Nira Chamberlain

Nira Chamberlain CSci CMath (born 17 June 1969) is a British mathematician based in Birmingham, UK. He is a Principal Consultant at SNC-Lavalin[1] and is the President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Nira Chamberlain
Chamberlain in 2015
Born17 June 1969
Birmingham, England
Alma materLoughborough University
OccupationMathematician
EmployerSNC-Lavalin

Early life and education

Born in Birmingham,[2] Chamberlain always enjoyed mathematics at school and, despite a lack of encouragement from his teachers, studied a BSc in Mathematics at Coventry Polytechnic, graduating in 1991. He then moved to Loughborough University, where he achieved an MSc in Industrial Mathematical Modelling in 1993.[3] In 2014, he completed a PhD at Portsmouth University, under the supervision of Professor Andrew Osbaldestin entitled "Extension of the gambler's ruin problem played over networks".[4]

Research and career

Chamberlain has worked all over the world, helping a range of industrial partners with mathematical modelling.[5] He created a mathematical cost capability trade-off for HMS Queen Elizabeth, modelling the lifetime running costs of aircraft carriers versus operating budgets.[6] This use of mathematics in the real world was cited in the Encyclopedia of Mathematics and Society.[7]

In 2012, Chamberlain was involved with the UK STEM Project "Being a Professional Mathematician", where his interview was selected for an iTunes podcast.[8][9] In 2014 he was named by the Science Council as one of the UK's top scientists.[10] Only five mathematicians were selected for this accolade.[11]

He is currently a member of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), European Mathematical Society, Operational Research Society and London Mathematical Society. He was appointed a Council Member of the IMA in 2009 and again in 2015.[2]

Chamberlain regularly gives public lectures, discussing the significance of mathematics in human achievements and debating its relevance in everyday life.[12][13] In 2016 he ran a one-day workshop at the London International Youth Science Forum, Imperial College London.[14] He was a keynote speaker at the 2017 New Scientist workshop "The Mathematical World".[15] Also the Maxwell Lecture in 2019 with the talk "The Mathematics that can stop an AI apocalypse".[16] He makes regular appearances in UK media and is a BBC expert voice, as well as a speaker for the UK charity, Speakers for Schools.[17][18]

Dr Chamberlain won the title of "World's Most Interesting Mathematician" by winning the Big Internet Math Off in 2018,[19] as voted for by readers of Aperiodical.com.

Diversity

Chamberlain is of Jamaican parentage, and campaigns for more diversity within the mathematical sciences.[20] He frequently gives talks in UK state schools, through the charity Speakers for Schools.[21][22] His lecture "The Black Heroes of Mathematics" is popular all over the UK and repeated regularly during Black History Month.[23][24] In 2016 he was asked by the Black Cultural Archives to submit his own mathematical biography, parts of which were published in Mathematics Today.[25] In 2017 he was included on Powerlist, an annual publication celebrating the 100 most influential British people from African and African Caribbean heritage, and was most recently included in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 editions.[26][27][28]

References

  1. "Dr Nira Chamberlain – Speakers for Schools".
  2. "CHAMBERLAIN, Nira Cyril (born 1969), Chief Mathematician, LSC Group, since 2014". Who's Who. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u281705.
  3. "Chamberlain, Nira | Mathematical Sciences | Loughborough University". www.lboro.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  4. Chamberlain, Nira. "Extension of the gambler's ruin problem played over networks - Portsmouth Research Portal". researchportal.port.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  5. "'The Professionals' – Mathematics…the poetry of logical ideas!". The Aspiring Professionals Hub. 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  6. Chamberlain, Nira; Elliot Pinker (2016). "The Cost Capability Trade Off Model: Forecasting the Optimum Performance within Budgetary Constraints" (PDF). Babcock International. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  7. Encyclopedia of mathematics and society. Greenwald, Sarah J., Thomley, Jill E. Ipswich, Mass.: Salem Press. 2012. ISBN 978-1587658440. OCLC 746618591.CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. "Being a Professional Mathematician". www.beingamathematician.org. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  9. "Being a Professional Mathematician by Tony Mann and Chris Good on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  10. "2014 list of leading UK practising scientists". The Science Council. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  11. "Mathematicians in list of UK top 100 scientists". IMA. 2014-01-14. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  12. "BPML Dr Nira Chamberlain". www.birmingham.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  13. "Dr. Nira Chamberlain CMATH FIMA CSci | Proud to be a Mathematician – The Radio Debate". nirachamberlain.com. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  14. "Dr. Nira Chamberlain CMATH FIMA CSci | London International Youth Science Forum". nirachamberlain.com. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  15. "The World of Mathematical Reality". New Scientist Live 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  16. "2018-2019".
  17. "Dr Nira Chamberlain – Speakers for Schools". Retrieved 2019-02-28.
  18. "Dr Nira Chamberlain". BBC Academy. 2017-09-14. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  19. "The Big Internet Math-Off – the end". 2018-08-03.
  20. "Beyond Banneker: Black Mathematicians and the Paths to Excellence | Mathematical Association of America". www.maa.org. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  21. "Dr Nira Chamberlain – Speakers for Schools". www.speakers4schools.org. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  22. "Nira Chamberlain, Mathematical Modelling and Data Science - Maths Careers". Maths Careers. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  23. Sarah (2016-09-30). "You don't need anybody's permission to be a great mathematician". blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk. National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  24. Jamshidi, Sean; Nikoleta Kalaydzhieva; Rafael Prieto Curiel (2017-10-02). "October is Black Mathematician Month". Chalkdust. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  25. "Raising the Profile of Black Mathematicians". IMA. 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2017-11-18.
  26. Hicks, Amber (23 October 2018). "List of 100 most influential black people includes Meghan Markle for first time". mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  27. Lavender, Jane (17 November 2020). "Lewis Hamilton ends incredible year top of influential Black Powerlist 2021". mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  28. "Dr Nira Chamberlain | Powerlist". www.powerlist.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
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