ARIZONA APPLIED MATH FEST
November 2-4, 2001

2001 marks two notable milestones in the Mathematical Sciences at the University of Arizona: The 25th anniversary of the Program in Applied Mathematics, and the 60th birthday of Alan C. Newell.

The Program in Applied Mathematics was started in 1976 by a group of faculty from the Colleges of Science and Engineering and became an independent degree-granting program in 1978. Over the past 25 years it has built a major national and international reputation for interdisciplinary research in applied mathematics, and has produced over 120 PhDs -- many of whom have gone on to successful academic careers. The Program comprises a broad-based faculty membership from 15 departments in the Colleges of Science, Engineering and Medicine. Recent highlights include the garnering of both IGERT and VIGRE training grants, the establishment of two experimental teaching laboratories, and a major initiative in research at the interface of biology and mathematics. The Program has been headed by Robert O'Malley (1976-1981), Alan Newell (1981-1985), David McLaughlin (1986-1989), Timothy Secomb (1989-1991), and Michael Tabor (1992-present).

Combining energy, common sense and fun, Alan C. Newell has had a long and distinguished career in applied mathematics research and academic leadership. He has been a highly successful department head at Clarkson University (1971-1979); at the University of Arizona as Head of the Program in Applied Mathematics (1981-1985) the Mathematics Department (1985-1996); and at the University of Warwick (1996-2000). He has now returned to the University of Arizona, and celebrates his 60th birthday in November 2001.

Alan has made seminal contributions to soliton mathematics, the structure and dynamics of pattern formation, nonlinear optics, and turbulence theory. Through his outstanding work in these areas, and his approach to scientific inquiry as a whole, he has demonstrated the universality and relevance of Mathematics throughout the Natural Sciences. This natural philosopher's view of the world has been the essence of the Program in Applied Mathematics since its inception, and it is this tradition that we will be celebrating at the Arizona Applied Math Fest, 2001!