Leeds academic named Fellow of new national Academy for the Mathematical Sciences
A University of Leeds academic has become a Fellow of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, a new national body focused on applying mathematics to public life and policymaking.
Kevin Houston, Professor of Mathematics Education and Public Engagement in the School of Mathematics, is among the Academy’s first 100 Fellows, who were formally appointed at an event at the Royal Society in London on 29 January.
The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences (AcadMathSci) aims to place mathematics at the heart of national decision-making by bringing together knowledge from academia, education, business, industry and government. Fellows include internationally recognised experts from across the mathematical sciences, including winners of the Fields Medal, senior figures from national security and industry, educators, and science communicators.
Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences have been identified for leadership in their fields through fundamental research, excellence in education, or the application of mathematics across society. Fellows will work together through the Academy to address major national challenges while continuing in their existing roles.
These include pandemic preparedness, climate change modelling, national security, economic transformation, safe artificial intelligence, and the development of future mathematics education and skills.
A leader in maths education
Professor Houston’s work spans mathematical research, education and public engagement, with a particular focus on mathematical understanding and how people learn to think mathematically. He is the author of “How to Think Like a Mathematician”, which supports students in making the transition from procedural school mathematics to the conceptual and proof-based thinking required at the university level.
He has played a significant role in mathematics education nationally, serving as Education Secretary of the London Mathematical Society from 2017 to 2023. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he co-founded Teaching and Learning Mathematics Online to support the mathematics community in adapting to online teaching.
Alongside his academic work, Professor Houston is actively engaged in public outreach on mathematics. He has spoken to audiences in schools, universities, museums, cafés, and pubs, taken part in street “maths busking”, appeared on television and radio, and is a founder and organiser of Talking Maths in Public, a network supporting mathematicians in communicating with non-specialist audiences.
Speaking about his new role, Professor Houston said: “I’m honoured to be one of the Fellows, and I’m looking forward to helping to promote maths education and public engagement as part of the Academy.”
Commenting on the appointment of the inaugural Fellows, Lord Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, said: “Mathematics sits at the heart of the UK’s scientific and technological strength and is essential to the development of the industries of the future, in exciting fields like AI and quantum.
“The Academy for the Mathematical Sciences’ inaugural Fellows represent the very best of this national capability, and I commend the Academy for bringing them together. Their expertise strengthens our security, boosts productivity and supports high‑quality jobs across the country, so it is only right that they are celebrated.”
Professor Dame Alison Etheridge DBE FRS, President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences, added: “I’m delighted to welcome our inaugural Fellows — individuals of exceptional distinction who collectively advance the mathematical sciences through discovery, leadership, education and real-world application.
“As Fellows of the Academy, they will come together in service of the wider public good: bringing independent expertise to bear on national priorities, championing excellence in mathematics education, strengthening the UK’s research and innovation base, and helping to ensure that mathematics continues to deliver opportunity, resilience and prosperity across our four nations.”
Professor Houston is joined at AcadMathSci by several former students or colleagues from the University, including:
- Steve Tobias, Tait Professor of Mathematical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, a member of Leeds’ School of Mathematics (2000 to 2025), and the founding Director of the Leeds Institute for Fluid Dynamics (LIFD);
- Helen Wilson, Professor of Applied Mathematics at UCL, who lectured at Leeds in the early 2000s;
- Karrie Liu, founder and director of Hypatia Analytics, who obtained her second MSc in Statistical Epidemiology from Leeds;
- Sam Waterfield, a mathematics teacher at the award-winning Durham Sixth Form Centre, who completed his master’s degree in Education at Leeds; and
- Sarah Waters, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Oxford, who obtained her PhD from the University of Leeds in 1996.
