Stony Brook University Mathematician Named 2024 Sloan Research Fellow

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Sloan Research Fellows are marked as the most auspicious scholars in their fields and are projected to become the next generation of scientific leaders across the United States and Canada.

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Stony Brook University Department of Mathematics Assistant Professor Theo Drivas was named a 2024 Sloan Research Fellow. Photo Credit: John Griffin/Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University Assistant Professor Theodore Drivas, PhD, in the Department of Mathematics has been selected as a 2024 Sloan Research Fellow and awarded $75,000 toward his research investigating the mathematical characteristics of fluid motion.

Sloan Research Fellows are marked as the most auspicious scholars in their fields and are projected to become the next generation of scientific leaders across the United States and Canada. The funding granted to each fellow may be spent over a two-year term on any research-related expenses of choice. Professor Drivas is one of 126 early-career scholars honored in 2024 and the 71st Stony Brook faculty member to receive the distinction since 1961.

“Congratulations to Dr. Drivas for this extraordinary accomplishment that recognizes exemplary early career performance,” said SBU President Maurie McInnis. “As a Sloan Research Fellow, Dr. Drivas is among the top researchers in his field who is also an inspiring educator and mentor to our students. It is a proud moment for Stony Brook, and I look forward to watching the continued evolution of his research and scholarly work in the years to come.”

Drivas, who joined Stony Brook in 2021, has also received a Charles Simonyi Endowment from the Institute for Advanced Study as well as several awards from the National Science Foundation, including a Faculty Early Career Development grant. He currently teaches an upper-division undergraduate course and a graduate course and has contributed to dozens of studies on fluid dynamics, turbulence theory, differential equations and more.

“This is a tremendous honor for Dr. Drivas, placing him among a select set of researchers recognized for their potential to significantly advance their fields,” said Provost Carl Lejuez. “These prestigious awards are cause for celebration, both for the acclaim they bring to the individual researchers, and for the further elevation of Stony Brook’s reputation as an institution that promotes excellence and innovation in all that we do. I am thrilled for Dr. Drivas to be recognized with a Sloan Fellowship.”

"This has been an exciting year for Theo Drivas, having also recently received an NSF CAREER award in support of his research," said Scott Sutherland, professor and chair, Department of Mathematics. "In addition to his research program, which is of the highest caliber, Theo has been an exemplary member of the Stony Brook Department of Mathematics. He joins a cohort of distinguished faculty in our Department who have been honored with this prestigious award, and I am exceedingly pleased that the Sloan Foundation has recognized his outstanding achievements. We are very fortunate to have Theo as a member of our Mathematics faculty."  

Before joining Stony Brook, Drivas was Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Princeton University, where he completed his postdoctoral fellowship. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics & Statistics from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in Mathematics & Physics with honors from the University of Chicago.

About Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University — New York’s flagship university and No. 1 public university — is going far beyond the expectations of today’s public universities. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With nearly 26,000 students, more than 2,900 faculty members, more than 200,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world’s biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #58 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook’s membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university’s distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy — one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $7.23 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X @stonybrooku.