The prestigious International Eugenio Beltrami Senior Scientist Prize has been conferred upon Professor Stéphane Bordas, hailing from the Department of Engineering at the University of Luxembourg. This esteemed recognition lauds his remarkable contributions to the fields of applied mathematics and mechanics.
The 2022 edition of the award, recommended by the Scientific Committee, saw unanimous support for Professor Stéphane Bordas, in light of his exceptional career and significant influence on his chosen fields.
Professor Stéphane Bordas is a highly regarded multi-disciplinary researcher specialising in computational and data science. Not only is he known for his scholarly achievements but also for his role as an educator, mentor, and coach. His research team has been at the forefront of developing data-driven numerical methods that ensure high-quality outcomes, at the intersection of applied mathematics for partial differential equations and practical applications. Their work is pioneering a new field where surgical operations are guided by data-driven models.
Among his team’s notable accomplishments, they were the first to introduce real-time error estimators in biomechanics. Their scope of work extends to diverse domains such as computational archeology, science of science, sociology, psychology, social sciences, energy, chemical engineering, computational biomechanics, and fracture mechanics. In a recent breakthrough, the group harnessed machine learning technology to identify optimal material models for biomechanics and applied them to full-field data derived from various imaging methods.
Besides his research endeavours, Professor Bordas has played a pivotal role in mentoring over 35 PhD students. His consistent presence among the top 150 most cited researchers in computer science engineering and cross-disciplinary fields over the past seven years, according to Clarivate Analytics (2015-2022), underlines the impact of his work. He also holds the position of Editor-in-Chief in numerous journals, including Advances in Applied Mechanics, which ranked first in Computational Mechanics in 2020.
Professor Bordas’ influence has left an indelible mark on various sectors where his research has been applied. His commitment to education and knowledge dissemination has made him a significant figure in his field of study. His unwavering support for PhD students, postdocs, and young academics at different stages of their careers is shaping the future of science.
The Beltrami Prize, dedicated to senior researchers with at least a decade of full-time research experience post-Ph.D., recognises the winner’s profound expertise in scientific publications, project management, and responsibilities. The ability to transfer fundamental scientific work to industrial applications and engage in multidisciplinary fields is also a crucial criterion for selection.