Tony F. Chan, the new dean of Physical Sciences in UCLA’s College of Letters & Science, has loved math and science for as long as he can remember.

“Science and math are a lot of fun,� Chan says, with his trademark laugh. “With physics or math, it doesn’t matter what language you speak, what your background is, whether you are articulate, or how well you argue; none of that matters. There is a beauty and an absoluteness to the basic sciences. A lot of people go into basic science for that reason.

“The sciences are beautiful and exciting. Basic science is quantitative, it’s challenging, and any time you are at the frontier of human knowledge, it’s difficult. The fun comes with the excitement of learning how the world works. Basic science has also led to improving the human condition. Science has given me the opportunity to work on something I love while impacting society, so I am very grateful.�

How does Chan, who will step down as director of UCLA’s Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, feel about his new position as dean of Physical Sciences, which includes chemistry and biochemistry, physics and astronomy, mathematics, Earth and space sciences, atmospheric sciences, and statistics?

“I’m nervous because there is a lot of responsibility,� Chan said. “I’ve been in administration, but being a dean requires a broad perspective beyond the discipline I’ve worked in for more than 25 years. I love UCLA, and I believe in the physical sciences. I couldn’t do the job otherwise.�

Brian Copenhaver, provost of UCLA’s College of Letters & Science, has no doubts he has found the right man for the job.

“Tony’s energetic and enthusiastic service to the College of Letters & Science, and to UCLA, has been outstanding,� Copenhaver said. “His influential and prolific research in interdisciplinary mathematics has led to significant applications, and his administrative leadership in chairing the College’s mathematics department and launching the innovative Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics has been exceptional. His approach to research and teaching will create many opportunities to strengthen science and mathematics through interdisciplinary initiatives and partnerships with industry. His talents and dedication will serve the division and the College very well indeed as we continue our work to enhance the quality of teaching and research in the Physical Sciences and throughout the College of Letters & Science.�

The physical sciences in the College are in “good shape,� Chan said, “thanks to (former dean) Roberto Peccei and Brian Copenhaver’s expert guidance. We can always do better, though.�

Chan’s goals include maintaining and improving the quality of the departments, especially in core areas, and attracting outstanding graduate students. The departments in the division are ranked in or near the top 10 in the country. Chan hopes to help the departments move solidly in the nation’s top 10. He said this goal would be a challenge because many in the top 10 are private universities with very large budgets, but he looks forward to the challenge.

Chan will also encourage collaborative work with units outside of the physical sciences, such as engineering, computer science, medicine and the life sciences.

“Science does not respect traditional disciplinary boundaries,� Chan said. “Science goes where it wants to go.�

He is a strong advocate of both applied science and basic research.

“Technology is based on science, and the distance between basic science and technology is much shorter than it was 100 years ago, or 50 years ago,� Chan said. “It doesn’t take so long for a good idea in basic science to benefit society in medical advances, information technology, improved materials and other areas. The physical sciences are the well that technology draws on.

“I am a true believer in basic science. The university is the best place to think about the deep questions. Sometimes that’s where big advances originate.�

Chan’s research focuses on computational mathematics and applications of mathematics and computer algorithms to problems in science and engineering.

His scientific background is in engineering, computer science and mathematics. Chan earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from CalTech in 1973, and his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford in 1978. After teaching at Yale, he joined UCLA’s faculty in 1986 as professor of mathematics, and became chair in 1997 of UCLA’s mathematics department, which educates the largest number of undergraduate mathematics majors in the country.

Last year, Chan was named director of UCLA’s Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM), a new National Science Foundation-funded national research institute at UCLA with a vision to strengthen the ties between mathematics and the other sciences. IPAM addresses practical matters such as how to speed the flow of traffic on the Internet and sharpen the transmission of digitized images, as well as theoretical issues that cross traditional scientific boundaries.

Chan cited IPAM and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) — a wide-ranging research enterprise poised to make a major impact in areas ranging from information technology and household lighting to medical treatment — as examples of interdisciplinary areas where UCLA’s College of Letters & Science is exceptionally strong. CNSI, a collaboration between scientists at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara, will explore the power and potential of manipulating structures atom-by-atom to engineer new materials, devices and systems that will dramatically change virtually every aspect of our technology, including medical delivery and health care, information technologies, and innovations for the environment.

Fewer students nationally have been majoring in the basic sciences in recent years, Chan said, even though the country needs workers and citizens who are science-literate.

“Graduates of the physical sciences have many career opportunities, not only in their own fields, but also in medicine, technology, law, Wall Street and many graduate programs,� Chan said. “Wall Street is hiring mathematicians and physicists, and paying them well. Finance is very mathematical — derivatives, risk management, portfolio management, stock options. There is no substitute for basic, hard-core science training. The basic sciences are very good majors that provide strong training for many things, no matter what you do later. If you become a lawyer, it helps tremendously to know science.

“Even as a citizen, you have to make decisions and vote on science questions. Just look at today’s news. Global warming, stem cell research and many other subjects require basic science knowledge.�

Chan is currently continuing to serve as director of IPAM as the institute searches for a director to succeed him. As dean of Physical Sciences, he is working closely with Roberto Peccei, UCLA’s vice chancellor for research and former dean of Physical Sciences.

“Roberto has been a role model for me,� Chan said. “He sets high standards for quality, shows leadership, supports worthy research opportunities and takes risks.�