Sophie Morel facts for kids

Sophie Morel, born in 1979, is a brilliant French mathematician. She specializes in number theory, which is a fascinating part of mathematics that studies numbers and their properties. Today, she works as a top researcher in mathematics at the École normale supérieure de Lyon in France. In 2012, she won an important award from the European Mathematical Society.

Sophie Morel's Journey in Math

Sophie Morel became interested in mathematics when she was in 9th grade. She read a math magazine and went to summer camps that helped her discover her passion for numbers. She also enjoys running long distances!

Her Education and Early Career

Sophie studied in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure, a very famous school. She graduated in 1999. Later, in 2005, she earned her Ph.D. (a very high degree in academics) from the University of Paris-Sud. Her main teacher for her Ph.D. was Gérard Laumon. Her special research project, called a thesis, helped advance something called the Langlands program. This program is a big set of ideas that connects different areas of mathematics.

Teaching and Research Roles

After finishing her Ph.D., Sophie was a Clay Research Fellow from 2005 to 2011. This is a special position that allows mathematicians to focus on their research. In 2009, she became a professor of mathematics at Harvard University. This was a big deal because she was the first woman to earn a permanent teaching position, called "tenure," in mathematics there.

From 2012 to 2020, Sophie Morel was a professor at Princeton University. She was also named the Henry Burchard Fine Professor in 2015, which is a special honor. In 2020, she moved back to France. She now works as a "directrice de recherches" (a top research director) in mathematics at the École normale supérieure de Lyon.

Awards and Special Recognition

Sophie Morel has received several important awards for her amazing work in mathematics.

International Recognition

In 2010, she was invited to give a talk at the International Congress of Mathematicians. This is a very prestigious event where leading mathematicians from all over the world share their discoveries. She spoke in the "Number Theory" section.

Prestigious Prizes

In 2012, Sophie received one of the special prizes from the European Mathematical Society. These awards are given to young researchers who have made outstanding contributions to mathematics. Then, in May 2013, she was announced as the first winner of the 2014 AWM-Microsoft Research Prize in Algebra and Number Theory. This prize recognizes excellent research by women in algebra and number theory.