14/06/2024

Marcelo Viana interviews mathematician Suely Druck.

IMPA's Director-General, Marcelo Viana, received mathematician Suely Druck, one of the creators of OBMEP, this Friday (14) at IMPA. The meeting takes place three days after the National Award Ceremony of the Olympiad, on Tuesday (11), in Barra da Tijuca, west zone of Rio de Janeiro.

"It is important that we preserve the historical record of OBMEP and the actions in which Suely played a leading role," said Marcelo Viana.

She returned to the event's stage after 13 years. “It was very emotional to see those kids, those boys with eight medals. That didn't exist when I left OBMEP. It was very emotional and an important rescue as a teacher, a personal rescue as well, being alongside IMPA and the President of the Republic.” Suely recalled the first steps of the Olympiad, alongside IMPA. “We faced great opposition, and President Lula was fundamental in this process.”

Suely, a retired professor from UFF (Universidade Federal Fluminense), where she coordinated the postgraduate program at the faculty's Institute of Mathematics, served as academic director and president of the SBM (Sociedade Brasileira de Matemática) for two terms (2002 to 2005). Dedicated to the field of Differential Topology, she also worked as a visiting professor at Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France.