Student receives Hamilton Prize in Mathematics

Published: 3 Mar, 2023

On Wednesday 1 March, Kituru Ndee a final-year student of the programme, TU874 BSc (Hons) Mathematical Sciences, received the Hamilton Prize in Mathematics for TU Dublin from the Royal Irish Academy.

Each year the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) award a prize for the best student studying undergraduate mathematics in the penultimate year of their degree from each of the universities in Ireland. Kituru Ndee, a student of the programme BSc (Hons) Mathematical Sciences was the 2022 winner from TU Dublin. The School warmly congratulates Kituru on this outstanding achievement and upon receiving this prestigious prize.

The Hamilton Prize winners were selected in 2022 and each year it is customary for the prize ceremony to coincide with National Mathsweek and the anniversary of the famous Irish mathematician and physicist, William Rowan Hamilton's, discovery of quaternion algebra almost eighty years ago. Indeed, Hamilton's discovery is immortalised by the equation he scratched on the wall of Broome Bridge, Cabra, not far from the School's Grangegorman location. However, the 2022 ceremony was postponed and Kituru finally received his prize in the magnificent surroundings of the RIA on 1 March 2023.

Each prize winner received a cash prize generously supported by IBEC, a certificate of achievement in recognition of their outstanding academic performance and was invited to attend an exclusive masterclass with the 2022 Hamilton Lecturer, Professor Avi Wigderson, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. The ceremony was a celebratory occasion with family and representatives of the School of Mathematics & Statistics, TU Dublin, the RIA, and the sponsors, IBEC, present to congratulate recipients on their achievements. These achievements would not be possible without the expertise, support and mentoring of the lecturers on the programme BSc (Hons) Mathematical Sciences who share in Kituru's success.

Commenting on Kituru's award, Dr Chris Hills, the Head of the School of Mathematics & Statistics said

I warmly congratulate Kituru on receiving the RIA Hamilton Prize in Mathematics on behalf of TU Dublin. It is deserved recognition of his hard work and achievements and Kituru exemplifies the abilities of students on the programme BSc (Hons) Mathematical Sciences. Graduates of this programme have highly-developed technical and practical skills and the ability to apply mathematics and statistics in a wide variety of contexts. Kituru is an outstanding mathematician and has a bright future in any of the mathematical careers available to him or in research.

Kituru is now a final-year student and the School and his lecturers wish Kituru every success in that future following his graduation later this year.

You can read more about this prize on the TU Dublin news pages or on the RIA website.  However, the words of the President of the Royal Irish Academy, Dr Mary Canning, concisely summarise the importance of these awards:

We celebrate Hamilton Day because Ireland has a rich history of scientific excellence, but through this prize we also look to the future. In honouring their academic excellence we hope to support and encourage the next generation of great Irish scientists.