University of Richmond faculty are frequently featured at academic conferences as significant contributors to their fields. They are invited to serve as keynote speakers or to present their research and scholarship. Recently, longtime UR mathematics professor William “Bill” Ross, was celebrated at a conference held in his honor at the Centre International de Rencontres Mathématiques in Marseille, France, in December.

Ross, the Roger Francis and Mary Saunders Richardson Chair in Mathematics and a self-described all-around infielder, teaches various courses in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. His primary research areas are complex analysis and operator theory.

The conference, “Operators on analytic function spaces,” focused on operator theory, which is used in linear algebra. Ross attended the event along with more than 80 mathematicians from around the world.

“The purpose of meetings like this one are to gather experts on these components of mathematics to learn from each other and foster collaborations between researchers,” said Ross. “For those of us who teach, it’s also an opportunity to bring new ideas and methods back to the classroom.”

Ross is familiar with mathematics conferences of this caliber. He previously attended this one when it was held in Germany, but this event was especially significant because it was dedicated to his work.

“Ross is one of the leading figures in the study of analytic function spaces, the operators acting upon them, and their applications,” noted the conference organizers in their promotions.

“It was terrific to be appreciated in this way by my research colleagues who have influenced my academic year for so many years,” said Ross. “The conference happened to fall right near my 60th birthday, so it was a nice honor.”

Closer to home, Ross is the founder of VOTCAM, the annual Virginia Operator Theory and Complex Analysis Meeting, which has been held at colleges and universities in Virginia for more than 30 years. He hosted the conference at the University of Richmond for the past two years, including this fall, with support from the National Science Foundation.

“VOTCAM is a forum where mathematicians, including students, convene to share ideas and build relationships. The annual meeting is known for being welcoming and accessible to a wide range of mathematicians from all backgrounds and in all stages of their careers,” said Ross.

VOTCAM attracts researchers from across the mid-Atlantic region, with several of the plenary speakers coming from Canada and Europe.

“I always benefit personally and professionally when I get to participate in these wonderful experiences with the mathematical community.”