PhD student Lisa Valentini awarded the Rayleigh–Knight Prize
Many congratulations to Clare Hall PhD student in Pure Mathematics Lisa Valentini, who has been awarded the 2026 Rayleigh–Knight Prize! Lisa is one of six PhD students to receive the award from Cambridge’s Faculty of Mathematics this year. The prize recognises outstanding mathematical research and the skill involved in explaining it clearly.
There is a remarkable history behind the award. The Rayleigh–Knight Prize belongs to a Cambridge tradition that began with the Smith’s Prizes in 1769. These were originally awarded through examinations, but switched to research essays in 1885. Among the recipients of those earlier prizes were George Gabriel Stokes, Arthur Cayley, James Clerk Maxwell, G. H. Hardy and Alan Turing.
For Lisa, the news prompted a light-hearted reflection on that history. In her post announcing the award, she noted the celebrated names associated with the prize tradition before adding: “And then there’s me”.
Alongside her research, Lisa has been an active part of College life, having served as both GSB Wellbeing Officer and Green Officer over the past couple of years.
We are very pleased to celebrate Lisa’s achievement with her. Many congratulations to Lisa and her fellow recipients!