Calgary, Alberta—May 25, 2020: Following an extensive international search, the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) is proud to announce Professor Malabika Pramanik as the next Director of the Station commencing on July 1, 2020. Dr. Pramanik, who is Professor of Mathematics at the University of British Columbia, was confirmed unanimously and enthusiastically by the BIRS Board of Directors for this position. The Board wishes to thank the search committee consisting of Arvind Gupta (Chair; U of T), Michael Lamoureux (U. Calgary), Ed Perkins (UBC), Jackie Sturm (Intel), and Tatiana Toro (U. Washington) for conducting such a thorough search.

Malabika Pramanik received her Masters degrees in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute, and her PhD in Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley in 2001. Before joining UBC in 2006, Dr. Pramanik held positions at the University of Wisconsin, University of Rochester and California Institute of Technology. A mathematical analyst, her research interests cover Euclidean harmonic analysis, geometric measure theory, partial differential equations and several complex variables. She is the recipient of two UBC Killam awards one for research and another for teaching, the Ruth E. Michler Memorial Prize, the Canadian Mathematical Society Krieger-Nelson Prize, a 2018 Wall scholarship, and a 2019 Simons fellowship. Dr. Pramanik is actively involved in initiatives that promote diversity and inclusivity in STEM fields, especially through her role as Vice-President for the Pacific region of the CMS and as a co-organizer of programs such as the PIMS Diversity in Mathematics Summer School.

Doug Mitchell, Chair of the BIRS Board of Directors stated that "BIRS is excited to continue its mission as an international resource for the mathematical sciences under the leadership of Dr. Pramanik. I have full confidence in her abilities to take BIRS to new heights.” Mitchell added, “I would also like to use this opportunity to thank BIRS departing director, Dr. Nassif Ghoussoub. Guided by his vision and energy, the past fifteen years have seen BIRS grow and prosper thanks to international partnerships that created a myriad of new opportunities for mathematical scientists worldwide. It was an exciting, fruitful and fun time for me and for the other members of the Board. We shall miss him.”

“BIRS is also indebted to the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta,” added Doug Mitchell. “The BIRS Board is particularly grateful to UBC’s Dean of Science, Meigan Aronson, for her strong support of the world’s mathematical science community through BIRS and for her total confidence in Dr. Pramanik as the new director.”

"Malabika is assuming the directorship of BIRS at a difficult time,” said Dr. Ghoussoub. “But I believe she has what it takes — in values, creativity, and commitment — to navigate this worldwide cherished institution through these rough waters. BIRS is in good hands."

"These are interesting times, when the relevance of mathematical sciences and multidisciplinary research is more central than ever,” said Professor Pramanik. “I am deeply honoured by this opportunity to serve the mathematical community at this critical juncture, when the ways in which we conduct research, teaching and outreach are being revisited. I hope that BIRS with its partners will continue to play a key role in the research landscape within Canada and abroad."

Established in 2003, the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) is a North American research infrastructure that addresses the imperatives of collaborative research and cross-disciplinary synergy, by facilitating intense and prolonged interactions among mathematical scientists from around the world. BIRS’ unique infrastructure ensures a creative environment for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and methods within the mathematical sciences and their vast array of applications in science and engineering. BIRS is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Alberta Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and Mexico's Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT).

For more information please contact:

Danny Fan, BIRS Administrator, birs-administrator@birs.ca