RIA awards Hamilton Prize to UCD maths ace Mhyls Salapuddin
21 October 2025
Danny McCoy, CEO of Ibec; Mhyls Salappudin, UCD’s winner of the 2025 Hamilton Prize in Mathematics; and Professor Kip Thorne, the 2025 Hamilton Speaker
A UCD student is an awardee of this year’s prestigious Hamilton Prize – the top accolade for undergraduate mathematical students in Ireland.
Mhyls Salapuddin, who is in his final year of Mathematics, was among nine students recognised by the (opens in a new window)Royal Irish Academy for their mathematical excellence.
The ceremony took place at the Royal Irish Academy on Thursday, 16 October 2025. The date marked the anniversary of famed Irish scientist William Rowan Hamilton’s discovery of quaternion algebra on 16 October 1843.
“As a maths graduate, I know how far maths can take you. It opens doors to research, finance, teaching, economics, and politics,” said James Lawless TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, who delivered the keynote address at the ceremony.
“Mathematics is central to Ireland’s success. Our fastest-growing industries, including artificial intelligence, renewable energy, medtech, financial services, and data analytics, all depend on strong maths skills. These awards recognise the discipline and talent of the next generation of Irish mathematicians.”
The nine 2025 Hamilton Prize winners are:
- Conor Bradshaw, University College Cork
- Sorcha Broe-Brady, Dublin City University
- Darragh Connaughton, University of Limerick
- Daniel Drapeau, Maynooth University
- Cameron James Ramsey, Queen’s University Belfast
- Gabrielle Pichot, Technological University Dublin
- Mhyls Salapuddin, University College Dublin
- Ihor Skorobogatko, University of Galway
- Ronan Zaletel, Trinity College Dublin
This year’s prize was presented by the 2025 Hamilton Speaker, Nobel Laureate Professor Kip Thorne. Professor Thorne was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize for his contributions to the study of gravitational waves.
In recognition of their mathematical excellence, the students each received a cash prize and a certificate of achievement.
They also attended an exclusive masterclass with Professor Thorne, hosted by business representative lobbying organisation Ibec.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
