By the Numb3rs 2025

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Letter from the Chair

Welcome to the 2025 Fall Newsletter!

I am excited to share this year’s newsletter — a snapshot of the many ways our Department continues to thrive, innovate, and build community.
This year, we honored the distinguished careers and retirements of Andrew Mellon Professor Thomas Hales and Professor John Chadam, both of whom have significantly contributed to the development and growth of the Department of Mathematics. We also recognize two administrative updates among our faculty: in May 2025, Professor Huiqiang Jiang took on the role of Undergraduate Director, succeeding Professor Thomas Hales, who held the position from 2024 to 2025; and in September 2025, Professor Armin Schikorra became the new Graduate Director, succeeding Professor Michael Neilan, who served from 2022 to 2025. We thank them all for their service and dedication.

Our faculty pursue innovative research across mathematical fields, with contributions from faculty, postdocs, students, and collaborators, making the department a hub for new ideas and scholarship. This vibrant research boosts our reputation and benefits the community. We congratulated three faculty members who received prestigious awards: Ivan Yotov for the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, Professor Piotr Hajlasz for the 2025 Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award, and Professor Bard Ermentrout for the 2025 Jürgen Moser Lecture/Prize from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). Our faculty's research achievements flourished with numerous grants and publications last year. Piotr Hajlasz received NSF funding for “Geometric Function Theory” (2025–2028) and was also funded by the Simons Foundation for the same project from 2025 to 2030. Professor Dehua Wang received NSF support for “Analysis of Hyperbolic and Mixed-Type PDEs in Conservation Laws and Applications” from 2025 to 2028. This newsletter highlights their projects. The Mathematical Research Center (MRC) supported seminars and workshops, fostering collaborations and attracting scholars globally. Recent workshops include the Harmonic Analysis and PDEs Workshop (Nov 14-16, 2025) organized by Professors Bruno Poggi and Armin Schikorra, and the Mathematical Analysis and Machine Learning Workshop (Nov 22-23, 2025) organized by Professor Stephan Wojtowytsch. In March 2025, our Department hosted Oxford-based Fields Medalist James A. Maynard for the first Pittsburgh Mathematical Horizons Lecture Series, supported by the Benter Foundation. The Michalik lecture on September 12, 2025, was delivered by Camillo De Lellis, IBM von Neumann Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. 

Our undergraduate and graduate programs also saw substantial progress. The undergraduate student journal, the Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Mathematics Review (PIMR), continues to publish research and expository articles in mathematics and its applications, targeting a broad readership including undergraduate students. Two graduate students, Eugene Eyeson and Chanuka Dissanayake, received the A&S GSO Elizabeth Baranger Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. Graduate student Anna Thomas was honored with two awards at the 2025 SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems. Additional notable events include the Integration Bee, the Actuarial Career Fair, the Alumni Career Panel, and the Girls’ Summer Math Camp.
Looking ahead to 2025–2026, we reaffirm our dedication to advancing excellence in research, education, and service, despite ongoing challenges. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment, and best wishes for a successful year to come.

-- Dehua Wang, Professor and Chair