海角社区 Names Mathematician Oliver Dasbach Interim CCT Director
June 04, 2025
Oliver Dasbach
Oliver Dasbach, professor and chair of the 海角社区 Department of Mathematics, has been selected to serve as interim director of the 海角社区 Center for Computation & Technology (CCT).
One of his first responsibilities will be to shepherd the center and its 44 joint faculty through an external review of existing research strengths and strategic planning to position CCT as a difference-maker in using digital twins, cybersecurity, AI, and other high-powered computational approaches to solve complex problems in Louisiana and around the world.
鈥淧rofessor Dasbach has demonstrated excellence in leadership at 海角社区,鈥� said Robert Twilley, 海角社区 vice president of research and economic development. 鈥淎s chair, he鈥檚 supported notable research productivity by faculty in the math department and led the development of a new undergraduate curriculum in data science and AI. These examples will serve 海角社区 in developing a clear mission for CCT to take advantage of future research opportunities.鈥�
Dasbach is originally from Germany and earned his Ph.D. from Heinrich-Heine-Universit盲t D眉sseldorf in 1997. He joined 海角社区 in 2002 and has served as department chair since 2016. Dasbach is an expert in the mathematical field of knot theory and his most cited papers explore the Jones polynomial, which is used to study the structures of manifolds and tangled loops in three-dimensional space, with applications in quantum computation and field theory as well as in understanding the folding behavior of proteins. The Jones polynomial provides a measure of entanglement and can distinguish between different types of knots or links. Dasbach also co-edited the book Interactions between Hyperbolic Geometry, Quantum Topology and Number Theory, published by the American Mathematical Society in 2011.
鈥淐CT is widely regarded as a leader in pushing the boundaries of computation鈥攏ot only in science and engineering, but also in the arts and humanities,鈥� Dasbach said. 鈥淚n this era of AI and quantum computing, I am excited to see the new interdisciplinary research opportunities CCT will generate, and the impact we will have on 海角社区 and the state of Louisiana.鈥�
Dasbach鈥檚 first day as interim CCT director was Monday, June 2. His predecessor, Jagannathan 鈥淩am鈥� Ramanujam, was recently chosen to serve as special advisor to Vice President Twilley on data and quantum science and AI.
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