1943-1987

Canadian mathematician whose work in algebraic problems in theoretical computer science won her much acclaim. Nelson began working in algebra theory in the late 1970s, seeing applications to some problems in computer science. Her work in this area was deemed important, and in 1982 she was asked to chair the McMaster University Computer Science Unit. Nelson died of cancer at age 44 and is memorialized by the Kreiger-Nelson Prize Lectureship for Distinguished Research by Women in Mathematics, awarded by the Canadian Mathematical Society.