PIMS Board Announces New Leadership Changes in 2022

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) is pleased to announce new changes in leadership that will take effect on July 1, 2022. The PIMS Board approved the appointment of Professor Özgür Yilmaz as the new institute Director. Prof. Yilmaz, Professor of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia, has been serving as the interim Deputy Director. In his new role as Director, he will lead PIMS, guiding its strategic and long-term planning, and serve as the director of the PIMS-CNRS IRL.

Professor Kristine Bauer will join the PIMS leadership team as the Co-Director, Industry. An Associate Professor at the University of Calgary, Prof. Bauer has been the Chair of the PIMS Jobs Committee and has been instrumental in leading the PIMS Math^Industry Workshop–an annual workshop connecting PIMS graduate students and highly qualified personnel with industry partners. She will oversee the PIMS postdoctoral scholars program, advance strategic career development for researchers at PIMS, and lead industrial and non-academic partner relations.

Professor Jayadev Athreya, the current Interim Director, will continue to be part of the directorate, in a new capacity as Co-Director International. He will expand on PIMS’ international collaborations. Athreya, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Washington, is strategically placed in this role, being able to integrate both Canadian and American researchers and connect the PIMS community with leading international institutes across the globe.

The PIMS Board is extremely grateful for all the work and planning the directorship team has undertaken over the past seven months. They have worked closely with the PIMS COO, Denise Feighan and other key stakeholders in the mathematical sciences community. Their leadership will increase PIMS engagement and visibility at national, regional, and international levels.

Engin Özberk,

Chair, PIMS Board of Directors