Susan Howson

Who is Susan Howson?

Susan Howson is a British mathematician who worked at the University of Nottingham and later at the University of Oxford on algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry.

She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cambridge in 1998 with thesis title Iwasawa Theory of Elliptic Curves for ρ-Adic Lie Extensions under the supervision of John H. Coates.

In 2002 she won the Adams Prize for work on number theory and elliptic curves. As the first woman to win this prize, she discussed that and indicated that the competitive and single-minded nature of higher mathematics is possibly part of what discourages women from pursuing it. She resigned from her position at New College, Oxford, in 2005.

Howson has taught at MIT, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and University of Nottingham.