Silverman to become president of the American Mathematical Society

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Joseph Silverman, a professor of mathematics at Brown University, has been elected the next president of the American Mathematical Society (AMS), an organization of more than 27,000 members worldwide dedicated to furthering mathematics research, scholarship and education.

Silverman will serve one year as president-elect starting Feb. 1 before his presidency begins in 2027. He is the second Brown faculty member in recent years to head the AMS, which is headquartered in Providence. Jill Pipher, a mathematics professor and Brown's former vice president of research, served as president from 2019 to 2020.

"It is a great honor to have been elected president of the American Mathematical Society," Silverman said. "I plan to work with the AMS's membership and staff to help the mathematical community deal with the many challenges that it currently faces, which include reduced research funding, a difficult job market, and the use - and misuse - of AI tools in education and research. I hope to make the AMS a home for all mathematicians, in the broadest sense, and to support this vibrant community in all of its mathematical endeavors."

Silverman joined the Brown faculty in 1988 and was chair of the mathematics department from 2001 to 2004 and again in 2008. His research interests include number theory, elliptic curves, arithmetic geometry and cryptography. He is the author of eight textbooks and research monographs and more than 100 research articles. With colleagues Jeff Hoffstein and Jill Pipher, Silverman developed a cryptographic system called NTRU, which was a finalist in the National Institute for Standards and Technology's recent search for quantum-safe data encryption.

Silverman was elected as a fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012 and served on its board of trustees from 2015 to 2025. He is the recipient of the Lester Ford Award from the Mathematics Association of America and has been awarded fellowships by the Sloan Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. In 2022, he was invited to present his work at the highly prestigious International Congress of Mathematicians.

Founded in 1888 to further mathematical research and scholarship, the American Mathematical Society fulfills its mission through programs and services that promote mathematical research and its uses, strengthen mathematical education, and foster awareness and appreciation of mathematics and its connections to other disciplines and to everyday life.