Dr. Chi-Wang Shu is a preeminent applied mathematician whose leadership has shaped the field of numerical analysis and scientific computing for over three decades. He currently holds the prestigious Theodore B. Stowell University Professorship in Applied Mathematics at Brown University, a position he has occupied since 2008, following his tenure as Chair of the Division of Applied Mathematics from 1999 to 2005. Educated at the University of Science and Technology of China where he earned his B.S. in Mathematics in 1982, he completed his Ph.D. at UCLA in 1986 under the guidance of Professor Stanley Osher. His academic journey began at Brown University in 1987 as an Assistant Professor, progressing to Associate Professor in 1992 and Full Professor in 1996, establishing himself as a leading figure in computational mathematics.
Professor Shu's groundbreaking contributions to numerical methods have fundamentally transformed scientific computing across multiple disciplines. He pioneered the development of high-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) finite difference and finite volume methods, total variation diminishing (TVD) temporal discretization, and discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods, which have become standard tools for solving hyperbolic and convection-dominated partial differential equations. His work has had profound impact in computational fluid dynamics, semiconductor device simulation, and computational cosmology, with Google Scholar listing over 70,000 citations to his publications. Recognized as an ISI Highly Cited Author since 2004, his methodologies have been adopted by researchers worldwide, enabling more accurate and efficient simulations in engineering and scientific applications.
Beyond his technical contributions, Professor Shu has been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of mathematicians and advancing diversity in the mathematical sciences. He has mentored over 20 female mathematicians through their PhDs, earning recognition through his election as a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics in 2019. As Chief Editor of the Journal of Scientific Computing and a member of multiple editorial boards, he shapes the publication landscape for computational mathematics. His leadership extends to professional societies where he serves as a Fellow of SIAM and AMS, and in 2021 he was honored with the prestigious SIAM John von Neumann Prize. Professor Shu continues to advance the frontiers of numerical analysis while fostering collaboration and excellence across the global computational mathematics community.
