Deirdre Haskell appointed Director of the Fields Institute
Prof. Deirdre Haskell steps into the role of Fields Institute Director from her role as Interim Director.
The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Deirdre Haskell, currently serving as Interim Director, has been appointed Director of the Institute. Prior to this appointment, Prof. Haskell held the position of Deputy Director since 2020.
Read more about Deirdre Haskell’s appointment as Interim Director.
Philip Siller, Chair of the Institute’s Board said: “After an extensive search process, the Institute is fortunate to have Prof. Haskell as its new Director. In addition to her scientific output, Prof. Haskell has proved herself to be an outstanding leader with a clear understanding of the Institute’s strategies in advancing mathematics research in Canada and abroad, bringing mathematics to bear on the key issues of the day, and enhancing mathematics education at all levels in Canada.
“I am delighted to take on the role of Director and look forward to steering the Fields Institute into the future," said Prof. Haskell.
The Fields Institute has played an important role in Prof. Haskell's life for almost three decades. She recalls bringing her daughter, then two months old, to a conference in 1997 where she delivered her first breakthrough paper. Her daughter and husband, former Fields Director Walter Craig, hung out in an office on the third floor while Prof. Haskell attended talks and presented her work. “That 80-page paper was followed by a 200-page book that really made my career,” she says.
When Prof. Haskell and her family moved to Canada from the US in 2000, the Fields Institute was a huge draw. While she taught at McMaster, Prof. Haskell attended numerous workshops and conferences at the Institute, achieving another career milestone in 2009 when another piece of work delivered during a Thematic Program became two long papers.
From 2012-2014, while her husband served as Fields Director, the Fields Institute became an even greater part of her life. “We used to joke that it’s the family business,” she says, noting that she and Craig are the only couple to both serve as Director.
With her vision clearly in place, the Fields Institute looks forward to thriving under Prof. Haskell’s direction.
