The Industry Connection Series features interactive panels with
mathematical scientists working in industry. The goal is to connect
mathematical sciences students directly with industry members who can
answer student-generated questions. Students at all levels are welcome and encouraged to attend and ask questions. 

The next event is Monday, April 21st, 2025, at 3:00 PM EST, focusing on connecting students to faculty in industry and academics. Panelists will be Burt Tilley, Rachel Levy, and Vinodh Chellamuthu.

Burt S. Tilley is a mathematics professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and his research centers on the mathematical modeling of various multi-physics problems related to fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and electromagnetics.  Mathematically, these problems involve free-boundary problems in coupled partial differential equations, asymptotic analysis, and computational methods.  He received a BS in electrical engineering and a BA in modern languages from the University of Lowell (now UMass-Lowell), a PhD in applied mathematics from Northwestern University, and an NSF-NATO postdoctoral award at the Hydrodynamics Laboratory at the Ecole Polytechnic in France.  He had been a mathematics professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology and at Olin College before joining the faculty at WPI.   For over 25 years he has collaborated with industrial and governmental colleagues through the Mathematical Problems in Industry Workshop, the Graduate Student Mathematical Modeling Camp, and a range of industrially and federally supported undergraduate and graduate projects at WPI.

Dr. Rachel Levy (Ray) has devoted her career to making mathematical modeling, data science and AI accessible to everyone. Prior to joining NC State University in 2021 as the inaugural Executive Director of the Data Science and AI Academy and Professor of Mathematics, she spent a decade at Harvey Mudd College in California in the mathematics department and served as associate dean. She worked for a US Senator on health and education policy and served as deputy director of a non-profit. In addition to research in fluid mechanics and mathematical modeling education, she has written textbooks, internationally recognized blogs, and guides to careers in industry.  She has been funded by groups such as the National Science Foundation, Research Corporation, the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, NC-DHHS and data.org.  She is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Math and recipient of national and teaching and writing awards.

Dr. Vinodh Chellamuthu is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Research Office at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah. He is deeply committed to enhancing the education of future scientists by creating opportunities for career development through research, which he considers a high-impact teaching pedagogy. Dr. Chellamuthu has mentored numerous undergraduate research projects originating from business, industry, and government agencies. During his tenure at Utah Tech, he has guided over 60 undergraduates in 42 research projects, leading to more than 130 student research presentations at various conferences, including several awards for outstanding presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals. In recognition of his success as a teacher-mentor, Dr. Chellamuthu has received the 2022 Henry Alder Award from the Mathematical Association of America, the 2020 Early Career Mentoring Award from the Council on Undergraduate Research, the Distinguished Teaching Award from the MAA’s Intermountain Section, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from Utah Tech University. He currently serves as a councilor on the Council on Undergraduate Research, Chair for BIG SIGMAA, and Program Coordinator for UR SIGMAA.

Register for the event here: Connections in Industry – Faculty

Here is a shareable flyer for the event!

The BIG Math Network is grateful for sponsorship by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the American Statistical Association (ASA), the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM).