2024

Thomas Wallek

Associate Professor, Graz University of Technology

Areas: Chemical and Process Engineering, Chemical Thermodynamics, Education

Thomas Wallek’s area of expertise is chemical thermodynamics and its application in chemical and process engineering, for which he uses Wolfram as an essential standard tool for both research and teaching. In his research, he focuses on thermodynamic modeling, the estimation of physical property data, the characterization of complex mixtures and molecular simulations.

In this context, his workgroup has been developing a Gibbs-ensemble Monte Carlo simulation program completely implemented in Wolfram, which is constantly being further developed and benefits from the diverse visualization and evaluation capabilities of Wolfram Language. In the context of teaching, Wallek is committed to the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Marketplace initiative of Graz University of Technology that focuses on the development and scaling of TEL innovations for teaching. In particular, Wolfram Notebooks were created as the basis of a chemical thermodynamics course that was designed in the “inverted classroom” concept and enables students to acquire the material independently through self-study. For this purpose, manipulable diagrams and animated equations were integrated into the notebooks, with which students can interact and learn independently.

2024

Sebastian Mizera

Princeton University

Areas: Education, Physics, Quantum Field Theory, Theoretical Physics

Sebastian Mizera is a theoretical physicist studying quantum field theory and gravitational physics. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University and an affiliate at the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science and the Institute for Advanced Study. His research aims to understand the nature of interactions between fundamental objects, ranging from elementary particles to black holes. He is particularly interested in how physical principles, such as causality, locality and unitarity, are encoded in the analytic structure of asymptotic observables in quantum field theory.

Wolfram Language is the bedrock of symbolic computations in the field of theoretical high-energy physics. Mizera employs it in his daily research on quantum field theory, but also in higher education. Recently, he incorporated Wolfram Language in the graduate course Physics of the Analytic S-Matrix given at the Higgs Centre School of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh. The software was used to illustrate complex concepts behind scattering theory on hands-on examples.

2024

Héctor Benítez Pérez

IIMAS-DGTIC Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Areas: Computer-Aided Education, Courseware Development, Data Science, Education, Research and Analysis

Dr. Héctor Benítez Pérez graduated with honors in electrical mechanical engineering from the Faculty of Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and pursued his doctorate at the University of Sheffield in the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering. Within UNAM, he served as the head of the Institute for Research in Applied Mathematics and Systems (IIMAS) from 2012 to 2020 and is currently the head of the General Directorate of Computing and Information and Communication Technologies (DGTIC). Additionally, he serves as a representative to various official organizations, both national and international.

Benítez Pérez has worked as a researcher in the field of control systems. He has played a pivotal role in organizing UNAM systemwide Wolfram training and communication events, providing invaluable opportunities for students, faculty and researchers to advance their work in science and technology. His contribution to academic training is highlighted by the creation of the bachelor’s degree in data science, the specialty in high-performance computing and its integration into UNAM’s Continuing Education Network (REDEC), which formalizes collaboration in continuing education activities and has led to the offering of a course at the IIMAS Academic Unit in the state of Yucatán.

In collaboration with IIMAS, the UNAM Institute of Mathematics, Centro Virtual de Computación (CViCom), the French Embassy in México, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Huawei México and the German Cooperation Agency, he has participated in organizing forums, workshops and meetings aimed at promoting research development in México in the field of artificial intelligence. He has supported many Wolfram training and communication events. His efforts have offered room for students, faculty and researchers space to continue research in science and technology.

2023

Peter Taborek

Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine

Areas: Computer-Aided Education, Education, Engineering, Physics

Peter Taborek’s research is in experimental condensed matter physics, and he teaches mathematical methods for the physical sciences to undergraduate and graduate students in physics, chemistry and engineering. Most of the standard textbooks for this subject were written before the era of personal computers and do not equip students with the tools of modern technical problem solving. To remedy this situation, Taborek has developed his own e-textbook, MathematicaHandbook, which is written entirely in Wolfram Notebooks.

The text covers traditional topics, such as complex analysis, linear algebra and ordinary and partial differential equations, but explains and illustrates concepts using computer algebra, graphics and numerics. This text has been used for over a decade and includes many figures, animations and live code so students can perform computations while learning course concepts. Student learning requires numerous practice problems with grading and feedback. For a large undergraduate class, this is labor-intensive, so Taborek has developed a web-based platform to deliver homework problems, which are graded using calls to Wolfram Cloud APIs.

2023

Márcio Rosa

Professor of Mathematics, IMECC-UNICAMP

Areas: Education, Mathematics, Mathematics Courseware Design

For 20 years, Márcio Rosa has been making pedagogical innovations on the principle that university students should be using software, including the Wolfram Cloud, to continue their education in higher mathematics. He believes students should be trained to use software as a tool to aid their endeavors rather than learning to replicate the software’s functions. The geometric approach is reinforced so that the student, when studying and solving problems, is able to produce images with software and interpret them. Rosa has published various articles and supervised theses based on his experience and unique approach to mathematics education.

2023

Oliver Knill

Preceptor and Digital Media Specialist, Harvard University

Areas: Computational Thinking, Education, Geometry, Mathematics

Mathematica is vital to Oliver Knill’s teaching and research. In teaching, it produces professional graphics for handouts, facilitates visualizations and animations, and serves as a platform for innovative student projects. It’s also essential for vetting assignments and examples, enabling a quick search for appropriate problems for both homework and exams. Knill has employed it to design 3D printable objects, generate high-resolution animations and illustrate musical concepts like Markov chain–generated music.

In his research, Knill’s primary laboratory is Mathematica. Currently, he is delving deeper into discrete geometry, probability, spectral theory and linear algebra. He is thrilled about uncovering previously undiscovered relationships and enhancing proofs with code. This allows any curious individual to explore the underlying structure. Mathematica code is close to natural language, acting as a runnable pseudocode. While examples can elucidate a theorem, providing code that showcases it using random structures is not only thrilling but also validates the result’s efficacy.

2023

Sandipan Bandyopadhyay

Associate Professor, IIT Madras

Areas: Computational Thinking, Education, Physics

Sandipan Bandyopadhyay is an educator and researcher in the fields of mechanisms and robotics. He specializes in theoretical and computational kinematics, in particular in the domain of spatial parallel manipulators, such as the Stewart platform.

Bandyopadhyay’s research involves highly demanding symbolic computations, for which he finds a trusted partner in Mathematica. In at least 20 of his journal publications, the symbolic capabilities of Mathematica have played a significant role. Moreover, the flexibility of Wolfram Language has allowed him to develop algorithms and modules to explore deeper into algebraic geometry and kinematics and create customized tools for analyzing problems using hyper-complex numbers, such as dual numbers and dual quaternions. He uses the dynamic visualization capabilities of Mathematica to bring virtual robots to life, enabling his students to manipulate them and develop a better understanding of complicated motions of constrained multibody systems.

2023

Australian Christian College

Accepted by: Jeremy Kwok, Director of Technology

Areas: Computer-Aided Education, Education

Australian Christian College (ACC) is Australia’s largest non-government distance education provider, with four schools equipped to provide a hybrid of in-house and fully remote learning. Covering K–12 education, its mission is to have all students flourish to their full potential and be a positive influence on the world. Rather than rely on traditional publishers, ACC wanted more consistent content for online and in-person assessment that showcases the ingenuity of their instructors.

ACC is now rolling out a Wolfram eLearning environment integration in their current Canvas environment. This integration will initially be used for assessments with 1,500 high-school students, which will quickly grow to 3,000 students and beyond as they implement the system for grades 7–12. With ACC’s announcement of a new STEM-focused campus in Western Sydney, this automated assessment system will be even more important in the future as enrollment continues to grow.

2022

The Geva Research Group, Compute-to-Learn Project

University of Michigan Ann Arbor, accepted by Ellen Mulvihill

Areas: Chemistry, Computational Thinking, Computer-Aided Education, Courseware Development, Education

The Compute-to-Learn project provides students with the opportunity to engage in creative forms of active learning. Compute-to-Learn activities stem from evidence-based, student-centered learning approaches, such as emphasis on real-world applications to promote students’ integration of new ideas, as well as authentic, collaborative environments that apprentice students as members of a scientific discipline (via practices such as explanatory writing and peer review). Students participate in tutorials and training related to Mathematica; research and propose an original Demonstration idea; workshop the idea during design and production stages; and, finally, submit the final product to external review prior to publication and dissemination on the Wolfram Demonstrations Project website. The Compute-to-Learn pedagogy is implemented within a peer-led honors studio environment. It has been offered in the University of Michigan chemistry department since 2015.

2021

James C. Wyant

Professor Emeritus of Optical Sciences and Computer Engineering, University of Arizona

Areas: Biomedical Research, Education, Physics, Software Engineering

James C. Wyant was the founding dean of the College of Optical Sciences. He was also the founder of the WYKO Corporation. His company is known for having manufactured and sold phase-shifting interferometers for testing optics that later were used for measuring the shape of the recording heads used in computer hard-disk drives. At one point, every major manufacturer of hard-disk drives globally purchased WYKO instruments to test the recording heads of their drives. He founded another company in 2002 known as 4D Technology. There, he developed single-shot phase-shifting interferometers that, unlike other interferometers, give accurate results in the presence of vibration and air turbulence, thus making them very useful in manufacturing environments.

2021

Virginia Tech Math Emporium

Areas: Authoring and Publishing, Courseware Development, Education, Mathematics, Software Development

Virginia Tech’s Math Emporium was established over 20 years ago. Over the years, nearly eight thousand students have been served through the Math Emporium each semester, in courses ranging from precalculus to geometry and mathematics of design. Many peer institutions have adopted the emporium model, which uses computer-based resources and emphasizes active learning and retention. Mathematica has served as the foundation for Virginia Tech’s Math Emporium. Quiz questions are created as modules, allowing for thousands of variations for a single “question.” An in-house package has been built and expanded over the years, housing thousands of functions, from formatting to building XML files, for use in the Math Emporium testing system. Additionally, Mathematica has been used to create portions of the Math Emporium’s online textbooks and to conduct assessments for the department of mathematics.

Award accepted by Jessica Schmale, senior mathematics instructor.

2021

Enrique Vílchez Quesada

Professor, Computer Science School of the National University of Costa Rica

Areas: Courseware Development, Education, Mathematics, Programming

Enrique Vílchez Quesada teaches courses in mathematics, operations research and programming fundamentals. His research is primarily associated with different activities and projects related to the development of computerized educational software and materials. He has served as coordinator of the systems engineering area and deputy director of the Computer Science School of the National University of Costa Rica. Enrique has received several distinctions in Costa Rica for his outstanding performance and professional career in teaching and research. He is an associate member of the Latin American Committee for Educational Mathematics (CLAME) and the author of more than 50 scientific and dissemination articles in the areas of mathematics and educational informatics.

2021

Fernando Sandoya

Principal Professor, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral

Areas: Business Analysis, Data Science, Education, Machine Learning, Software Development

Fernando Sandoya currently teaches at the post-graduate level and oversees research and development of new products in context of consulting business. Among his notable projects are the development and implementation of an intelligent assistant for optimal sequencing of production in the largest food manufacturer in Ecuador (PRONACA); the development and implementation of a system for optimization of the reverse logistics of used tires across Ecuador (SEGINUS); the development of descriptive and predictive analytical model for land transportation of containers to the Ports of Guayaquil (Spurrier Group); and professional training programs in business intelligence, data science, machine learning and models for Ecuadorian universities. Dr. Sandoya is currently working to develop a machine learning system for Redclic and holds development contracts with an additional dozen companies.

2021

Jang-Hoon Lee

Professor of Mathematics, Paju Girls' High School

Areas: Authoring and Publishing, Computational Thinking, Education, Mathematics

Jang-Hoon Lee is a professor of mathematics at Paju Girls’ High School and the most famous Mathematica user in South Korea. He has introduced Wolfram’s software to millions of users and extensively incorporated it to his teaching. This includes developing an online Mathematica textbook for his students, called Mathematica LAB. He also opened the Mathought.com website and creates math content using Mathematica for Naver.com, where he has 20 thousand subscribers and 6.5 million cumulative views. Due to this and other initiatives, he has won the Korea Mathematics Education Award from the Ministry of Education of South Korea and the Science Teacher of the Year Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology Information and Communication of South Korea.

2021

Bill Gosper

Mathematician and Programmer

Areas: Computer Science, Education, Software Development

Bill Gosper was part of the group at MIT that produced HAKMEM, also known as AI Memo 239, a large collection of computer and mathematical hacks, some of which are now quite famous. Stephen Wolfram refers to Bill as “Ramanujan-like” for his prolific production of mathematical results. Bill has invented several algorithms for symbolic computation, including ones for symbolic summation and continued fractions. In more recent times, Bill has been working with the next generation of amazingly bright students, producing remarkable and very surprising research results.

2021

Bruno Buchberger

Professor Emeritus, Johannes Kepler University Linz

Areas: Education, Mathematics, Mathematics Courseware Design, Software Development

Bruno Buchburger is a professor of computer mathematics at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. He is internationally known for his algorithmic theory of Gröbner bases. In recent years, Buchberger established the automated reasoning system Theorema and implemented it with his coworkers and students within Mathematica. Buchberger also contributed to the development of symbolic computation and computer algebra by founding and building up the Journal of Symbolic Computation, the Research Institute for Symbolic Computation (RISC), the Softwarepark Hagenberg and the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.

2021

Dr. Girish Arabale

Founding Director, Scigram Technologies Foundation

Areas: Computational Thinking, Education, Software Development

Dr. Arabale is the founding director of Scigram Technologies Foundation, a not-for-profit education organization seeking to introduce a tinkering culture into the schools to foster creativity, excitement and innovation in science learning. At Scigram, Dr. Arabale teaches underprivileged children how to program using the Raspberry Pi. He also frequently speaks to children at the K–12 level to teach coding techniques using the Wolfram Language. Currently, Dr. Arabale is developing a computational learning platform and is working on a project known as “Computable City” that aims to make every aspect of the city’s ecosystem computable.

2020

Mike Weimerskirch

University of Minnesota

Areas: Education, Mathematics, Mathematics Courseware Design, Software Development

Mike Weimerskirch is a mathematics professor who incorporates Mathematica heavily in his education workflow. After using Mathematica in his own graduate-school courses, he began applying it as a professor to help improve his students’ understanding in mathematics courses. As the director of educational innovation for the School of Mathematics at the University of Minnesota, he has helped build the Minnesota Online Learning System (MOLS) for generating and grading homework and quizzes. In addition to providing a better educational interface for faculty and students, the system has improved placement exam outcomes and helped increase the number of students that successfully complete freshman mathematics courses.

2020

William J. Turkel

The University of Western Ontario

Areas: Authoring and Publishing, Computational Humanities, Education

William J. Turkel is a professor of history at The University of Western Ontario in Canada, whose research and teaching focuses on computational methods, digital humanities and the histories of science, technology and environment. He is a cofounder of the Programming Historian website and the author of Digital Research Methods with Mathematica, now in its second edition. He has been using Mathematica in his research since the mid-1990s and has been teaching courses with the language for eight years.

2020

Omar Olmos

Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Areas: Computational Physics, Data Science, Education, Machine Learning, Mathematics Courseware Design, Physics

Omar Olmos is north regional director of science and engineering for the Monterrey Institute of Technology, where he uses Mathematica for a range of education and research tasks. In addition to developing interactive examples, tutorials and other student resources, he uses Wolfram Language machine-learning analytics to predict student performance. Omar has also used Mathematica to model electromagnetic waves interacting with nanostructures, performing numeric experimentation to study new nanoscale optical effects.

2020

Dr. Ambar Jain

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal

Areas: Education, Mathematics, Mathematics Courseware Design

Ambar Jain is a professor, researcher and developer who uses Mathematica and the Wolfram Language in all spheres of his profession. In 2015, he founded the Center for Research in Advanced Technologies for Education in Science, where he developed Examineer, an assessment engine for educators by educators. Examineer uses the Wolfram Language in the backend for authoring e-learning and assessment content and delivering them in the form of quizzes. He has also co-created a course for physics undergraduates titled Physics through Computational Thinking that uses Mathematica for teaching computational thinking using examples from physics. Many of his students use the Wolfram Cloud for performing physics computations. He is also engaged in several research projects where he uses the Wolfram Language for symbolic calculations, numeric computations and machine learning.

2020

Branden Fitelson

Northeastern University

Areas: Computational Humanities, Education, Philosophy, Probability Theory, Software Development

Branden Fitelson is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Northeastern University, where he teaches logic and formal epistemology courses using Mathematica. He developed the PrSAT package (a user-friendly decision procedure for probability calculus), which is used by various researchers and teachers around the world. Branden has used Mathematica for computational research in philosophy since the early 1990s, and he consistently encourages and inspires others to do the same.

2020

Guy F. de Téramond Peralta

Universidad de Costa Rica

Areas: Computational Physics, Education, Physics

Guy F. de Téramond Peralta is a theoretical physicist focusing on hadron structure, nuclear forces and group structure of grand unified theories. He uses Mathematica throughout his research, including ongoing contributions to light-front holographic QCD, a novel approach to hadron structure and dynamics. Guy’s work spans several decades and is widely cited in the physics community; he currently serves as a professor of physics at the University of Costa Rica.

2020

Pedro Paulo Balbi de Oliveira

Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie

Areas: Complex Systems, Computer Science, Education, Electrical Engineering, Software Development

Pedro Paulo Balbi de Oliveira is a professor at Brazil’s Mackenzie Presbyterian University who has made extensive use of Mathematica in his research on cellular automata and evolutionary computation. This has led to the continuous development of a cellular automata toolbox, which spun off a cellular multi-agent research system and a package to represent families of cellular automata. As a whole, these efforts have provided the core computational basis for the publication of over 80 research papers and for about 50 postgraduate and undergraduate student degrees.

2019

Flip Phillips

Professor of Motion Picture Science, Rochester Institute of Technology

Areas: Computational Humanities, Computational Thinking, Computer Graphics and Visual Arts, Education, Machine Learning

Flip Phillips is a professor, researcher and former Pixar animation scientist who uses Wolfram technology to integrate real-world computation into his psychology and neuroscience curriculum. Through his course, students get unique hands-on experience with computational thinking and machine learning, completing cross-disciplinary projects ranging from predicting voter behavior to identifying fruit from sensor readings. Phillips makes use of Wolfram connected devices for gathering data and frequently publishes his work in the Wolfram Cloud. He has used Mathematica extensively for his research on perception, psychological aesthetics and cortical plasticity. He has also written several packages for extending the Wolfram Language’s rendering capabilities.