This special issue of Numerical Linear Algebra with Applications is dedicated to our friend and colleague, Biswa Datta, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. During his long and distinguished career, Biswa Datta has made many significant contributions to linear algebra and control theory. Much of his research has been focused on the development of linear algebra-based numerical methods for the solution of important problems in control theory and vibration analysis. Eigenvalue assignment, Sylvester-observer equations, model updating, and inverse eigenvalue problems are some of the areas in which Datta has made valuable contributions.