JPBM Communications Award

This award was established by the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) in 1988 to reward and encourage communicators who, on a sustained basis, bring mathematical ideas and information to nonmathematical audiences.  Both mathematicians and non-mathematicians are eligible.  Currently, the US$1,000 award is made annually.  JPBM  is a collaborative effort of the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the American Statistical Association.

Next award:  January 2009.

Seventeenth award, 2008:  To Carl Bialik for increasing the public's understanding of mathematical concepts.

Sixteenth award, 2007 :  To Steven H. Strogatz for making a consistent effort to reach out to a wider audience. 

Fifteenth award, 2006 :  To Roger Penrose for the discovery of Penrose tilings, which have captured the public’s imagination, and for an extraordinary series of books that brought the subject of consciousness to the public in mathematical terms.

Fourteenth award, 2005 :  To Barry Cipra for writing about mathematics of every kind—from the most abstract to the most applied—for nearly twenty years.  His lucid explanations of complicated ideas at the frontiers of research have appeared in dozens of articles in newspapers, magazines, and books.

2004:  No award given.

Thirteenth award, 2003 :  To Robert Osserman for being an erudite spokesman for mathematics, communicating its charm and excitement to thousands of people from all walks of life.

Twelfth award, 2002 :  To Helaman and Claire Ferguson for dazzling the mathematical community and a far wider public with exquisite sculptures embodying mathematical ideas, along with artful and accessible essays and lectures elucidating the mathematical concepts.

Eleventh award, 2001 : To Keith J. Devlin for his many contributions to public understanding of mathematics through great numbers of radio and television appearances; public talks; books; and articles in magazines, newsletters, newspapers, journals, and online.

Tenth award, 2000 : To Sylvia Nasar for A Beautiful Mind, her biography of John Forbes Nash, Jr.

Ninth award, 1999 : To Ian Stewart for communicating the excitement of science and mathematics to millions of people around the world for more than twenty years. Also a "Special Communications Award" to John Lynch and Simon Singh for their exceptional contributions to public understanding of mathematics through their documentary on Andrew Wiles and the Fermat Conjecture, entitled "Fermat's Last Theorem" (shown on NOVA as "The Proof").

Eighth award, 1998 : To Constance Reid for writing about mathematics with grace, knowledge, skill and clarity.

Seventh award, 1997 : To Philip J. Davis for being a prolific communicator of mathematics to the general public.

Sixth award, 1996: To Gina Kolata for consistently giving outstanding coverage to many of the most exciting breakthroughs in mathematics and computer science over the past twenty years.

Fifth award, 1994: To Martin Gardner, for authoring numerous books and articles about mathematics, including his long-running Scientific American column, "Mathematical Games," and his books, Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science and Mathematical Carnival.

Fourth award, 1993: To Joel Schneider for "Square One TV."

Third award, 1991: To Ivars Peterson for exceptional skill in communicating mathematics to the general public over the last decade.

Second award, 1990: To Hugh Whitemore for contributions to communicating mathematics to the public in his play, "Breaking the Code," which chronicles the brilliant but troubled life of the British mathematician Alan Turing.

First award, 1988: To James Gleick for sustained and outstanding contributions in communicating mathematics to the general public.