Press Release

FIRST WOMAN AWARDED NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE FOR MATHEMATICS

AMS contact for more information: Tim Goggins (401) 455-4110, FAX (401) 331-3842, tjg@ams.org

PROVIDENCE, RI --- Former American Mathematical Society President Cathleen Synge Morawetz has been awarded the 1998 National Medal of Science to be presented by President Clinton. She is the first woman to receive the medal for work in mathematics specifically her pioneering developments in partial differential equations and wave propagation applications for aerodynamics, acoustics and optics. Professor emerita at New York University's Courant Institute, she has served the Society in many different elected and volunteer positions. She was elected the AMS' second woman President and served from 1995-1996. She currently serves as Chair of the AMS Committee on Science Policy. Morawetz's work has been particularly influential on engineers' efforts to design airplane wings that minimize the impact of shock waves in the transonic range. In the late 1950's, she demonstrated that shock waves are inevitable if a plane moves close to the speed of sound, no matter how the wings are designed. As a result of this work, engineers now focus on minimizing - rather than eliminating - shock waves.

Her work has also contributed fundamentally to the mathematical theory of scattering. This subject describes how waves interact with obstacles or changes in the medium. It provides the framework for analyzing many techniques for remote sensing, including ultrasound and radar.

In commenting on her award, Professor Morawetz said, "This is an occasion of great moment for me. I am filled with gratitude to all those, and there were a great many, who helped me over many years, and I am proud to be the first woman mathematician to receive the medal. My biggest wish would be that it could help move more women forward in mathematics, be it in grade school or graduate school."

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the 30,000-member AMS fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and everyday life.