Dr. Cecilia Diniz Behn Professor, Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Congratulations to Cecilia Diniz Behn on being named the inaugural Joe and Jane Gray Endowed University Chair!
Alumnus Joe Gray (Mines ’68) established this chair to support a faculty member who is a leader at the intersection of biology/medicine and other STEM disciplines, reflecting his own career as a groundbreaking inventor of biomedical engineering technologies for cancer research. Cecilia’s work in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics Department and the Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering program is an ideal fit for this endowment. Her research activities—such as developing neuroscience-inspired methods to enhance machine learning interpretability and using multiscale mathematical modeling to investigate metabolism, sleep, and circadian rhythms—demonstrate the critical role of advanced mathematics in solving complex biological problems. Cecilia is an invaluable ambassador for interdisciplinary connections across the Mines campus.
Credit: The Faculty Digest, October 2025 (Office of the Provost).