UTSA professor of mathematics awarded $150,000 from NSF

By Amanda Beck
Senior Communications Specialist

UTSA mathematics professor Gelu Popescu has been awarded a three-year, $149,996 grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his proposal titled Noncommutative Multivariable Operator Theory and Free Holomorphic Functions.

Federal funding, especially in the field of theoretical mathematics, is highly competitive. “This is an important proposal from a leading, perhaps, the foremost, researcher in noncommutative multivariable operator theory,” said the program officer for the Division of Mathematical Sciences at the NSF.

Dean of the College of Sciences George Perry agrees. “This award is very exciting for the Department of Mathematics,” he said. “A vigorous research program in mathematics is critical to successful recruiting of both graduate students and new faculty.” Popescu also hopes to attract graduate students to work in his area of research.

The research is highly technical and links together several branches of mathematics. It is closely related to mathematical physics and has numerous applications in engineering. The objective of the proposal is to advance the understanding of these relatively new areas of research and make new connections with other areas of mathematics.

Popescu has been continuously funded by the NSF and the National Research Council (NRC) since 1994, resulting in more than 50 refereed journal articles. He earned his Ph.D. in mathematics in 1993 from Texas A&M University. He joined the UTSA Department of Mathematics shortly after, and was promoted to professor in 2000. Popescu is an active researcher, having published over 60 articles in top mathematics journals and three research memoirs published by the American Mathematical Society.