David W. McLaughlin

David Warren McLaughlin (born October 11, 1944) is an applied mathematician and academic administrator whose work concerns nonlinear systems, nonlinear waves, and mathematical models of visual neuroscience. McLaughlin served as the provost of New York University from 2002 to 2016.

Early life and education

McLaughlin grew up in Woodbine, Iowa, where his father sold gas to farmers. He attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, majoring in physics and mathematics and graduating summa cum laude in 1966. His major work was on nonlinear dispersive waves, including systems where wave dissipation is weak, and his work addressed coherent behavior, chaotic behavior, and dispersive wave turbulence.

After returning to the Courant, he developed an interest in neuroscience; he collaborated with Robert Shapley at NYU’s Center for Neural Science, working at the intersection of mathematics and neuroscience. With a focus on visual neuroscience, McLaughlin developed large-scale computational models of the front end of the cortical visual system, particularly the primary visual cortex. Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2000). Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2003). Fellow, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics