Utah Mathematician Awarded Italy's Top Scientific Prize

June 23, 2011

Christopher Hacon (University of Utah) has been named winner of the Antonio Feltrinelli Prize in mathematics, mechanics, and applications. The prize is considered Italy's highest scientific and cultural honor.

Hacon, whose work involves classifying higher-dimensional objects and their properties, said, "I am honored to receive this prize. I am happy that the committee chose to recognize work in algebraic geometry, a subject that I was first introduced to during my undergraduate years in Pisa, Italy."

A native of Manchester, England, Hacon graduated from the University of Pisa with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1993 and earned a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA before teaching in California and Utah.

"We have known for some time that Professor Hacon is a treasure for the mathematics department and the university," said Pierre Sokolsky, dean of the University of Utah's College of Science.

The prize comes with a 65,000 Euro award. Hacon will receive the prize at Rome's National Lincean Academy in November 2011.

Source: Deseret News (June 18, 2011); University of Utah News