A National Distinction

UC Santa Barbara Professors Denise Montell, Linda Petzold, and Glenn Fredrickson have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. They are among 120 members, and 30 international members, to join the academy this year.  Memberships in the NAS is one of the most prestigious recognitions awarded to a scientist or engineer in the United States. 

CBE Faculty Member Linda Petzold, is the Mehrabian Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, and was honored by NAS for her contributions to theoretical numerical analysis. A member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, she is also an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematical (SIAM) the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and AAAS. 

"I am deeply honored that my work has been recognized by my esteemed colleagues in the NAS," said Petzold. "Up to this point, my work has been recognized mostly for its contributions to computer science and engineering. It is gratifying to be recognized for my contributions in mathematics and the sciences."

Petzold's research in mathematical modeling and computational simulation has been widely acknowledged in a variety of disciplines and applications. Her breakthrough paper in 1982, "Differential-Algebraic Equations (DAEs) are not ODEs [ordinary differential equations]" opened up a new subfield in computational mathematics, and her pubic-domain software DASSL has enabled the simulation of countless systems in engineering and science. Her LSODA software has been used extensively and remains in widespread use, mainly in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. 

Petzold's current work has focused on algorithims and software (StochSS Live!) for discrete stochastic systems, motivated by the need to model the inherent randomness of biochemical reactions in the cell. Current Collaborations range from biology (jet lag and cell polarization), to medicine (trauma and chronic pain), to ecology (ant behavior), to neuroscience (learning, neuronal networks and migraine. 

"My work has greatly benefited from collegial, stimulating and highly multidisciplinary enviornment at UCSB." said Petzold. "I am deeply grateful to my collaborators for sharing their research adventures, and to my colleagues and the UCSB Administration for their vigilance in protecting and maintaining an environment that is highly conducive to research."

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