Jayanth R. Banavar received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors and a Master of Science degree in Physics from Bangalore University. He earned his Doctorate in Physics from the University of Pittsburgh. Prof. Banavar is now the Knight Chair of Physics after a stint as the Provost and Senior Vice-President of the University of Oregon. Prof. Banavar served as Dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences from 2011 until his departure in 2017 to Oregon. Prof. Banavar served as Distinguished Professor and George A. and Margaret M. Dowsnbrough Department Head of Physics at Pennsylvania State University. A fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he has numerous publications in refereed journals, book chapters, a book he co-edited, and three patents. Prof. Banavar, whose research frequently involves interdisciplinary collaboration with the life sciences, is currently focused on applying the techniques of statistical physics to solve multidisciplinary problems, explaining, for example, why biological molecules tend to curl up into helices or to understand the rich biodiversity of tropical forests and coral reefs.
