8:09 a.m., May 5, 2009----Two faculty members in the University of Delaware's Department of Mathematical Sciences -- Ivar Stakgold, professor emeritus, and Pamela Cook, professor -- have been named fellows of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).

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Stakgold was cited for his study of linear and nonlinear partial differential equations. Cook, who has a secondary appointment in chemical engineering, was cited for her contributions to fluid mechanics.

SIAM's mission is to build cooperation between mathematics and the worlds of science and technology through publications, research, and community. The society is conferring fellow status on 183 “noteworthy professionals” in this inaugural year of its fellows program. In subsequent years, the honor will be limited to approximately 0.3 percent of the society's regular membership. The first class of fellows will be honored at SIAM's annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, in July.

Stakgold, who holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, joined the UD math department as chairperson in 1975 and held that position until 1991. He retired in 1995 but remained an active emeritus faculty member through March of 2008, when he left Delaware for the University of San Diego to be closer to his family. Stakgold is the former president of SIAM and the author of a seminal text, Green's Functions and Boundary Value Problems.

He is also the honoree of a book in the field -- Nonlinear Problems in Applied Mathematics: In Honor of Ivar Stakgold on His 70th Birthday.

Cook earned her doctorate at Cornell University. She joined the UD faculty in 1983 and served as chair of the math department from 1992-2000. Cook is also associate dean of engineering, where her focus is on women's programs, as well as a member of UD President Patrick Harker's Diversity Task Force. Cook has served as editor-in-chief of the SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics and as society secretary. She is also the author of a book, Transonic Aerodynamics, and was co-editor of the Stakgold 70th birthday volume.

“Research in applied mathematics has been a hallmark of our department since at least 1975, when Ivar Stakgold became chair,” says current chairperson Peter Monk. “Under his leadership, the department expanded in applied mathematics and started to gain a strong reputation in this area.”

“As chair from 1992-2000, Pam Cook continued the emphasis on applied mathematics but with the added goal of promoting ties with industry,” he continues. “In view of the department's reputation for excellence in this area, it is wholly appropriate that our faculty hold leadership roles in the applied mathematics community. We're delighted to see that Pam and Ivar's excellent service contribution has been recognized by SIAM.”

In announcing the first class of Fellows, SIAM President Douglas Arnold said, “[This] is an important milestone for the applied mathematics and computational science community. Reflecting the diversity of the SIAM membership, these men and women come from five continents, and work in academia, industry, and government laboratories. Their contributions are truly outstanding.”

Article by Diane Kukich