UCLA Mathematics Professor Sorin Popa has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition for his continued research in functional analysis, especially in operator algebras. 

Sorin Popa has led an illustrious career, receiving many awards for his original research. Popa was previously elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2013. He was also named a fellow for the American Mathematical Society in 2012 and named a Simons Fellow in Mathematics twice, in 2012-2013 and 2016-2017. He was an invited section speaker at the 1990 International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) in Kyoto and a plenary speaker at the 2006 ICM in Madrid. He currently serves as the Takesaki Endowed Chair in Operator Algebras. 

Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honors that a scientist can receive. Members can only be elected through a formal nomination of a current Academy member, followed by an extensive vetting process that results in a final ballot at the Academy’s annual meeting in April each year. Current NAS membership totals approximately 2,700 members and 500 international members, of which approximately 200 have received Nobel prizes.

Read this official announcement here.