Residence United States Doctoral advisor Adam Helfer Books Beautiful Data | Nationality United Kingdom Name Andrew Lang Academic advisor Adam Helfer | |
Born 3 July 1970 (age 53)
Folkestone, Kent, England ( 1970-07-03 ) Institutions Oral Roberts University Alma mater University of Missouri
University of Tulsa
University of Kent Thesis The Casimir Effect (1998) Education University of Missouri, University of Kent, University of Tulsa Fields Mathematical physics, Physics, Chemistry, Philosophy of science Influenced by Paul Davies, Robert A. Heinlein Similar People Jean‑Claude Bradley, Cameron Neylon, Pierre Lindenbaum, Peter Norvig, Alon Halevy | ||
Andrew Stuart Ian Donald Lang, PNF, FDI (born 3 July 1970) is a British mathematical physicist and professor of mathematics at Oral Roberts University. He has received a number of awards, including a 2014 Blue Obelisk award for his work in the area of Open Notebook Science and was named a 2010 DaVinci Institute Fellow for his groundbreaking work in virtual worlds. He is an open science advocate and has published in many academic fields, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, and virtual worlds. He is also recognised for his expertise in the relationships between science and science fiction and science and religion.
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Lang is married to Kelly Jean Lang, with whom he has four children.
Early life and education
Andrew Lang was born in Folkestone, Kent, on 3 July 1970 to Andrew Taig Lang, a nuclear power station construction engineer and Ann Alice Louise Seale. Shortly after Lang was born, the family moved to Lydd, Kent, near to where his father worked at the Dungeness nuclear power station, where he lived with his three older siblings, Robert, Dawn, and Peter, from his mother's previous marriage.
Lang attended Lydd Primary School from 1976 to 1982. From the age of twelve, he attended John Southland's Community Comprehensive School (now named The Marsh Academy) where he received A-levels in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
Lang earned his BSc in mathematical physics from the University of Kent, Canterbury in 1991, writing an undergraduate dissertation on "Stellar Evolution and Black Holes." It was at Canterbury, that he met his future wife Kelly, a student at the University of Tulsa, who was studying for a year at Canterbury.
Lang earned his M.S. degree in applied mathematics from the University of Tulsa in 1993, writing a thesis on "Black Holes and Singularities," under geometer Kevin O'Neil. Lang earned his PhD in mathematics from the University of Missouri in 1998, writing a dissertation on "The Casimir Effect," under mathematical physicist Adam Helfer.
Career
In 1998, Lang joined Oral Roberts University as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics. While continuing research in quantum field theory he began collaborating with engineering professor Dominic Halsmer, deriving the optimal design for passive coning attenuators for spinning spacecraft under thrust.
In 2003, he was promoted to associate professor. Around the same time he began working with Joerg Gablonsky, an engineer at Boeing, deriving the optimum angle to shoot a free throw.
In 2007, he was promoted to professor (having received tenure the previous year). He currently serves as chair of the Computing and Mathematics Department and his recent research has focused on the Open Notebook Science Challenge.
Lang is known for his ability to teach and do research and consulting in several academic disciplines. In his first twelve years at Oral Roberts University, he taught sixteen different classes in disciplines ranging from mathematics and physics to finance, history and English.
Open science advocacy
Lang is an Open Science advocate and has been recognized for his contributions to the Open Science community by the Blue Obelisk Movement, Google Inc., and The White House. Lang gave an invited keynote address about his work at Oklahoma State University's Research Week. Lang is a judge for the Open Notebook Science Challenge and publishes his related research online in as near to real time as possible. He has participated in other open science projects including the Open Dinosaur Project and maintains an open notebook for himself and his research group. He promotes the use of Open Data, particularly in science, is a member of the Blue Obelisk movement, and publishes in Open Access journals when possible.