Svetlana Jitomirskaya, UCI Distinguished Professor of mathematics, a leading expert in the interplay between mathematical physics and dynamical systems, is a 2023 recipient of a Barry Prize from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. Tatiana Arizaga / UCI

Irvine, Calif., April 18, 2018 – Svetlana Jitomirskaya, professor of mathematics at the University of California, Irvine, has been named a fellow by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. The 238th class of new members includes the world’s most accomplished scholars, scientists, writers and artists, as well as civic, business and philanthropic leaders.

Jitomirskaya was born in Ukraine and earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Moscow State University. She came to UCI in 1991 as a part-time lecturer and was appointed to a full professorship in 2000.

“Professor Jitomirskaya exemplifies the innovation and excellence that are the hallmarks of those elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences,” said Enrique Lavernia, UCI provost and executive vice chancellor. “This is yet another demonstration of the tremendous strength of the UCI faculty.”

Jitomirskaya is a leading expert in the interplay between mathematical physics and dynamical systems, an area of math used to describe the behavior of an item over time. Her work involves the study of equations associated with quantum mechanics – the field in physics describing nature at the atomic and subatomic particle levels – and related mathematical inquiry.

UCI now has 36 American Academy of Arts & Sciences members. Jitomirskaya will be officially inducted along with more than 200 other new members in an October ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“I am honored and pleasantly surprised to have been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences,” Jitomirskaya said. “I didn’t even know I was being considered. Having started at UCI as a fresh PhD, I am especially proud to now be joining my UCI colleagues who are Academy fellows.”

Her numerous distinctions include the Ruth Lyttle Satter Prize in Mathematics from the American Mathematical Society, an Aisenstadt Chair at Montreal’s Center de Recherches Mathematiques, a Sloan Research Fellowship, a Distinguished Mid-Career Faculty Award for Research from UCI, a Simons Fellowship and a UCI Chancellor’s Fellowship.

Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, convening elected members from the academic, business and government sectors to respond to challenges facing the nation and the world.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

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