Hannah Fry Wins the Leelavati Prize in 2026 for Mathematics Outreach
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Cambridge professor Hannah Fry wins Leelavati Prize for mathematics outreach and public communication.
Professor Hannah Fry of the University of Cambridge has been awarded the 2026 Leelavati Prize, an honor from the International Mathematical Union for outstanding contributions to mathematics outreach. Fry is the first Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at Cambridge. The prize recognizes her work making mathematics accessible through books, podcasts, television documentaries, and public engagement. She previously held a professorship in the mathematics of cities and served as president of an applied mathematics institute.
What commenters are saying
Commenters widely praised Fry as a gifted science communicator. Many recommended her book "Hello World" and her podcast "The Rest Is Science." Some noted she did not get into Cambridge's undergraduate math program but later became a professor there. A few distinguished her role as Professor of Public Understanding of Mathematics from a traditional research professorship, though others countered she holds expertise in applied mathematics. One comment highlighted her 2018 documentary "Contagion" which modeled virus spread using Bluetooth proximity, noting its similarity to the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app.