Exeter College announces the Stewart-Flowerdew Tutorial Fellowship in Mathematics

Exeter College is delighted to announce a very generous pledge from alumnus David Flowerdew (1996, Mathematics) to endow one of the College’s three Tutorial Fellowships in Mathematics. 

The new Stewart-Flowerdew Tutorial Fellowship in Mathematics secures the future of this core subject at Exeter. The post is currently held by Professor Cornelia Druţu, who will serve as the first Stewart-Flowerdew Fellow. 

The Fellowship is named in honour of David’s former tutor, Dr Brian Stewart, who taught mathematics at Exeter for over 30 years. This generous gift is a testament to the transformative power of the tutorial system of teaching which sets Oxford apart and makes it such a special place to learn. The tutorial method is expensive, which is why endowment gifts such as this one are vital to ensure that Mathematics teaching will continue at Exeter for future generations of students. 

When asked what motivated him to make the gift, David replied, “The exceptional teaching and mentorship provided by Dr Stewart during my time at Exeter left me enjoying maths into my adulthood. I sincerely hope others can find similar enjoyment.” 

Professor Cornelia Druţu is a Professor of Pure Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, Oxford. Her research interests lie in Geometric Group Theory, Topology, Operator Algebras, and Combinatorics. In 2009, she was awarded the Whitehead Prize by the London Mathematical Society for her work. She has held visiting positions at numerous prestigious institutions, including the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn and the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute in Berkeley. 

The College is profoundly grateful to David and his family for making this commitment, which will have a lasting and powerful impact on academic life at Exeter. 

Left: Professor Cornelia Druţu

Right: Dr Brian Stewart