Robin Neumayer to be Awarded the 2024 AWM Sadosky Research Prize

The Association for Women in Mathematics announced that the 2024 AWM Sadosky Research Prize in Analysis is awarded to Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Professor Robin Neumayer for outstanding contributions to calculus of variations, partial differential equations (PDEs) and geometric analysis.

Established in 2012, the AWM Sadosky Research Prize recognizes exceptional research in analysis by a woman early in her career. The award is named for Cora Sadosky, a former president of AWM, and is made possible by generous contributions from Cora's husband Daniel J. Goldstein, daughter Cora Sol Goldstein, and friends Judy and Paul S. Green and Concepción Ballester. The award will be presented at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in San Francisco, Jan. 3-6, 2024.

"It is a true honor to receive the AWM Sadosky Prize in Analysis," Neumayer said. "I am grateful to the selection committee for recognizing my work, to the family and friends of Cora Sadosky for their support in establishing this prize, and to the AWM for all it does for the community of women in math."

Neumayer's research focuses on problems in calculus of variations and PDEs, with a strong emphasis on their connection to geometric analysis. Her recent work on the regularity and convergence of Riemannian manifolds demonstrates her profound geometric insights and technical skills. Notably, her series of papers on epsilon-regularity for scalar curvature showcases her ability to tackle challenging problems in the field.

Neumayer's research interests span a wide range of topics, underscoring her versatility and breadth of knowledge. She has achieved remarkable results in the quantitative stability of Sobolev inequalities and for minimizers of the Yamabe energy, the regularity theory of free boundary problems, and the existence and characterization of minimizers of sharp trace Sobolev inequalities.

As an analyst, Neumayer has made significant contributions to various areas of analysis and has paved the way for new research directions at the intersection of calculus of variations, PDEs and geometric analysis. Her broad skill set, extensive knowledge, and leadership in her field are highly regarded by her peers.

Neumayer earned her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in 2017 and prior to joining Carnegie Mellon's Department of Mathematical Sciences in 2021 as a tenure track assistant professor, she held postdoctoral positions at Northwestern University and the Institute for Advanced Study. 
 
"I have been fortunate to have exceptional mentors at every step of my career. I am particularly indebted to University of South Carolina Professor Maria Girardi, whose undergraduate real analysis class made me want to become a mathematician and whose support helped me get there; Alessio Figalli and Francesco Maggi, my Ph.D. advisors whose guidance and example have shaped my mathematical development; and Northwestern University Professor Aaron Naber, who introduced me to geometric analysis and taught me so much. I am lucky to work alongside brilliant collaborators, from whom I am constantly learning and who make all of this a joy."