Mathematical biologist Marc Mangel elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Other new members in the Class of 2018 include Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tom Hanks, Barack Obama, and Sonia Sotomayor

Marc Mangel
Marc Mangel

Marc Mangel, distinguished research professor of applied mathematics and statistics in the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.

Mangel was among 213 new members of the academy announced this week, including author Ta-Nehisi Coates, actor Tom Hanks, former President Barack Obama, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. He joins 22 other UCSC faculty who are fellows of the academy. Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences honors exceptional scholars, leaders, artists, and innovators and engages them in sharing knowledge and addressing challenges facing the world.

Mangel is recognized internationally for his contributions in mathematical biology, bringing the tools of mathematics and theoretical biology to bear on practical problems in conservation and fisheries management. One of his main areas of research has been quantitative issues in fisheries science, and from 2001 to 2016 he served as director of the Center for Stock Assessment Research, a partnership between UC Santa Cruz and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) laboratories in Santa Cruz and Pacific Grove.

Mangel has contributed his expertise to a wide range of federal and international panels and advisory boards, including as a scientific adviser for the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission and the international Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. He also served as the principal scientific expert for Australia in its case in the International Court of Justice, Whaling in the Antarctic: Australia v. Japan, New Zealand Intervening, which was heard in the Hague in 2013. Mangel has held numerous visiting positions around the world and is currently adjunct professor in the theoretical ecology group at the University of Bergen, Norway, and visiting professor at the University of Tasmania, Australia.

Membership in the academy is not only an honor, but also an opportunity and a responsibility,” said academy president Jonathan Fanton. “Members can be inspired and engaged by connecting with one another and through academy projects dedicated to the common good. The intellect, creativity, and commitment of the 2018 Class will enrich the work of the academy and the world in which we live.”

The projects and publications of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences generate ideas and offer recommendations to advance the public good in the arts, citizenship, education, energy, government, the humanities, international relations, science, and more.

The new class will be inducted at a ceremony in October 2018 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A complete listing of the 238th class of new members is available at www.amacad.org/members.