Daljit Ahluwalia, the visionary, vibrant and longtime chair of NJIT’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, will be honored at 6:30 p.m. on May 19, 2008 for his pivotal role in dramatically raising the department’s status on campus and in the nation. The honor will be awarded on the occasion of Ahluwahlia’s 75th birthday before more than 200 leading academics from around the world.
Academics will be on campus to attend NJIT’s fifth annual Frontiers in Applied and Computational Mathematics Conference, May 19-21, 2008 in Kupfrian Hall on the NJIT campus. View more details: http://m.njit.edu/Events/FACM08/
The three-day learning extravaganza for leading mathematical minds provides an unusual forum for a collegial exchange of ideas and results at the frontier of research in the mathematical sciences. More than 50 symposia and lectures will focus on difficult problems in the biomedical, physical and social sciences, engineering and technology, and how mathematical modeling provides solutions.
“We all thank Daljit for his many contributions in building one of the most accomplished teams in applied mathematics in the world today,” said NJIT President Robert A. Altenkirch.
“Daljit is very special to many people at NJIT,” said Michael Siegel, PhD, professor of mathematical sciences and chair of the event. “He has spent two decades creating a vibrant and collegial environment in which to pursue research and teaching. We are fortunate to be the recipients of his vision and legendary energy.” An endowed fund for the newly-established D.S. Ahluwalia Doctoral Fellowship in Mathematical Sciences will be announced.
Ahluwalia arrived at NJIT in 1986 to lead the department, following more than a decade of work at the famed Courant Institute for the Mathematical Sciences at New York University. Since then, the math department faculty has increased in numbers by 100 percent, the physical space has grown 300 percent and the computing power has increased by factor of one million. The department annually receives more than $2 million in federal funding, a notable sum for mathematical research.
Today, mathematics is the NJIT’s largest department and in 2004 it was selected to receive strategic priority funding to achieve national prominence within a five-year period. Last year, Academic Analytics, as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education (Nov. 7, 2007), ranked the department based on faculty productivity number 10 in the nation. See more at: http://www.academicanalytics.com/About/AboutUs.aspx.
“Professor Ahluwalia’s imprints are evident on the entire success story of the department of mathematical sciences,” said Fadi P. Deek, PhD, dean of the College of Science and Liberal Arts at NJIT. “He has made innumerable contributions not only to his department, but also to our college and the university. Under his leadership, the math department transitioned from a teaching department to one of the leading venues for applied mathematics research in the country. This success has been accomplished by a steady and persistent emphasis on hiring and grooming young faculty, as well as established leading researchers in applied areas of mathematics.
“Perhaps even more compelling, is the sight of Professor Ahluwalia practicing what he preaches. On a daily basis, he can be found walking the halls of the department keeping a watchful and nurturing eye on the faculty and students, mentoring his younger faculty and solving administrative and academic problems in real time.”
Conference highlights will include 57 symposia plus four special lectures. The lectures feature: Jean-Marc Vanden Brock, of University College, London (Studies of Nonlinear Three Dimensional Free Surface Flowsm); Frank Hoppensteadt of Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University (“Multi-Scale Methods, Computer Stimulations and Data Mining: Difference and Renewal Equations); G Bard Ermentrout, of University of Pittsburgh (“When Noise Is the Signal: Stochastic Synchronization in Neurons); I. David Abrahams, University of Manchester, UK, (Asymptotic Homogenization and Effective Material Properties in Elasticity and Electromagnetics).
(ATTENTION EDITORS: To either request a photo or attend the May 19, 2008 dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Campus Center, call Rosalyn Roberts, 973-596-3433.)
The National Science Foundation, Society for Mathematical Biology and NJIT have provided support for the event.
New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey's science and technology university, enrolls more than 8,000 students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 100 degree programs offered by six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, Albert Dorman Honors College, and College of Computing Sciences. NJIT is renowned for expertise in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering, and eLearning. NJIT: The Edge in Knowledge.