KATELYN J LEISMAN kleisman@illinois.edu University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Department of Mathematics 1409 Green Street, Altgeld Hall Urbana, IL 61801 http://faculty.math.illinois.edu/~kleisman EMPLOYMENT J. L. Doob Research Assistant Professor Urbana, IL August 2017 - Present U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign EDUCATION Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY Graduation Date: August 2017 Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Graduation Date: May 2012 M.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematics Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI Graduation Date: May 2010 B.A. in Mathematics Minor in Music TEACHING & MENTORING EXPERIENCE Mentor for Undergraduate Research Project at University of Illinois Spring 2018 Through a program run by the Illinois Geometry Lab, I worked with a graduate student and mentored a group of four undergraduate students throughout the semester on a research project that I proposed. Seminar for Undergraduate Mathematics Majors at University of Illinois Spring 2018 Taught a 90 minute active learning seminar on mathematical modeling for freshman and sophomore math majors. The first half of the period was lecture style, the second half was spent on a worksheet. Fundamental Mathematics Instructor at University of Illinois Spring 2018 Taught two sections of this course, each with about 30 students, aimed at primarily Sophomores and Juniors. It is an introductory course in proof writing and logical statements. Differential Equations Instructor at University of Illinois Fall 2017 Updated curriculum for and taught this course at Illinois. This was a full course with approximately 60 students, aimed at primarily Junior and Senior level students with Math and CS majors.
Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra Instructor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Summer 2015 Typically this course is taught with Calculus first and Matrix Algebra second. I developed my own curriculum to instead teach Matrix Algebra first so as to emphasize ways that Matrix Algebra aids understanding of Multivariable Calculus. I taught this course during a summer session at Rensselaer. Teaching Assistant at Rensselaer Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2015, 2016 Held recitation sessions, graded quizzes and tests, held office hours, and ran exam review sessions for Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra, Calculus I, and Advanced Calculus at RPI. Graduate Mentor for CSUMS (Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences) Program at RPI Summer 2013 Ran student seminar, occasionally helped students with questions like matlab coding. Teaching Assistant at Southern Methodist University Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 Graded homework and held office hours for Business Calculus and Business Precalculus at SMU. Substitute Lecturer for Business Precalculus at Southern Methodist University Spring 2011 Taught a 90 minute lecture on compound interest and growth rates to a class of undergraduate students at SMU. Undergraduate Research Lecture Spring 2016 Taught a group of three undergraduate students about some particulars of my thesis work as was relevant to a research project they were embarking on for the summer. Graduate Mentor for UAT (Undergraduate Alfalfa Teams), an Astronomy Workshop at Arecibo, Puerto Rico January 2013 Helped students with scavenger hunts to learn about the Arecebo telescope, helped demonstrate the procedure of observing with the telescope to the undergraduates. Private Violin Teacher Fall 2014 - Spring 2015 Taught private violin lessons to a fifth grader. Undergraduate TA, Grader, Tutor at Calvin College 2008-2010 Calc Help TA (Fall 2008 - Spring 2010) Undergraduate Tutor (Fall 2008 - Spring 2009) Grader (Spring 2008 - Spring 2010) RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Post-Doctorate: Research project on Frequency Comb Generation 2017-present Working with Jared Bronski, Vadim Zharnitsky, and Sergey Dyachenko investigating solutions that generate a frequency comb from a microring coupled with a waveguide.
Graduate: Thesis work on the Effective Dispersion Relation of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation 2013-present Working with Gregor Kovačič (RPI) and David Cai (Courant Institute) to investigate the, and comparing the relative effective nonlinearity for different solutions. Thesis work on the Maxwell Bloch Equations with Damping 2012-present Working with Gregor Kovačič (RPI) and Gino Biondini (SUNY Buffalo) to investigate the effect of various contribution of damping to initial solitary optical pulses, and comparing computational results to experiments. Thesis work on the Inverse Scattering Transform applied to the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation 2012-2015 Worked with Gregor Kovačič (RPI) and Gino Biondini (SUNY Buffalo) to apply the Inverse Scattering Transform to the initial boundary value problem Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation in a stationary reference frame, finding reflecting solitons. Research in Nonlinear Optics 2011-2012 Worked with Alejandro Aceves (SMU) while completing my M.S. to analyze a coupled system of equations describing dynamics in two coupled waveguides. I looked individually at how each term contributes to the system, and solved it numerically while varying two parameters. I then investigated what parameter values caused energy to oscillate between the two waveguides and which caused amplification or decay of energy. This work is currently unpublished, but I plan to finish and publish it upon completion of my PhD. Undergraduate: Research on the Extended Forced Korteweg-de Vries Equation 2009 Worked with Todd Kapitula (Calvin College) on wave dynamics of the Extended Forced Korteweg-de Vries Equation. Research on a modified improved Eurler formula Spring 2008 Worked with Amy Moore (Calvin College) to investigate stability and accuracy of a modified version of the Improved Euler Formula for solving Differential Equations. PUBLICATIONS The Effective Dispersion Relation for the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation. K. Leisman, D. Cai, G. Kovačič, D. Zhou. in prep Linearizable boundary value problems for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation in laboratory coordinates. K. Plaisier Leisman, G. Biondini, G. Kovačič. Physics Letters A. under review The Maxwell Bloch Equations in the Presence of Damping. K. Leisman, G. Biondini, G. Kovačič. Physical Review A. in prep Wave Dynamics in the Extended Forced Korteweg de Vries Equation. T. Kapitula,
N. De Jong, K. Plaisier Leisman. SIAM J. Appl. Math., 71(3), 811 828 (2011). Published PRESENTATIONS Post-Doctorate: Effective Nonlinearity of the Nonlinear Schrdinger Equation FRG Conference for Women in PDE at UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA March 2017 Seeking An Effective Dispersion Relation in Solutions to the NLS and Measuring Effective Nonlinearity Mathematics Colloquium at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY March 2017 The Maxwell Bloch Equations in the Presence of Damping Doob Colloquium at University of Illinois, Urbana, IL October 2017 The Effectively Linear Behavior of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation Harmonic Analysis and Differential Equations Seminar at University of Illinois, Urbana, IL October 2017 The Relatively Small Effective Nonlinearity of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation The Tenth IMACS International Conference on Nonlinear Evolution March 2017 Equations and Wave Phenomena: Computation and Theory, Athens, GA Graduate: The Effectively Linear Behavior of the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation Joint Mathematics Meetings, Atlanta, GA January 2017 When Nonlinear Waves Act Like Linear Waves Astronomy Department Graduate Student and Postdoc Seminar at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY November 2016 From Student to Mentor: Applying Undergraduate Research Experiences to Mentorship SIAM Conference on Mathematics Education, Philadelphia, PA October 2016 SIAM Conference on Nonlinear Waves and Coherent Structures, Philadelphia, PA August 2016 Maxwell Bloch Equations in the Presence of Damping MAA Mathfest, Columbus, OH August 2016 SIAM annual meeting, Boston, MA July 2016 AIMS Conference Series on Dynamical Systems July 2016 and Differential Equations, Orlando, FL
Dynamical Systems Seminar, RPI Troy, NY March 2016 The Ninth IMACS International Conference on Nonlinear Evolution March 2015 Equations and Wave Phenomena: Computation and Theory, Athens, GA Wave Dynamics in the Extended Forced Korteweg-de Vries Equation Graduate Student Seminar, SMU Dallas, TX April 2012 Undergraduate: Wave Dynamics in the Extended Forced Korteweg-de Vries Equation Calvin College Mathematics Colloquium Grand Rapids, MI October 2009 The Modified Improved Euler Formula Calvin College Mathematics Colloquium Grand Rapids, MI September 2008 POSTER PRESENTATIONS Graduate: SIAM Conference on Dynamical Systems, Salt Lake City, UT May 2015 Maxwell Bloch Equations in the Presence of Damping New York Conference on Applied Mathematics, Ithaca, NY October 2013 Maxwell Bloch Equations in the Presence of Damping The Eighth IMACS International Conference on Nonlinear Evolution March 2013 Equations and Wave Phenomena: Computation and Theory, Athens, GA Undergraduate: Wave Dynamics in the Extended Forced Korteweg-de Vries Equation Calvin College Summer Research Poster Symposium, Grand Rapids, MI August 2009 AWARDS & HONORS AMS Travel Grant January 2017 to support attendance at the upcoming Joint Mathematics Meeting in Atlanta, GA MAA Travel Award August 2016 to support attendance at MAA Mathfest in Columbus, OH. SIAM Travel Award July 2016 to support attendance at the SIAM Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship (GAANN) 2014-2015 Summer Research Fellowship Summer 2009
Supported undergraduate summer research project at Calvin College, mentored by Todd Kapitula. This work was later published. MEMBERSHIPS Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Charter Member of Calvin College Math Club Treasurer SERVICES AND OUTREACH Chi-Prep November 2017 This event is put on annually by the Illinois Geometry Lab for minority middle/high school students from Chicago to learn about Math in Urbana, IL Illinois Geometry Lab Outreach 2017-present Helped with a variety of outreach events and activities for children put on by the IGL. Compiled Abstract Book L A TEX Files for MAA Mathfest 2010-present Museum in the Dark October 2016 Engaged children in activities to learn about the moon and other planets in our solar system in Ithaca, NY. Focus for Teens June 2014 Helped run a game for teens to try designing a space mission at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.