We are delighted to announce that the 2024 IMA David Youdan Medal has been awarded to Professor Alan Champneys CMath FIMA.
The IMA David Youdan Medal was established in honour of David Youdan who served with distinction as IMA Executive Director from 2002 to 2021, becoming an Honorary Fellow on the occasion of his retirement.
The medal, which was introduced to the community in 2022, is awarded on a biennial basis, to a member of the IMA, or its professional staff, for sustained outstanding contribution to the aims and objectives of the IMA.
Professor Alan Champneys
Leadership, vision, communication, energy, and good humour are the hallmarks of Professor Champneys’ many contributions to the aims and objectives of the IMA.
He has been an editor-in-chief of the IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics since 2003. During this time, he has worked diligently to increase the prominence of the journal within the international applied mathematics community. He has led several initiatives to attract readers and contributors to the journal whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality and integrity in the peer review process and in appointments to the editorial board. He has also introduced many successful special issues to further increase the journals reach and influence. In that role he has previously been the representative for the journal on the IMA’s Journals Board of Management Committee.
At an ICMS meeting of the applied mathematics community in 2015, Professor Champneys suggested that there should be a comprehensive review of knowledge exchange in the mathematical sciences. This led to the EPSRC and Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) funding of an independent review chaired by Professor Philip Bond; the so-called Bond Review. Professor Champneys then represented the IMA on this review, at the CMS, and on a task-and-finish group for the IMA’s response to the Bond Review’s recommendations. This also involved him organising and chairing the first (and only) IMA Conference on Knowledge Exchange in 2018.
Beyond these contributions, Professor Champneys has played a prominent role in several other IMA activities. He has been the main organiser of the biennial IMA Lighthill-Thwaites Prize since its inception in 2011. As part of the team organising celebrations for the IMA’s 50th birthday, he was the instigator of, and co-author (along with 6 others under the pseudonym Sam Parc) of, the book “50 Visions of Mathematics”. He is probably best known amongst the wider IMA membership for his “Westward Ho! musings on maths and mechanics” that appear in the IMA members’ magazine, Mathematics Today; he has contributed 24 of these to date. Alan was also co-editor of a guest issue of Mathematics Today on Knowledge Exchange in Summer 2020.
Professor Champneys has also represented the IMA (and the general areas that the IMA supports) on many national committees, including V-KEMS, the Newton Gateway steering committee, and the ESGI planning committee. He is never afraid to speak up for the interests of the IMA, and applied mathematics, whenever needed.
He is a worthy recipient of the IMA David Youdan Medal for sustained outstanding contribution to the aims and objectives of the IMA.
The Awards evening will be held on Wednesday 27th November, bookings for the event are now open and close Friday 22nd November, 5pm.
