Lisa Fauci, a professor of mathematics at Tulane University, has been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences in recognition of her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Fauci, the Pendergraft Nola Lee Hayes Professor of Mathematics, is one of Tulane’s most celebrated scholars, having been named a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Women Mathematicians and the American Mathematical Society. She also served as the 2019-2020 president of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
“Personally, I am honored and thrilled to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences, but most importantly, it is truly gratifying to see work at the interface of applied mathematics and biology recognized in this way,” Fauci said.
Fauci specializes in numerical analysis, scientific computing, fluid dynamics and mathematical biology. She has enjoyed a successful career throughout her time at Tulane, from her start as an assistant professor in 1986 to being honored with an endowed professorship in 2008.
“Lisa Fauci epitomizes the ingenuity, collaboration, cross-disciplinary innovation and genius of Tulane’s world-class faculty,” President Michael A. Fitts said. She has had an immense influence on the study and application of mathematics, as well as in training the next generation of experts in areas as diverse as pharmacology, software engineering and cancer research. She is a recognized leader in her field.”
“Lisa is no stranger to awards,” Kimberly Foster, dean of the Tulane School of Science and Engineering (SSE), wrote in an email to SSE faculty and staff, announcing Fauci’s latest honor. “Her work in applied mathematics is highly regarded and influential. Her role as a scientist, collaborator, mentor, educator and friend [has] made Tulane a better place.”
Fauci was one of 120 scholars and 23 international members elected to the National Academy of Sciences, which along with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine provides science, engineering and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Current NAS membership stands at 2,265 active members and more than 500 international members, of which approximately 190 have received Nobel prizes.
Fauci has received a research grant from the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization for a collaborative project involving the evolution of sperm cell shape and motion. The team is focusing on the intriguing and diverse world of insect sperm, which can be incredibly long or have multiple flagella (the tail of the sperm that enables it to swim).
