PIMS Welcomes Prof. Razvan C. Fetecau: New Site Director at Simon Fraser University.

  • Date: 08/24/2023

PIMS is pleased to welcome Professor Razvan C. Fetecau as the new Site Director representing Simon Fraser University. Professor Fetecau will begin his three-year term on September 1, 2023. A professor within the Department of Mathematics at SFU, Prof. Fetecau’s primary research is in the general area of nonlinear differential equations with particular interests in mathematical models for self-collective and swarming behavior. The topic has received a great amount of interest in recent years, as such models can capture complex aggregation behaviours that emerge from simple interaction rules, in the absence of a leader or external coordination. The models may apply in a variety of areas, including population biology (chemotaxis of cells, swarming or flocking of animals), physics and chemistry (self-assembly of nano-particles), robotics and space missions, traffic and pedestrian flow, and opinion formation.

 

Professor Fetecau received his Ph.D. in Applied and Computational Mathematics in 2003 from the California Institute of Technology. He was a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech, before joining SFU as a tenure-track assistant professor in 2006. He has been actively involved in various PIMS activities for more than 10 years, including as a supervisor for one of the PIMS PDFs, and as a speaker for the PIMS-SFU Applied and Computational Seminar Series. Professor Fetecau’s appointment as Site Director is a natural continuation of his work with PIMS, and we look forward to his continued involvement in research and academic administration.

 

PIMS is also grateful to Professor Weiran Sun, whose work as Simon Fraser University’s Site Director has been commendable.