Benter Award Winner Explores the World of Imaging Research (Diversity) Published Oct. 14, 2010 By Maria Callier Office of Scientific Research ARLINGTON, Virginia -- Dr. George Papanicolaou, Air Force Research Laboratory-funded researcher and Stanford University mathematics professor, received the first William Benter Prize in Applied Mathematics at the City University of Hong Kong. Established as a biennial award, the honor recognizes Dr. Papanicolaou's outstanding mathematical contributions linking theory to applied problems in various areas, one of which is the realm of imaging analysis. The results of his imaging research are of significant interest to the Air Force because they provide a way to explore--and capture images of--complex and random environments wherein the detection of targets or other objects of interest (e.g., hazardous materials) is critical. AFRL recognizes the importance of pursuing all possible means for understanding the effects of randomness in physical settings, including wave propagation through random media. While the conventional tool for doing so, the Monte Carlo simulation, has a long and distinguished record in this pursuit, the mathematical contributions of Dr. Papanicolaou are noteworthy for their depth and sophistication. AFRL's funding support of Dr. Papanicolaou's work throughout the past decade has enabled his development of methods for detecting, filtering, and creating images in varying degrees of clutter (i.e., buildings, shrubbery, or other topography that can severely degrade the signals on which detection and imaging rely). Dr. Papanicolaou's work involves the application of mathematical methodology to create effective and flexible algorithms capable of imaging in cluttered environments. Though current sensing and detection capability is mathematical in its approach, it is nonetheless quite fragmented because it covers a range of disciplines (e.g., radar, sonar, seismic and ultrasonic imaging), with the negative aspects of this fragmentation clearly indicated by the difficulty of imaging in the presence of clutter. Consequently, the benefits of basic progress in this critical area spread to all associated disciplines, facilitating potential imaging applications ranging from medical diagnostics and seismic exploration to satellite remote sensing and nondestructive testing. Presentation of Dr. Papanicolaou's prestigious award, which carries a cash prize of $100,000, occurred at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Applied Mathematics in Hong Kong. In addition to acknowledging Dr. Papanicolaou's work in imaging research, the award recognizes his contributions to other theoretical and applied areas of science (e.g., physics, fluid dynamics, electrodynamics, financial analysis) wherein the quantification of uncertainty is essential.