Irena Swanson selected as next Department Head

04-15-2020

Irena Swanson, Professor of Mathematics at Reed College in Portland, Oregon and a Purdue alumna, will become department head of mathematics on July 1, 2020.  Swanson received her Bachelor of Science degree from Reed College and her doctoral degree in mathematics from Purdue University. She was named a 2019 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in recognition of her research contributions to commutative algebra, as well as service to the profession and mentorship.  In 2018, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to the University of Graz in Austria.

Swanson is the first woman to lead the Department of Mathematics at Purdue.

“It is a great honor to return to Purdue as head of the Department of Mathematics,” she said. “My highest priority is the continued excellence of the department, which we will achieve together by enhancing diversity through faculty hires, expanding opportunities for graduate students and maintaining an active learning environment for all students.”