Colm Killer Caulfield on Cambridge DAMT Leadership During COVID 19 and the Teaching Research Synergy

Overview

In this episode of Voices of Mathematics, Marianne Freiberger speaks with Colm Killer Caulfield, outgoing head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge. They discuss Caulfield's five and a half year tenure, the twin aims of the DAMT to deliver world class teaching and research, and the department's response to the COVID 19 pandemic. The conversation also touches on fundraising, recruitment, interdisciplinary master programs, and what makes Cambridge a premier hub for mathematics.

• Caulfield reflects on guiding DAMT through the COVID era with teamwork and resilience.
• The interview highlights the symbiotic relationship between teaching and research in mathematics.
• Advice to his successor includes delegation, listening, and valuing professional staff.
• Future plans include sabbatical, a potential academic book, and continued engagement with research puzzles.

Introduction and context

The podcast episode features Colm Killer Caulfield, who is transitioning from his role as head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMPED) at the University of Cambridge to a new leader, Nick Dorey. The discussion centers on the department's mission to combine world class teaching with high international quality research, and how the department shares knowledge to train the next generation of mathematicians.

The role of the head of department

Caulfield describes the head of department as bearing substantial responsibility. This includes ensuring the smooth operation of research and teaching, managing finances and environments, allocating resources, and shaping strategic direction for future improvements. The role also involves leadership of academic staff and professional support staff, as well as acting as a figurehead who can engage with stakeholders and donors to secure resources that keep the department thriving. He emphasizes collaboration with other leaders within the department and faculty, noting the importance of consensus building in decision making.

The COVID 19 era and the damped response

Caulfield recounts taking up the post in January 2020, just before the March 2020 lockdowns. He highlights the department's collaboration with Julia Gog, a leading authority on mathematical epidemiology who contributed to government advisory groups. At the outset, staff were urged to set up working from home and to gather the necessary equipment. He recalls walking through a closed Centre for Mathematical Sciences with a skeleton key, symbolizing the sudden shift to remote operations. When Easter term teaching had to continue, improvisation became essential, with ad hoc solutions like digital whiteboards recorded on phones. Examinations were a critical issue; the department worked to maintain credible and rigorous assessments, including opportunities for in person exams for those seeking grade improvements. The experience fostered extraordinary teamwork, notably with the heads of the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and the chair of the Faculty Board, James Norris and Andrew Thompson respectively. The effort to return to a safe on site environment involved tests of ventilation and air flows to protect staff and students, underscoring the importance of in person interaction for mathematics.

Proudest achievements and ongoing initiatives

Caulfield identifies two main sources of pride. First, the collaboration with Cambridge University Development and Alumni Relations to diversify funding streams and secure resources for student support and PhD programs, including summer internships. Second, the successful launch of new interdisciplinary master programs and the recruitment of outstanding colleagues from diverse backgrounds. He also highlights the value of hiring talented staff and the idea of hiring smarter people to advance the department’s research and teaching horizons. He notes the importance of the department’s people, from faculty to professional and support staff, in sustaining success through times of upheaval.

What makes DAMPED a leading department

Caulfield explains the DAMT's unique unifying philosophy across diverse topics, from theoretical cosmology to health mathematics and computational analysis. The focus is on understanding underlying fundamentals and using rigorous mathematics—now often coupled with computation—to derive insights. He emphasizes a philosophy of seeking a “why” rather than a “how,” striving to identify dominant processes that lead to robust conclusions and generalizable methods. He also highlights a culture of applying mathematics to real world areas such as health and life sciences, with examples like fluid mechanics and art conservation through mathematical imaging. The department’s broad yet cohesive approach, together with a sustained emphasis on educating the next generation, underpins its world leading status.

Teaching and the Cambridge standing

Teaching is described as the core of the university’s mission and a source of symbiotic growth with research. Caulfield argues that excellent teaching enriches the professor and the student alike, with first year courses and Part III master courses acting as essential recruitment grounds for researchers. The department’s ability to attract talented students, PhD candidates, and postdocs is tied to its reputation for high quality education and cutting edge research. The conversation reiterates that a strong teaching program can reinforce and inform research directions, while research excellence enhances teaching quality and the education of students who may become the next generation of mathematicians and collaborators.

Advice to the next head of department

Caulfield offers practical guidance for his successor: delegate and engage with colleagues and professional staff; actively listen to concerns and ideas to strengthen the department; build structures such as deputy heads and directors to share leadership responsibilities and maintain consensus. He also reflects on aspects he wishes he had known earlier, including the volume of letters of recommendation heads must write for various purposes, and the importance of recognizing how central professional and support staff are to department operations. These reflections underscore the human and administrative dimensions of leadership beyond strategic vision.

Looking ahead and closing reflections

As his tenure nears its end, Caulfield looks forward to quieter times, a sabbatical, and a possible academic book. He expresses a desire to re engage with stratified flow and continue research with students and postdocs. The interview closes with gratitude for the colleagues who collaborated to maintain the department’s educational mission during a turbulent period and a forward looking sense of continued mathematical discovery at Cambridge.