Batmanathan Dayanand Reddy (born 10 March 1953) is a South African scientist. He is Professor Emeritus at the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
, holds the South African Research Chair in Computational and Applied Mechanics, and is the Director of the Center for Research in Computational and Applied Mechanics (CERECAM) there. From 2018 - 2021, he was the inaugural president of the
International Science Council
The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 201 ...
.
Career
After completing a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at the University of Cape Town and a PhD degree at
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, Reddy pursued postdoctoral study at the
University College London
, mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £143 million (2020)
, budget = ...
, then returned to Cape Town, where he migrated eventually from joint appointments in civil engineering and applied mathematics to a chair in applied mathematics.
He served as dean of faculty of science at UCT for seven years from 1999, and thereafter was appointed to the South African Research Chair in Computational and Applied Mechanics.
In 2018, Reddy was elected as first President of the
International Science Council
The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 201 ...
.
Research
Reddy's teaching and research activities reflect his multidisciplinary perspectives, which he pursues largely through the Centre for Research in Computational and Applied Mechanics (CERECAM) at the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
, a centre comprising academic staff and their students in five different departments, straddling the engineering disciplines,
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
, and
biomedical sciences
Biomedical sciences are a set of sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology that are of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbio ...
.
He has made major contributions to the analysis of problems in solid mechanics, most notably plasticity. He has developed and analysed new variational formulations, as well as associated solution algorithms, which have been implemented computationally, for both classical and gradient theories. The second area in which he has a substantial international reputation is in the development and analysis of mixed and related finite element methods. Beyond these major areas of activity, he has also made significant contributions to aspects of biomedical mechanics.
He is the author, co-author or editor of over 200 publications, including two research monographs, two texts, and three edited volumes of invited papers. He has supervised to graduation 28 PhD and 36 Masters graduates, as well as 20 post-doctoral researchers.
The objective of his graduate text on functional analysis was to address a great need, in providing graduate students and researchers in engineering as well as others who do not have the requisite mathematical background, with an introduction to the mathematics that is essential to the study of boundary value problems and the finite element method. The work continues to be used in universities around the world, either as recommended course text or for individual study.
The first edition of his research monograph, with Weimin Han, comprised a systematic treatment of mathematical aspects of classical plasticity from a modern perspective. The monograph captures the main results of the theoretical work by Reddy and co-workers, and others over a number of years, and goes on to present some new results. The second edition includes new material on single-crystal plasticity and strain-gradient plasticity, to which Reddy has made significant contributions.
Scientific leadership
Reddy was a founder member in 2003, of the
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences
The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) is a tertiary education and research institute in Muizenberg, South Africa, established in September 2003, and an associated network of linked institutes in Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzan ...
(AIMS), which has grown from the first institute, established in Cape Town, South Africa, to become a pan-African network with centres for graduate education, research and outreach currently in six African countries. He currently serves as the chair of the AIMS South Africa Council, and is a trustee on the AIMS Trust.
Reddy is a founder member of the
Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAf), and served as its President over the period 2012 - 2016.
The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) is a global network of 140 member academies which work together to provide independent expert advise on scientific, technological and health issues. Reddy served, over the period 2013 - 2019 as co-chair of IAP-Policy, the arm of the IAP that mobilizes the best scientists and engineers worldwide to provide high-quality, in-depth advice to international organizations and national governments on critical scientific issues.
In July 2018 Daya Reddy was elected the first president of the
International Science Council
The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 201 ...
,
a body that has resulted from the merger of the
International Council for Science
The International Council for Science (ICSU, after its former name, International Council of Scientific Unions) was an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the advancement of science. Its members ...
(ICSU) and the
International Social Science Council
The International Social Science Council (ISSC) was an international non-governmental organization promoting the social sciences, including the economic and behavioural sciences. It was founded in Paris, France between 6 and 9 October 1952, un ...
, and whose membership includes national and regional scientific organizations from 140 countries and more than 40 international scientific unions and associations. The ISC catalyses international scientific collaboration and convenes scientific and policy expertise, advice and influence on issues of major concern to science and society.
Awards
Reddy has the unique distinction of being an elected fellow or member of all four South African academies: the
Academy of Science of South Africa
The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) is the national science academy in South Africa. It was started in 1996, and encompasses all fields of scientific work. Its legal foundation is the ''Academy of Science of South Africa Act'', Act 67 ...
(ASSAf), by legislation of the official academy of South Africa; the
South African Academy of Engineering
The South African Academy of Engineering (S.A.A.E.) is a non-profit, independent institution with some 151 fellows (June 2009) drawn mainly from the engineering sector of the Republic of South Africa. The aims of the Academy are to promote excell ...
; the
Royal Society of South Africa
The Royal Society of South Africa is a learned society composed of eminent South African scientists and academics. The society was granted its royal charter by King Edward VII in 1908, nearly a century after Capetonians first began to conceive of ...
; and the
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns
The Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SAAWK) (literally ''South African Academy for Science and Arts'') is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to promoting science, technology and the arts in Afrikaans, as well as promoting ...
. He is also a Fellow of
The World Academy of Sciences
The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a merit-based science academy established for developing countries, uniting 1,000 scientists in some 70 countries. Its principal aim is to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable devel ...
(TWAS), of the
African Academy of Sciences
The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a non-aligned, non-political, not-for-profit, pan-African learned society formed in 1985.
The AAS elects fellows ( FAAS) and affiliates. The AAS also awards the Obasanjo Prize for Scientific Discovery and ...
, and a founding Fellow of the Developing World Academy of Engineering and Technology.
Reddy is a recipient of the degree of Doctor of Science, ''honoris causa'', from
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...
; the Award for Research Distinction of the
South African Mathematical Society
The South African Mathematical Society (SAMS) is a professional mathematical society of South Africa. The Society was established in 1957.
The SAMS publishes a research journal ''Quaestiones Mathematicae'', as well the ''Notices of the South Africa ...
; and the
Order of Mapungubwe
The Order of Mapungubwe is South Africa's highest honour. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and is granted by the President of South Africa, for achievements in the international arena which have served South Africa's interests. The order orig ...
, awarded by the President of South Africa for distinguished contributions to science. He received the Georg Forster Research Award from the
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (german: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung) is a foundation established by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Ministry of Education and Resear ...
in Germany. He was elected a Fellow of the International Association for Computational Mechanics in 2008.
References
External links
*https://www.gov.za/about-government/batmanathan-dayanand-reddy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reddy, Daya
1953 births
Living people
University of Cape Town academics
University of Cape Town alumni
Fellows of the Royal Society of South Africa
People from Port Elizabeth
TWAS fellows
21st-century South African engineers
Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Alumni of University College London
South African expatriates in the United Kingdom
20th-century South African engineers