Dr Henna Koivusalo has won the Anne Bennett Prize for her work on cut-and-project sets, dynamical systems and fractals and her dedication to the advancement of women in mathematics. The Anne Bennett Prize is awarded by the London Mathematical Society two out of three years to scholars who work in and influence on mathematics, particularly acting as an inspiration for women mathematicians.
The awarding committee remarked on the importance of this work: “Working at the interface of several mathematical areas including fractal geometry, cut and project sets, Diophantine approximation and dynamical systems, Henna Koivusalo’s work has been fundamental to these areas.
Koivusalo’s work on quantitative aspects of recurrence and shrinking target problems in dynamical systems defines the state-of-the-art in the area for a large class of systems. Her recent work develops the theory for overlapping iterated function systems, which are notorious for a non-uniqueness phenomenon, giving rise to a different, and difficult to understand, type of behaviour.
In addition to her research accomplishments, Dr Koivusalo has been a tireless promoter of women in mathematics, not least by being a role model for every mathematician and particularly for women in mathematics. She has provided advice and support for other women in mathematics and run numerous outreach events inspiring new generations to enter mathematics and other STEM subjects, particularly female students.”
Professor Oliver Johnson, Head of School noted that “Henna has made significant contributions to scholarship and inclusion in the study of Mathematics. We’re so pleased to have colleagues who are excellent champions of women in Mathematics as well as top researchers in their fields.”
Previous Head of School Jonathan Robbins added: “As an Athena Swan Silver Award holder since 2018, in recognition of our commitment to promoting the careers of female mathematicians, the School is extremely proud of the fact that six out of the eight winners of the Anne Bennett Prize have current or previous affiliation with us.”
In addition to Dr Koivusalo, current staff members Dr Asma Hassanezhad and Dr Viveka Erlandsson won the prize in 2022 and 2021 respectively. Previous winners Professor Julia Wolf, Dr Eva-Maria Graefe and Professor Apala Majumdar held positions in the School as Reader, Postdoctoral Researcher and PhD student respectively.