We are delighted to announce that the 2022 IMA David Youdan Medal has been awarded to Professor Nigel Steele CMath Hon 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.
Citation Nigel Steele
It is hard to imagine anyone who has contributed more to the IMA and its work than Professor Nigel Steele. Nigel was already IMA Honorary Secretary (Education) before his retirement from paid employment in 2004. Retirement gave him the opportunity to devote even more time to this voluntary role and furthering the aims of the IMA in relation to mathematics education policy and practice.
Nigel served the IMA as Honorary Secretary for Education for many years; stepping down from this role did not mean a reduction of effort on behalf of the IMA, instead he has tirelessly continued to serve the IMA and the mathematics community. He has undertaken a wide range of tasks that are essential to the smooth functioning of the mathematical sciences academic community and that have contributed, sometimes almost single-handedly, to the significant profile that the IMA now holds within the UK mathematics education-domain.
It is impossible to list Nigel’s many and varied contributions to the mathematics community in this citation, such is the extent of his commitment to making a difference, but suffice to say, amongst STEM subjects, mathematics is, in financial terms the poor relation. Consequently, the mathematics community has fewer paid advocates for the discipline: people able to attend policy-forming working groups or provide immediate responses to the questions of politicians. Nigel has filled this gap for many years. Much of his contribution to mathematics education has been behind the scenes, be it in DFE curriculum reform working groups or in advisory groups organised by the Royal Society or ACME. Despite the intangible nature of much of this work, it is undeniable that the IMA and mathematics education more widely has benefited enormously from the service that Nigel has freely given over a period of several decades.
The award of the IMA David Youdan Medal is a fitting acknowledgement of the selfless service and considerable achievements of someone who has sought throughout his working lifetime and way beyond that, not to enhance his personal reputation but to improve mathematics education for the sake of learners and society.
