Karen Wilcox Honored For Her Work in Applied Mathematics and Aerodynamics

Karen Wilcox, professor of aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics at the University of Texas, has been awarded the 2024 Theodore von Kármán Prize from the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

The award is given every five years in recognition of an individual whose outstanding application of mathematics, mechanics, or engineering resulted in important contributions to the field of aerodynamics. Dr. Wilcox was honored for her work in developing model reduction methods for optimal design, optimal control, uncertainty quantification, decision-making, and digital twins.

Dr. Wilcox first joined the faculty at the University of Texas in 2018, and currently serves as director of the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, leader of the Wilcox Research Group, and associate vice president for research. She also holds the W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Simulation-Based Engineering and Sciences and the Peter O’Donnell, Jr. Centennial Chair in Computing Systems. Additionally, she holds an external faculty affiliation at the Santa Fe Institute.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Wilcox spent 17 years with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During her tenure, she served as a professor of aeronautics and astronautics, founding co-director of the Center for Computational Engineering, and associate head of the department of aeronautics and astronautics. Earlier in her career she held engineering positions with Boeing Phantom Works and the Blended-Wing-Body aircraft design group.

Dr. Wilcox received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.