Steve Strogatz, Cornell professor of theoretical and applied mechanics and director of the Center for Applied Mathematics, is the 2007 recipient of the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics (JPBM) Communications Award. The award cites Strogatz' ability to tweak the popular imagination with novel research, engaging writing and a flair for finding new answers to an old question: What does complex math have to do with real life?

The award was presented Jan. 6 at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in New Orleans.

Strogatz's recent research topics include: the social networking phenomenon known as "six degrees of separation," circadian rhythms in humans, blinking patterns in fireflies, and the swaying of the Millennium Bridge. His 2003 book "Sync: the Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order" describes the order behind such phenomena as traffic jams, firing neurons and solar system dynamics. And for fun, Strogatz plays chess (last year beating a visiting grandmaster).

The award "recognizes a person from within the mathematical sciences community who made a consistent effort to reach out to a wider audience. Strogatz has made significant contact with the wider scientific community. The style of 'Sync' and its sales indicate that it is intended for and has reached an even wider audience. The volume of this work is impressive, but the quality and breadth are spectacular as well."

The JPBM represents the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, the Mathematical Association of America and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.