Computer and Information Science Professor Tandy Warnow wants to reconstruct evolutionary history by combining mathematics, computer technology, genetic research and linguistic studies. After recently receiving the prestigious Packard Fellowship Award, Warnow will be able to further that interdisciplinary research. The Packard Fellowship, awarded by the Hewlett-Packard Company, provides 20 individual recipients with $100,000 a year for five years, to be used to conduct research in their field of interest. Warnow, who received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991, is a leading researcher in developing and applying new computer programs, known as algorithms, to reconstruct evolutionary "trees," according to Computer and Information Science Chairperson Mitchell Marcus. The trees map the linguistic changes that led to today's modern languages. Warnow's research is currently focused on historical linguistics. Attempting to trace the origin of Germanic languages, Warnow co-developed an algorithm that enabled them to group 12 languages according to their inherent structural similarities. The creation of the algorithm enables researchers to compile and analyze massive amounts of data with the help of a computer, according to Marcus. "One of the consequences of getting this award is that I may have the funds now to move into new areas of research and develop in new ways," Warnow said. "So the research I will do five years from now may be significantly different." Warnow said she hopes to develop, implement and analyze the performance of fast algorithms that are used to solve problems related to evolutionary tree construction. Warnow's long-term goals include developing effective methods of solving difficult evolutionary tree problems and "potentially to obtain a more precise picture of the tree of life." Warnow added that her research has been supported and aided by numerous faculty members at the University. "Interdisciplinary work is extremely interesting, but requires the right collaborators," she said. Warnow said she believes her focus on interdisciplinary studies would not have been as well supported at institutions other than Penn.
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