Leadership Team
Professor Mat Collins
My first degree was in Pure and Applied Mathematics at the University of Wales (Swansea). My PhD was in Meteorology at the University of Reading. After that, I did postdocs at Oxford and Reading before going to the Met Office to work on physical climate research in the Hadley Centre. I moved with the Met Office to Exeter in 2003 and came to the University of Exeter in 2010. My principal area of research is using climate models to understand future climate change.
Head of Department
Ben Youngman
My main research interest is developing statistical models for extreme values, often motivated by applications related to extreme weather. I'm also interested in various aspects of spatial and computational statistics. Much of my research might be classed as AI or data science. I joined Exeter from the University of Sheffield.
Director of Postgraduate Research
Professor Layal Hakim
I am interested in higher education innovation, and in personalised learning methods addressing individual needs. I previously worked at Imperial College London, and Brunel University, researching on numerical methods in solving problems in fracture mechanics.
Co-Director of Education and Student Experience
Professor Peter Ashwin
My research interests are in the theory of dynamical systems and applications to computational modelling of life and earth sciences, especially for nonlinear models. I have previously worked at other locations in the UK, France and Germany. At Exeter I have held various teaching and administrative roles.
Director of Research and Impact
Professor Nigel Byott
I have been at Exeter for over 30 years, during which I have taught a wide range of mathematics courses, mostly within pure mathematics, and held a variety of administrative roles. My research interests are in number theory and algebra.
Co-Director of Education and Student Experience
Professor Mohamed Saidi
I am a pure mathematician with research interests related to number theory, algebraic geometry, and Galois theory. I am particularly interested in the theory of fundamental groups and anabelian geometry. I obtained a degree in mathematics from the university of Constantine (Algeria) and a PhD from the university of Bordeaux. I previously held positions at the university of Münster, the university of Heidelberg, the university of Bonn, and Durham university, as well as several visiting positions at the Max Planck Institute for mathematics in Bonn and the Research institute for Mathematical Sciences of Kyoto university.
Director of Global Engagement
Professor Marc Goodfellow
I am Associate Professor in Mathematics and Statistics and also a member of the Living Systems Institute, where I am EDI lead. I am keen to help ensure that our colleagues are treated with dignity and respect and that all members of our communities have the opportunity to succeed in the workplace. In September 2025 I became the Director of EDI for Mathematics and Statistics and Chair of the WIDER Group.
Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Associate Professor in Mathematics and Statistics
Dr Stefan Siegert
I have a PhD in Physics from TU Dresden (Germany). I joined the Department in 2013 for my first Postdoc position and I am now an Associate Professor in Data Science. My research is on computational and statistical modelling of complex systems such as the atmosphere, ecosystems, and epidemics. I support a number of government agencies and businesses through consultancies, contract research, and knowledge transfer partnerships.
Director of Business Engagement and Innovation
