Physical and Computational Sciences
and Engineering

March 2006 Mission
Kenneth Daratha
V.S. Manoranjan
Sinisa Mesarovic
M. Grant Norton
WenZhan Sony

May 2005 Mission
J. Daniel Dolan
Peter Engels
Robert R. Lewis
Cole C. McDaniel

Dr. V.S. Manoranjan, received his Ph.D. in Numerical Analysis from the University of Dundee in Scotland. He was a junior research fellow at the Center for Mathematical Biology at Oxford University, and later a faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Surrey (England). He joined Washington State University as an assistant professor in Mathematics in 1989. Currently he is a professor in Mathematics and the associate dean for Research and Academic Affairs in the College of Sciences. He has supervised several Master’s and doctoral students who have gone on to successful careers in academic institutions and research laboratories.

College of Sciences
Valipuram S. Manoranjan
Teaching and Using Mathematical and Computational Tools

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Dr. Manoranjan is an applied mathematician conducting primarily interdisciplinary research in collaboration with biologists, chemists, engineers, and material scientists. His work has appeared in refereed journals in the biosciences, engineering, environmental sciences, mathematics, and physics. The mathematical models that he studies are either in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations or in the form of nonlinear dynamical systems.

His work involves analyzing nonlinear models and, if possible, constructing analytical solutions for the models under certain circumstances. In situations where analytical solutions are not possible, he develops numerical schemes to study the problems. The numerical schemes can be in the form of Galerkin finite-element, finite-difference, or pseudo-spectral equations. Whenever possible he tries to develop a custom-made numerical scheme that captures salient characteristics of a given problem, such as energy conservation, monotonicity, or asymptotic
behavior.

Dr. Manoranjan’s main focus is in understanding complex phenomena, whether in the biosciences or engineering, by employing the appropriate mathematical and computational tools. He teaches undergraduate and graduate students that it is important to learn, understand, and appreciate the use of quantitative concepts and techniques in order to be informed and successful in the internet era. His research accomplishments and scholarly activities reflect this, particularly his education and training of undergraduate and graduate students. He is actively involved in education outreach and has collaborated with non-science faculty in business, music, and philosophy to develop interactive web-based math lessons. He conducts summer research programs for undergraduates around the nation using mathematical concepts and computational techniques to produce innovative biological research projects, particularly in the areas of biological and environmental sciences.

Contact Information
Valipuram S. Manoranjan, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Dean
College of Sciences

Washington State University
PO Box 643520
Pullman, WA 99164-3520

Telephone: 509-335-5548
E-mail: mano@wsu.edu