Stacey Smith?

Last updated
Stacey Smith?
Born (1972-10-28) October 28, 1972 (age 52)
Years active2003–present

Stacey R. Smith? note (formerly Robert Joseph Smith?, [1] [2] born 28 October 1972) is an Australian-Canadian mathematician known for scholarly research work on the modeling of infectious outbreaks, particularly including the analysis of outbreaks of zombies and Bieber Fever (a phenomenon characterized by extreme fandom for the Canadian singer Justin Bieber). She has also published scholarly books on science fiction.

Contents

Life and career

Smith? received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Macquarie University in 1994. After graduation, she went to McMasters University, where she received a master's degree in 1996 and a Ph.D. in 2001. Her doctoral thesis investigated the technique of self-cycling fermentation; her Ph.D. advisor was Gail Wolkowicz. [1]

After finishing her doctorate, Smith? worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Western Ontario, where she became involved with the mathematical study of disease. Smith? did further postdoctoral research at the University of California, Los Angeles, and at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

In 2009, Smith? published the first academic article mathematically modeling a zombie outbreak, which brought Smith? to the attention of international media, [3] including a Guinness World Record for being the first mathematician to create such a model. [4] Smith? received further attention in media in 2012 for publishing a mathematical model of "Bieber Fever", together with her student, Valerie Tweedle. [5] [6] In 2019, she was awarded the Society for Mathematical Biology's Distinguished Service Award, and then elected a fellow of the Society in 2025. [7] [8]

As of August 2024, Smith? is a professor of mathematics and statistics at the University of Ottawa. [9]

Personal life

Smith? is a trans woman and is polyamorous. [10]

Notes

^ Her personal website says the question mark is part of her name, [11] and at some point she also added a question mark at the end of her former name. [5] [1] [2]

Works cited

  1. 1 2 3 Robert Joseph Smith? at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  2. 1 2 Standish, Reid (August 23, 2015). "Which Country Is Best Prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse?". Foreign Policy .
  3. ↑ Dhar, Michael (July 30, 2013). "Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse: Just Do the Math". NBC News. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  4. ↑ "First mathematical model for surviving a zombie attack". Guiness World Records. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  5. 1 2 "'Bieber Fever' more infectious than measles". Canadian Broadcasting Company . The Canadian Press. June 7, 2012. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  6. ↑ "Bieber Fever an infectious disease: Study". The Toronto Sun . QMI Agency. June 7, 2012. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  7. ↑ "Distinguished Service Award". Society for Mathematical Biology. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Society for Mathematical Biology Fellows". Society for Mathematical Biology. Retrieved 2025-02-24.
  9. ↑ "Stacey Smith?". Faculty of Science professors. University of Ottawa. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  10. ↑ Pfeffer, Amanda. "Why Does Polyamory Work for You?". Ontario Today with Amanda Pfeffer (Podcast). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  11. ↑ Smith?, Stacey. "Welcome to the homepage of Stacey Smith?". University of Ottawa . Retrieved February 24, 2025.
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