Alumna Mallory Gaspard ’18 (dual major in mathematics and applied physics) paid a return visit on April 21-23 to the departments of chemistry, physics, and mathematical sciences in which she had engaged in educational, extracurricular, and research experiences while an undergraduate at RPI. At a mathematical sciences colloquium entitled “When is Camouflage Useful? A Case Study in Hover Fly Pursuit-Evasion Interactions,” she presented her PhD research from her time as an NDSEG Fellow in the Center for Applied Mathematics at Cornell University.
She additionally described research initiatives she has launched in her first year of a postdoctoral position connected to research groups at both the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University. Dr. Gaspard’s general research theme is the exploration of novel modeling and computational approaches within the framework of optimal control under uncertainty. Applications which she has been exploring include the use of motion camouflage in insect pursuit, lane changing strategies for autonomous vehicles, and forest recovery after fires. During her visit, Dr. Gaspard met over lunch with graduate students in the RPI chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics and consulted with undergraduate mathematics majors regarding successful (if not quite optimal control) strategies toward landing in leading PhD programs.
