Inspired by U of T’s supportive community, Velimir Jurdjevic creates a scholarship for the next great minds in math

Aug 18, 2022

Velimir Jurdjevic smiling and standing on the steps of the Bahen Centre for Information Technology. — *Photo by Diana Tyszko*

Math has always transported Professor Velimir Jurdjevic to new and exciting realms.

“I often think of math as a ladder. With each proof and mathematical concept explored, you climb up a rung higher,” says Jurdjevic, a professor emeritus with the Department of Mathematics in U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science.

“Eventually, when you’ve climbed up enough, you reach a place of ideas. There, you can make sense of things beyond the physical world. You can throw away the ladder, and you won’t fall.”

I often think of math as a ladder. When you’ve climbed up enough, you reach a place of ideas. There, you can make sense of things beyond the physical world.

The newly established Velimir Jurdjevic Graduate Scholarship in Mathematics will help students reach such heights. As an endowed gift, this award will have a lasting impact. Starting in fall 2022, this scholarship will be awarded annually, on the basis of academic merit, to a promising full-time graduate student in the Department of Mathematics.

In a career spanning more than 30 years at U of T, Jurdjevic contributed significantly to mathematics, shaping the world’s understanding of geometric control theory and regulated feedback systems — the underlying concepts that make robotics, autonomous vehicles and aerospace engineering technologies possible.

I often think of math as a ladder. When you’ve climbed up enough, you reach a place of ideas. There, you can make sense of things beyond the physical world.

This new graduate scholarship could support emerging scholars in making their mark in math, which could drive the development of new technological applications or enhance the public’s understanding of the universe.

U of T’s mathematical community brings out the best in each other

After all, Jurdjevic points out there’s no shortage of talent at the University.

“I was fortunate enough to teach some very important graduate courses and honours undergraduate courses at U of T and that put me in touch with some of the brightest minds,” he explains. “I enjoyed the intellectual intensity. Our graduate students were not afraid to ask questions and challenge their professors. I know they brought out the best in me.”

The admiration is mutual. Many of his former students credit Jurdjevic for inspiring them to pursue mathematics and other intellectual curiosities.

Velimir Jurdjevic drew me into the mathematical world of geometry with the first lecture in my first class. It was absolutely thrilling.

“Velimir Jurdjevic drew me into the mathematical world of geometry with the first lecture in my first class in the Department of Mathematics. It was absolutely thrilling,” recalls Dror Varolin (BASc 1993), who met Jurdjevic as a third-year Engineering Sciences student at U of T.

Varolin, now a professor in mathematics at Stony Brook University, wrote his undergraduate thesis under Jurdjevic and served as his teaching assistant. In addition to surviving Jurdjevic’s challenging exams and testing his knowledge with his puzzling brainteasers, Varolin recalls his former professor’s compassion and genuine interest in helping students succeed.

Velimir Jurdjevic drew me into the mathematical world of geometry with the first lecture in my first class. It was absolutely thrilling.

“In my own academic career, I have tried to imitate him as best I can. With each passing year my admiration for him, significant as it was from the very start, continues to grow.”

Establishing a scholarship brings Jurdjevic’s story full circle

Establishing this scholarship was a fitting way for Jurdjevic to pay tribute to the community that supported him.

“It’s been a privilege to build a career at the University of Toronto. It’s a place where I was allowed to follow my academic interests freely and where I became connected to a wonderful academic community.”

This gift is also a way for him to bring his story full circle.

“If it hadn’t been for a fellowship that I received, I don’t think I would have been able to go to graduate school,” he says. “I hope this award reaches graduate students who have developed a love for the subject. I’d like them to have a bit more free time to pursue their passions.”

By Rebecca Cheung