National Medal of Science to David Mumford and Warren Washington
October 20, 2010David Mumford, a professor emeritus of applied mathematics at Brown University and Warren Washington, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, received the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest scientific honor, on Friday, October 15.
Mumford is well known for his pioneering research in geometry, computer vision, and neurobiology. A former recipient of the Fields Medal and the MacArthur Foundation fellowship, Mumford introduced new mathematical models for computer vision using analysis and differential geometry and developed insights into the nature of computation in the human brain. He is a past member of the editorial board of the SIAM Journal on Imaging Sciences and a SIAM Fellow.
Washington is an internationally-known expert in atmospheric science. He spearheaded the use of computer models to study the climate of Earth, applying fundamental laws of physics to predict future states of the atmosphere. Washington, who has served as scientific advisor in the Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton administrations, was one of the recipients of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Washington is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has been an invited speaker at past SIAM conferences.
The recipients will receive their awards from President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony later this year.
