CMS Thanks Dr. Ilia Binder for His Leadership and Welcomes Dr. Javad Mashreghi as President

Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) extends its sincere gratitude to Dr. Ilia Binder (University of Toronto) for his dedicated leadership, having stepped up as President during a challenging period for the Society. The CMS also warmly welcomes back Dr. Javad Mashreghi (Université Laval) as incoming President, returning for a second term after previously serving from 2020 to 2022.

Dr. Binder assumed the role of President on short notice, during a particularly sensitive and challenging time for the Society. Through his expertise, experience, and kindness, he helped foster a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for both staff and volunteers. CMS staff especially appreciated his positivity, professionalism, and calm leadership throughout his term.

Dr. Binder has also played a deeply important role in the Society’s ongoing governance review, and his thoughtful contributions have helped lay the foundation for a stronger and more resilient CMS for years to come. During a particularly challenging period for the Society, his compassion and commitment also helped rebuild trust and re-engage volunteers and members of the community whose continued involvement has been invaluable to the CMS.

“Working with Dr. Binder has been an absolute pleasure. He brought a kind and thoughtful presence to the Society at a time when that leadership was especially needed. He was always approachable, supportive, and generous with his time, and both staff and volunteers truly appreciated that. His care for the CMS community and his commitment to strengthening the Society will have a lasting impact. The CMS staff looks forward to working with Dr. Javad Mashreghi again and wishes him a successful presidency.”

– Dr. Termeh Kousha, Executive Director, CMS

With the conclusion of Dr. Binder’s term, leadership of the Society now passes to Dr. Javad Mashreghi, who returns as President after previously holding the position from 2020 to 2022.

Dr. Javad Mashreghi is a Canada Research Chair at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Université Laval. He is the author of numerous papers, books and proceedings on a wide variety of subjects, including functional analysis, operator theory, analytic function theory, matrix analysis, optimization, and signal processing.

Dr. Mashreghi brings with him a long history of dedicated service to the CMS, spanning over more than two decades of leadership and volunteer involvement. Over the years, he has served in key governance roles, including President, Vice-President (Québec), and Director on the CMS Board of Directors. He has also chaired and been a member of several important committees, including the Publications Committee, Fellows Selection Committee, Distinguished Awards Selection Committee, Endowment Grants Committee, International Prize Committee, and Nominating Committee. In addition to his governance work, Dr. Mashreghi has remained actively engaged in the Society’s academic community as a session organizer at many CMS meetings across the country, and as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Mathematical Bulletin.

During his previous term as President, Dr. Mashreghi guided the CMS through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping the Society adapt quickly to virtual operations and online conferences. His presidency also saw the launch of several important initiatives and committees, and significant progress toward projects such as the acquisition of the House of Math and the expansion of CMS publications and open-access initiatives.

Dr. Mashreghi worked alongside Dr. Binder as President-Elect during the past few months:

“Dr. Ilia Binder graciously accepted to lead the Canadian Mathematical Society on extremely short notice. In fact, he received the request while returning from a scientific meeting, somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the suddenness and the delicacy of the situation, he immediately stepped forward with generosity, calmness, and a profound sense of responsibility. Since then, his wisdom, experience, and steady leadership have helped guide all of us through several difficult and sensitive stages. This includes, among many other challenges, navigating the truly difficult circumstances surrounding the past Winter Meeting, as well as providing invaluable support to both the HR and Governance Committees. On a personal note, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ilia for his remarkable devotion to the Society and for the care and integrity with which he has carried out this demanding role. It has been both reassuring and inspiring to work alongside him, and I am truly delighted that we will continue working together in the coming years.” 

– Dr. Javad Mashreghi, President, CMS

The CMS extends its sincere thanks to Dr. Ilia Binder for his leadership and service, and looks forward to working with Dr. Javad Mashreghi as he begins his new term as President of the Society.

About the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS)
The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning and application of mathematics. The Society’s activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements. The CMS is a registered non-profit, charitable organization and depends on grants, funding, and generous donations from sponsors, benefactors and community members to be able to carry out its activities.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Termeh Kousha Executive Director Canadian Mathematical Society tkousha@cms.math.ca

or

Dr. Javad Mashreghi President Canadian Mathematical Society president@cms.math.ca