Bio & CV
Michelle Girvan is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland (UMD). She also has appointments in the Institute for Physical Science and Technology, the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics, and the Applied Math and Scientific Computing Program. Her research focuses on applications of network science to biological, social, and technological systems. Much of her recent work is aimed at the intersection of network science and machine learning.
Girvan serves as Director and PI of the COMBINE program in Network Biology. COMBINE, which stands for Computation and Mathematics for Biological Networks, is an NSF-funded Research Traineeship program at the University of Maryland which provides interdisciplinary research and training opportunities to graduate students. Girvan received bachelors degrees in physics and mathematics from MIT. She then went on to earn her PhD in physics from Cornell University followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Santa Fe Institute before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland. Girvan now serves on the Santa Fe Institute's External Faculty and Science Steering Committee. Girvan is also a Vice President of the Network Science Society and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Other past affiliations include the London Mathematical Laboratory and the Institute for Advanced Study.