The Gisele & Neil Robertson Mathematics Award was established through the generous support of Dr. George Neil Robertson and Gisele M. Robertson to recognize outstanding doctoral research in the graduate mathematics program. Dr. Neil Robertson is an emeritus professor of mathematics known for his influential work in graph theory and discrete mathematics.  

The Robertson Award aims to recognize PhD dissertation studies that demonstrate creativity, intellectual independence, and originality in mathematics. It will be awarded annually to one recipient, with a prize amount of $5,000. 

The inaugural 2026 awardee is Qifan Chen, whose dissertation introduces the “Generalized Method of Lines” (GMOL), a new framework for solving complex partial differential equations that arise in fields such as fluid dynamics, aerospace engineering and weather prediction. His work develops faster and more efficient numerical methods that reduce computational cost while maintaining high accuracy, advancing research in large-scale scientific computing.