Dr. Basak is an adjunct professor in the department of chemistry and department of biochemistry & molecular biology at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Calcutta in 1980. He is a member of several academic societies, including International Society for Mathematical Chemistry, of which he is President, and is a US Chair in the organization of thirteen international mathematical chemistry workshops in USA, South America, and various universities/ research institutes in India. He was awarded ARA Journal Best Paper Award, American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004) and Statistics in Chemistry Award, American Statistical Association (2004).
There are two main interests in the research carried out by Professor Guillermo Restrepo: mathematical chemistry and philosophy of chemistry. His mathematical approaches to chemistry have been through discrete mathematics, especially graph and order theory and point-set topology. This research has led him to estimate properties of substances, to assess environmental targets, and to find novel structures of chemical constructs such as the periodic system of chemical elements. His questions in philosophy of chemistry have to do with the mathematical way of thinking and its realization in chemistry. Professor Restrepo is Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation/Stiftung, member of the International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry, and of the Executive Committee of the International Society for the Philosophy of Chemistry. He is also a member of the editorial board of MATCH Communications in Mathematical and in Computer Chemistry, and of Hyle -- International Journal for Philosophy of Chemistry.
Theoretical chemistry, history, and philosophy of chemistry are some of the scientific interests of Professor José L. Villaveces. His approaches to theoretical chemistry range from quantum chemistry to mathematical chemistry, where topology plays a central role. Another interest is scientometrics, which is combined with his expertise in science administration and science policy. He is currently adviser to research of the Universidad de los Andes where he also teaches.