Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor H. Blaine Lawson Jr., from the College of Arts and Sciences Department of Mathematics, has been awarded the American Mathematical Society’s (AMS) 2026 Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to differential geometry, topology and analysis.
The prize is given just once a year for the influence of the recipient’s research over a lifetime.
Lawson’s fundamental work has launched new directions of mathematical research and illuminated large areas of the field. His work on minimal varieties included his brilliant construction of compact minimal surfaces of every topological type (other than the projective plane) in the 3-sphere. His work with F. Reese Harvey on calibrated geometries had enormous implications in both mathematics and physics. Professor Lawson was also recognized for sharing his knowledge and insights with students and colleagues at all levels. His mentorship of his many graduate students and postdoctoral fellows has been of enormous value to the current generation of geometers.
Scott Sutherland, chair of the Stony Brook Mathematics Department, said, “I am thrilled to learn that Professor Lawson has been given this well-deserved award, recognizing his contributions to mathematics since the 1970s. For decades, he has been (and continues to be) a cornerstone of mathematical life at Stony Brook University.”
“I was completely amazed and thrilled upon receiving notice of this prize and I want to express my deep and humble gratitude to the AMS, ” said Lawson. “My journey in mathematics has been a wonderful personal experience: rapture, woes, absolute involvement — but most of all, the people.”
Lawson received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Russian Literature from Brown University and a PhD from Stanford University. He was then appointed to the University of California, Berkeley, and was a full professor when he left for Stony Brook University. He has had extended visiting appointments at institutions worldwide, including the Institute for Advanced Study, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada, the Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Kyoto University and the School of Mathematics at the Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
Lawson has given many celebrated named lectures and has spoken twice at the International Congress of Mathematicians. He served as editor of journals that include Annals of Mathematics, The Journal of Differential Geometry, Journal of Topology and The Journal of the AMS. He was vice president of the AMS and served on the boards of many institutes. He served as a doctoral advisor to 39 PhD students. His honors include election to membership in the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. He won the Steele Prize for Exposition in 1975, and also Guggenheim and Sloan Fellowships.
Add comment