A 1982 bachelor's degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico launched a mathematical career that includes the presidency of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Alejandro Adem, born in 1961 in Mexico City, maintains a focus on algebraic topology and group cohomology while holding a professorship at the University of British Columbia.
Academic Foundations and Appointments
Adem earned his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1986 under the supervision of William Browder. He subsequently joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before transitioning to the University of British Columbia in 2005. He has held visiting positions at institutions including ETH-Zürich, the Max-Planck Institute in Bonn, and the University of Paris 7.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Leadership in Mathematical Research
Beyond his teaching duties, Adem has directed several major scientific organizations. He served as the Director of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences from 2008 to 2015. Following this, he functioned as the CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs between 2015 and 2019. In 2024, he received a reappointment to a second five-year term as President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. His editorial contributions include managing the Transactions and Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society from 2013 to 2020, and serving as Chief Editor of the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society as of 2024.
Research and Professional Recognition
Adem has authored or co-authored over sixty research papers and two monographs, specifically Cohomology of Finite Groups and Orbifolds and Stringy Topology. The Canadian Mathematical Society recognized these contributions with the 2015 Jeffery–Williams Prize, citing his work in the theory of the cohomology of groups and algebraic topology. His other honors include an A.P. Sloan Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, an NSF Young Investigator Award, and a Romnes Faculty Fellowship. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, the Canadian Mathematical Society, and the Royal Society of Canada.
Fast facts
- Born: 1961, Mexico City
- Citizenship: Canada
- Doctoral Alma Mater: Princeton University
- Current Primary Employer: University of British Columbia
- Primary Research Fields: Algebraic topology, group cohomology
- Jeffery–Williams Prize Year: 2015
- Fellowship: American Mathematical Society (2013)
Questions readers ask
What is Alejandro Adem's primary area of mathematical research?
His work focuses on algebraic topology and the theory of the cohomology of groups.
What major administrative roles has he held in Canadian science?
He has served as the Director of the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences, CEO of Mitacs, and President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Achievements
- Jeffery–Williams Prize — 2015
- Held posts at University of British Columbia, Stanford University and University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Fields: algebraic topology and mathematics
.jpg)
