Andrea Bertozzi, a professor of mathematics and director of applied mathematics at UCLA, has been named the inaugural holder of UCLA’s Betsy Wood Knapp Chair for Innovation and Creativity.
Under her leadership, UCLA’s program in applied mathematics has become one of the premier programs in the United States and the world, said Joseph Rudnick, dean of the UCLA Division of Physical Sciences.
Bertozzi and her colleagues work with the Los Angeles Police Department to analyze crime patterns and predict crime hotspots, and they have designed a mathematical algorithm to identify street gangs involved in unsolved violent crimes.
She, along with other UCLA researchers, has also been awarded a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation for research aimed at reshaping and improving how images and large data sets are collected and analyzed in science, engineering, medicine and other fields through the use of a method called compressive sensing.
“We are delighted that Professor Bertozzi has been chosen to occupy the Betsy Wood Knapp Chair for Innovation and Creativity,” Rudnick said. “Professor Bertozzi is a world-class applied mathematician with years of distinguished performance as a teacher, scholar and leader in her field. She will continue to provide vital leadership and support for faculty and students.”
