Simon A. Levin
Encyclopedia
Simon Asher Levin is an American
ecologist. He is a Moffett Professor of Biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Princeton University
. He specializes in using mathematical modeling and empirical studies in the understanding of macroscopic patterns of ecosystems and biological diversities.
in 1961 and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Maryland
in 1964.
Levin is currently a Moffett Professor of Biology at Princeton University
and the Director of the university’s Center for BioComplexity. His principal research interests are in understanding how macroscopic patterns and processes are maintained at the level of ecosystems and the biosphere, in terms of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that operate primarily at the level of organisms, and in the interface between ecology and economics. Much of his work concerns the evolution of diversification, the mechanisms sustaining biological diversity in natural systems, and the implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. He has done much work on the modeling of epidemiological dynamics, including antibiotic resistance.
Levin was the former Chair of the Board of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, President of the Ecological Society of America, and President of the Society for Mathematical Biology. He currently is Chair of the Council of IIASA, Co-Chair of the Science Board of the Santa Fe Institute
, and Vice-Chair of the Committee of Concerned Scientists. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ecologist. He is a Moffett Professor of Biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He specializes in using mathematical modeling and empirical studies in the understanding of macroscopic patterns of ecosystems and biological diversities.
Background
Levin received a B.A. in mathematics from Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 1961 and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in 1964.
Levin is currently a Moffett Professor of Biology at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and the Director of the university’s Center for BioComplexity. His principal research interests are in understanding how macroscopic patterns and processes are maintained at the level of ecosystems and the biosphere, in terms of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that operate primarily at the level of organisms, and in the interface between ecology and economics. Much of his work concerns the evolution of diversification, the mechanisms sustaining biological diversity in natural systems, and the implications for ecosystem structure and functioning. He has done much work on the modeling of epidemiological dynamics, including antibiotic resistance.
Levin was the former Chair of the Board of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, President of the Ecological Society of America, and President of the Society for Mathematical Biology. He currently is Chair of the Council of IIASA, Co-Chair of the Science Board of the Santa Fe Institute
Santa Fe Institute
The Santa Fe Institute is an independent, nonprofit theoretical research institute located in Santa Fe and dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, including physical, computational, biological, and social systems.The Institute houses a...
, and Vice-Chair of the Committee of Concerned Scientists. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, as well as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Awards, distinctions
- Robert H. MacArthur AwardRobert H. MacArthur AwardThe Robert H. MacArthur Award is given biannually by the Ecological Society of America to an established ecologist in mid-career for meritorious contributions to ecology, in the expectation of continued outstanding ecological research...
from the Ecological Society of America and its Distinguished Service Award - Okubo Prize from the Society for Mathematical Biology and the Japanese Society for Theoretical Biology
- Whittier College Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters (2004)
- 2004 Heineken Prize for Environmental Sciences from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2005 Kyoto Prize for Basic Sciences
- 2007 Beijer Fellow
- American Biological Sciences Distinguished Scientist Award
- Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental SciencesRamon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental SciencesThe Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology is a prize awarded annually to recognize an exceptional scientific career or discovery in the field of ecology or other environmental science. The award was created to honor the life and work of Dr. Ramon Margalef , one of the founding fathers of modern ecology...
of the Generalitat of Catalonia, 2010
External links
- Princeton faculty page
- http://www.inamori-f.or.jp/laureates/k21_b_simon/prs.html (Japanese)
- http://www.aibs.org/annual-meeting/annual_meeting_2007.html (American Institute of Biological Sciences)
- http://www.knaw.nl/cfdata/heineken/laureates.cfm (Heineken Laureates)
- http://www.kyotoprize.org/profile_levin.htm (Inamori Foundation - Kyoto Prize)
- http://www.beijer.kva.se/ (Beijer Institute)
- http://www.libertynet.org/ccs/ (Committee of Concerned Scientists)
- http://www.santafe.edu/ (Santa Fe Institute)
- http://www.iiasa.ac.at/ (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)