Natural Sciences

Fengzhu Sun, professor of quantitative and computational biology and mathematics, has been elected a fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association. The association is a global, academic, nonprofit organization formed by scholars who share a focus on advancing AI. Sun is the third fellow from the quantitative and computational biology department to receive this honor, following Nobel laureate Arieh Warshel, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Quantitative and Computational Biology and Dana and David Dornsife Chair in Chemistry, and Michael Waterman, University Professor Emeritus.

Anna Krylov, USC Associates Chair in Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry, has been awarded the Kolos Medal from the University of Warsaw and the Polish Chemical Society for her outstanding contribution to the theoretical chemistry of open-shell and electronically-excited molecules in complex environments. The Kolos Medal is awarded every two years in recognition of achievements in chemistry.

Greta Panova, Gabilan Distinguished Professor in Science and Engineering and professor of mathematics, has been named a 2024 Fellow in Mathematics by the Simons Foundation. Renowned for her expertise in combinatorics, probability and theoretical computer science, Panova’s selection underscores her exceptional contributions to the field. The Simons Fellows program extends academic leaves from one term to a full year, aiming to enable recipients to focus solely on research for the long periods often necessary for significant advances.

Fengzhu Sun, professor of quantitative and computational biology and mathematics, has been conferred the distinguished title of 2024 Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology. The prestigious accolade recognizes outstanding contributions to the fields of computational biology and bioinformatics. Sun was honored for his contributions in advancing the frontier of biological and biomedical sciences through the ingenious use of probability and statistical methodologies, most notably for his work elucidating the intricate realms of protein interaction networks and metagenomics.

Moh El-Naggar, divisional dean for the physical sciences and mathematics, Dean’s Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and professor of physics and astronomy and chemistry, and Eric Webb, professor of biological sciences and environmental studies, have been elected Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Kelly Luo, Gabilan Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, was elected to the executive committee of the American Physical Society Forum on Early Career Scientists. The forum provides support and mentorship to post-doctoral fellows as they navigate through the early stages of their career and helps them increase inclusion and participation in the activities and decision-making of the physics community worldwide.

Greta Panova, Gabilan Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering and professor of mathematics, has been awarded the 2024–2025 AMS Joan and Joseph Birman Fellowship for Women Scholars. This prestigious fellowship is dedicated to exceptionally talented women in mathematics, recognizing their achievements and potential for significant future contributions to their field. The fellowship provides support and addresses underrepresentation of women at the highest levels of research in mathematics.

Juhi Jang, professor of mathematics, has received a Frontiers of Science Award at the inaugural International Congress of Basic Science held this past July in Beijing. The award recognizes her paper “Expanding large global solutions of the equations of compressible fluid mechanics,” co-authored with Mahir Hadžić of King’s College London and published in Inventiones mathematicae in 2018. Frontiers of Science Awards honor “top research, with an emphasis on achievements from the past five years which are both excellent and of outstanding scholarly value.”

John Platt, professor of Earth sciences, has been selected to receive the 2023 Career Contribution Award from the Structural Geology and Tectonics Division of the Geological Society of America. The award goes to an individual who has made numerous distinguished contributions that have advanced the science of structural geology or tectonics throughout their career.