April is Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. Each year, the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics—a collaboration between SIAM, the American Mathematical Society, the American Statistical Association, and the Mathematical Association of America—holds a month-long celebration to enhance public understanding and appreciation of mathematics and statistics. Mathematical and statistical research drives technological innovation and leads to discoveries of broad societal importance across many scientific fields. Throughout the month of April, universities, high schools, student groups, research institutions, public information offices, and other related organizations host math-related workshops, competitions, lectures, and other activities. Participants are encouraged to share their math-related festivities using the hashtag #MathStatMonth on social media.
In honor of Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, SIAM will be highlighting influential mathematicians and statisticians from our community, featuring Dr. Irena Lasiecka, Dr. Wil Schilders, and Dr. Konstantina Trivisa.
Dr. Irena Lasiecka
Dr. Irena Lasiecka currently serves on SIAM Conference on Control and Its Applications (CT23) Organizing Committee, and has been involved with SIAM since 1981. She served as an editor of SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization (1982-1994), presented several plenary talks at SIAM conferences, was awarded the 2011 W. T. and Idalia Reid Prize, and is a 2019 SIAM Fellow.
Career
After receiving her Ph.D. from University of Warsaw, Dr. Lasiecka spent three years at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in a postdoc position, followed by professorships at the University of Florida and the University of Virginia until 2013. She has also held numerous visiting appointments including Universite de Liege, the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications at the University of Minnesota, the University of Bologna, UCLA, the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, and the University of Warsaw. Currently, she is the Distinguished University Professor at the University of Memphis and a former Commonwealth Professor at the University of Virginia.
Research
Dr. Lasiecka’s research interests are in the general area of control theory for infinite dimensional systems; predominantly partial differential equations (PDEs) with applications to interactive structures, such as they arise in flutter control in aero-elasticity, turbulence suppression in fluids, noise attenuation in acoustic chambers, etc. More recently, Dr. Lasiecka has been involved in problems described by Flow-fluid structure interactions and structural acoustic interactions. These are systems described by two different dynamics interacting on a common interface. The control action will be typically applied on an interface-thus influencing both types of dynamics. These interactive models have a multitude of applications in physical phenomena such as control of turbulence, where one deals with an interaction of nonlinear fluid with an elastic structure airplane; control of flutter, where one deals with an interaction of gas with a structure; or, structural acoustic interaction, where acoustic waves interact with a structure acoustic chamber. New methods and technologies within the area of partial differential equations, analysis and numerics have been recently developed in order to provide some answers to important questions asked.
Importance of STEM Careers
Dr. Lasiecka believes choosing a career is often a question of the circumstances, particularly in mathematical sciences. “Typically, we are not exposed to this profession much in early adulthood or in a school, other than being told you are good at math,” she said. “In most cases, the applied aspects of the field provide for a motivation. Then, one realizes that mathematics is foundational and the mother of all sciences. At the same time, it provides flexibility and diversity. One can choose different paths in STEM.”
Dr. Lasiecka emphasizes that STEM careers are essential to our society. “Technological progress is possible because of progress in STEM,” she said. “It opens door to so many disciplines like engineering, life sciences, and medicine, with critical bearing on the quality of human life. It cannot be more rewarding. And the possibility of meeting such diverse communities to discuss research projects of mutual interests can be appealing.”
Dr. Wilhelmus Schilders
Dr. Willhelmus (Wil) Schilders has been a SIAM member for 19 years, was co-chair of the 2017 SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering and of the 2023 SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering in Amsterdam. He is a 2022 SIAM Fellow and has been a member of the SIAM Nominating Committee (2021-2022).
Dr. Schilders received his master’s degree in mathematics from Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in 1978, and his Ph.D. from Trinity College Dublin in 1980. From 1980-2006, he worked in several mathematics groups at Philips Research, and from 2006-2010 he was leading the mathematical activities at NXP Semiconductors. In 1999, Dr. Schilders became a professor at Eindhoven University of Technology, and his position was gradually extended after 2010. In 2010, he became the director of the Dutch Platform for Mathematics. Dr. Schilders was the president of the European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry (2010-11), and the co-founder and president of EU-MATHS-IN (2015-2020). From 2020-2021, Dr. Schilders was the 4th Mittelsten-Scheid guest professor at Bergische Universität Wuppertal, and a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at TU Munich (2022-present). In 2022, he received the Stairway to Impact Prize from the national research organization NWO in the Netherlands.
Currently, Dr. Schilders is president-elect of ICIAM, the worldwide organization for industrial and applied mathematics, and a fellow of the European Academy of Sciences. Listen to more of Dr. Schilder’s research and career below.
Dr. Konstantina Trivisa
Dr. Konstantina Trivisa’s involvement with SIAM started while she was a graduate student and postdoc and has evolved over the years; from a participant at SIAM sessions to an organizer of minisymposia and SIAM conferences. In particular, Dr. Trivisa is proud of her involvement in the SIAM Education Committee (2006-2010) and the SIAM Diversity Advisory Committee (2014-2016), and of her service as Vice Chair of the SIAM Activity Group on Analysis of Partial Differential Equations (2011-2012). She is a 2023 SIAM Fellow and was a member of the SIAM Activity Group on APDE Early Career Prize Committee (2020-2021).
Dr. Trivisa received her Ph.D. in 1996 from Brown University, in the division of applied mathematics. Her research focuses on the modeling and analysis of systems arising in fluid dynamics, plasma physics, quantum dynamics, and on the construction of efficient quantum algorithms for their approximation. Her research has been recognized by a series of awards including an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Faculty Early Career Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, as well as a Simons Foundation Fellowship.
Dr. Trivisa is currently an applied mathematician and the Director of the Institute for Physical Science and Technology at the University of Maryland. Listen to more of Dr. Trivisa’s research and career below.