Gavin Brown (academic)

Gavin Brown AO (27 February 1942) is a Scottish-born mathematician, and the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. He retired from the university in 2008. His academic career began at the University of Liverpool, where he became a senior lecturer in mathematics. He accepted the Chair of Pure Mathematics at the University of New South Wales in 1975 when he and his family emigrated to Australia. During this time, Brown was awarded the Sir Edmund Whittaker Memorial Prize and the Australian Mathematical Society Medal.

At the University of New South Wales, Brown held a number of academic administrative posts, including Head of the Department of Pure Mathematics, Head of the School of Mathematics, and Dean of the Faculty of Science. In 1992, he became the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide; later, in 1994, he became the Vice-Chancellor. He took up his present position as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney in 1996.

Brown was actively involved in the work of the Australian Research Council as a chairman of various funding committees from 1988-1993, and a member of the Council from 1992-1993.

Brown has authored more than a hundred research papers and he is on the board of several international journals. His research areas have been broad, including measure theory and algebraic geometry. He holds a Master of Arts degree (1st Class Honours and the Duncan Medal) from University of St Andrews (1963), a PhD from University of Newcastle upon Tyne (1966), an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of St Andrews (1997), and an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Dundee (2004). In 2006, Brown was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

References

* [http://www.usyd.edu.au/about/organisation/vc/biography.shtml Biographical note]