourne in Australia. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Sciences, in 1976. She then got a Master of Science degree in mathematics in 1978. Later, she went to Stanford University in the U.S. She earned her Ph.D. (a very advanced degree) in 1983. Her teacher for this degree was Chung Kai-lai.

Awards and Recognition

Ruth Williams is a highly respected mathematician. She was the president of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics from 2011 to 2012. This is a big group for math experts.

She is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences. This means she is one of the top scientists in the United States. She is also a "fellow" of many other important groups. Being a fellow means she has been chosen as a leading expert in her field. These groups include:

• the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• the American Association for the Advancement of Science
• the American Mathematical Society
• the Institute of Mathematical Statistics
• the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

In 1998, she was asked to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Berlin. This is a big honor for mathematicians. She also served on the council for the American Mathematical Society.

Here are some of her other awards:

• Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (1988)
• Guggenheim Fellow (2001)
• Best Publication Award from a group called INFORMS (2007). She shared this award with Amber L. Puha and H. Christian Gromoll.
• John von Neumann Theory Prize (2016). She won this with Martin I. Reiman. They won for their important research on how systems work when things are busy.
• Honorary Doctorate from the University of Melbourne (2018). An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone for their achievements.
• Award for the Advancement of Women in Operations Research and the Management Sciences (2017). This award celebrates women in her field.
• Honorary Doctor of Science degree from La Trobe University in Australia.
• National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator.