SIAM Announces the 2023 Class of MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellows

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics(SIAM) is pleased to announce the 2023 Class of MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellows. These distinguished early career professionals were selected based on their exemplary achievements; support of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their community; and commitment to industrial and applied mathematics, computational science, and data science.

The MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellowship reflects a joint commitment by Mathematically Gifted & Black (MGB) and SIAM to promote long-term engagement of fellows within SIAM and continued success within the wider applied mathematics and computational sciences community. This program recognizes the achievements of early career applied mathematicians – especially those belonging to racial and ethnic groups historically excluded from the mathematical sciences in the United States – and provides professional activities and career development. The inaugural class of MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellows was announced last year. The 2023 fellows were chosen by a selection committee consisting of the SIAM Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; MGB representatives; and SIAM members.

SIAM congratulates these eight esteemed members of the community who have been selected as the 2023 Class of MGB-SIAM Fellows. Learn more about them below:

Jorge Cisneros
Olaniyi Samuel Iyiola
Oscar Leong
Danielle J. Middlebrooks
Marieme Ngom
Steven Noel Rodriguez
Devina Pribadi Sanjaya
Andrés R. Vindas Meléndez

Jorge Cisneros, University of Texas at Austin

Biography

As a postdoc at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Jorge Cisneros explores deep-learning methods for non-contrast 4D-CT scans and their applications. He contributes a diverse set of computational tools to tackle complex and real-world challenges, with training in applied mathematics, to develop numerical methods to solve nonlinear problems across STEM fields. Outside of research, he diversifies STEM with Hispanic and Latino Mexican cultures. As an undocumented student in the U.S., Dr. Cisneros was limited in options for higher education and scholarships. During his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, he was one of the first students to utilize the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals U.S. immigration policy. This opened doors for him to explore research positions and summer programs, but he was still ineligible for many prestigious fellowships and internships throughout his graduate studies at the University of Washington. Despite the hardships, he continued to seek opportunities over the past nine years to positively impact the mathematical sciences as a persevering Latino.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I participate in several community-building panels, outreach events, and mentoring programs with the hope of showing students that their educational and research ambitions can be achieved, regardless of their background. As a member of historically underrepresented groups in the science field, I’m dedicated to following a career path in industry that will allow my research to directly impact the public. As aligned with the goals of this fellowship and the SIAM community, I hope to increase the diversity of STEM researchers while providing a positive influence on a diverse group of students through interdisciplinary research and mentoring.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I’m most looking forward to maintaining and fostering the connections and affiliations I develop during this fellowship, which will be vital for my success as a computational research scientist. Integrating into the SIAM community will open doors for collaborations and future employment as I continue to diversify the biomedical workforce.

Olaniyi Samuel Iyiola, Clarkson University

Biography

Dr. Olaniyi Iyiola is an assistant professor in the department of mathematics at Clarkson University. Prior to joining Clarkson, he was an assistant professor in the department of mathematics at Pennsylvania Western University. He received his Ph.D. in computational and applied mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MBA in business analytics from the California University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Iyiola’s research interests are in numerical analysis, computational mathematics, data science, mathematical biology, and nonlinear operator theory involving fixed point algorithms for solving variational inequality problems, optimization, equilibrium problems, and nonlinear integral equations.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I joined SIAM in 2013 as a graduate student because of my love for applications of mathematics in industries. I applied for this fellowship because SIAM plays a central role in promoting the development of applied and computational mathematics needed in various industrial applications. The fellowship is an opportunity to be more involved in the SIAM community and give back in some ways. I am honored to be recognized by SIAM, one of the most respected scientific organizations in the world.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I am looking forward to the opportunity to expand my research network through SIAM. My teaching, research, and services are centered on inclusiveness and offering opportunities for everyone to thrive and succeed. This fellowship will allow me to continue to uphold these ideals through organizing outreach opportunities, promoting international scientific communication, and participating in programs that promote underprivileged and minority representation in the mathematical sciences. I believe I have a lot to gain from the SIAM community, which will help me achieve these goals.

Oscar Leong, California Institute of Technology

Biography

Dr. Oscar Leong is a von Kármán Instructor in the computing and mathematical sciences department at the California Institute of Technology, hosted by Dr. Venkat Chandrasekaran. He also works with Dr. Katherine L. Bouman and the Computational Cameras group. He received his bachelor’s in mathematics from Swarthmore College. In 2021, he earned his Ph.D. in computational and applied mathematics from Rice University as an NSF Graduate Fellow, under the supervision of Dr. Paul Hand. Dr. Leong’s research interests lie in the mathematics of data science, optimization, and machine learning, where he studies the theory and application of learning-based methods to solve inverse problems. He is broadly interested in using tools from convex geometry, high-dimensional statistics, and nonlinear optimization to better understand and improve data-driven, decision-making algorithms.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I applied for this fellowship in order to grow my network within the SIAM community, especially focusing on connections with other mathematicians from underrepresented groups. I was also drawn by the opportunity to receive formal and informal mentorship, along with engaging in professional development workshops, as I navigate the next stage of my academic career.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I am looking forward to connecting with and learning from my cohort. Within SIAM more broadly, I am particularly excited about networking opportunities, and learning more from the leaders in industrial and applied mathematics. I am also looking forward to increasing my participation in SIAM Activity Groups on Optimization, Data Science, and Imaging Science. Finally, I am excited about the Workshop Celebrating Diversity sessions and organizing my own minisymposium to celebrate the work of other underrepresented mathematicians.

Danielle J. Middlebrooks, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Biography

Dr. Danielle J. Middlebrooks is a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director’s Fellow postdoc in the Applied and Computational Mathematics Division. Her current work at NIST includes developing improved technology and mathematical techniques with applications to flow cytometry and physics-based problems. She received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Spelman College and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in applied mathematics and scientific computing from the University of Maryland-College Park. Dr. Middlebrooks’ graduate research focused on geometric and Markov chain-based methods for data analysis. One application was the mutation analysis of gene regulatory networks. Her primary research interest includes dynamical systems, analysis of complex networks, and machine learning.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I applied for this fellowship to expand my professional network in the SIAM community and continue growing in my career. Conferences such as the 2022 SIAM Conference on Mathematics of Data Science have provided networking opportunities with potential collaborators and enhance my research methods. As a fellow, I will have the opportunity to continue attending such conferences to connect with researchers in a variety of fields and gain exposure to new techniques that will deepen my knowledge.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

As an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow, I am most looking forward to becoming more involved in the SIAM community and mentoring the younger generation of mathematicians from underrepresented groups. I look forward to organizing minisymposia with my class of fellows to support collaboration between young and experienced scientists and facilitate research opportunities.

Marieme Ngom, Argonne National Laboratory

Biography

Dr. Marieme Ngom is a postdoctoral researcher in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory. Her research interests lie at the intersection of machine learning and dynamical systems modeling with applications in chemical engineering and material sciences. She received her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2019, under the supervision of Professor David Nicholls. Dr. Ngom holds master’s degrees in mathematics and in computer science from the University of Paris-Saclay and the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, France, respectively. She also holds a master’s degree in computer science and applied mathematics from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Electrotechnique, d’Electronique, d’Informatique, d’Hydraulique et des Télécommunications (ENSEEIHT) in Toulouse.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I applied to this fellowship to make an impact on the broader mathematics community through SIAM. As an early career researcher, this fellowship will allow me to expand my professional network and help me find potential collaborators.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I am looking forward to connecting with the other fellows in my cohort. I am particularly excited about the minisymposium I will be organizing, and I plan on utilizing SIAM's resources and network to reach and attract a diverse audience. I hope to help develop sustainable spaces within SIAM for students and early career scientists from underrepresented groups, which will foster their sense of belonging in the applied mathematics community.

Steven Noel Rodriguez, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Biography

Dr. Steven N. Rodriguez is a research scientist at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in the Computational Multiphysics Systems group. His research interests include computational physics, model-order reduction, numerical optimization, and dynamical systems. Prior to joining NRL, he received a bachelor’s degree in structural engineering and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. His dissertation focused on meshless computational aeroelasticity with a focus on stability analysis of helical vortex dynamics. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez is working on developing a class of model-order reduction methods for meshless modeling frameworks. These methods leverage many concepts seen in sparse regression and nonlinear manifold discovery to enable drastic computational savings in resources and time for multiphysics and dynamical system simulations, especially in high-performance computing environments.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

SIAM is a wonderful community where I have met mentors and collaborators who have helped me navigate my career in mathematics. I wanted to apply to this fellowship to further extend my network of collaborators and jumpstart the next phase of my career. However, I primarily viewed this fellowship as an opportunity to amplify my voice through SIAM’s platform to address many issues we, in underrepresented communities, encounter in mathematical spaces, including burnout and mental health issues stemming from prejudice and isolation.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I am most looking forward to interacting with peers in my cohort! It is rare to meet people with similar life stories and backgrounds within the mathematics community from underrepresented groups. I look forward to working with these fellows to have open discussions about diversity in mathematics and how we can be more effective representatives and advocates for our communities. I also look forward to our cohort presenting great research that can inspire the next generation of researchers within our sub-communities.

Devina Pribadi Sanjaya, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Biography

Dr. Devina P. Sanjaya is an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and started her academic career in 2019, after completing her Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and scientific computing from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She received her master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University and her bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering with a mathematics minor from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was a visiting scientist in the Advanced Supercomputing Division at the NASA Ames Research Center from 2016-2017, and in 2019. Dr. Sanjaya's research is algorithmic in nature and currently focuses on high-order, adaptive finite-element methods for computational fluid dynamics. The overarching goal of her research projects is to gain new insights into the design of the next-generation aerospace vehicles. In addition to teaching and research, she actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I applied for this fellowship so that I could jump start my involvement in the SIAM community. SIAM is a world-renowned community of applied mathematicians and computational scientists, and thus, being part of SIAM is essential for my growth as an academic. The SIAM Activity Groups on Computational Science and Engineering and Optimization are highly relevant to my research. Being recognized by SIAM in the early stage of my career is an honor.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

As an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow, I am looking forward to expanding my network, interacting with other fellows, and supporting SIAM’s mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Over the course of my fellowship, I plan to mentor SIAM student members and improve the visibility of underrepresented experts in applied mathematics, computational science, and aerospace engineering. I am also excited to find new research collaborators and participate in SIAM’s career development opportunities.

Andrés R. Vindas Meléndez, University of California, Berkeley

Biography

Dr. Andrés R. Vindas Meléndez is a Costa Rican-American mathematician raised in Lynwood, Los Angeles, California. He is a first-generation college graduate and is currently a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky, where he also earned a graduate certificate in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a studies. Before that, he earned a master’s degree in mathematics from San Francisco State University, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in philosophy and Chicana/o and Latina/o studies from UC Berkeley. Dr. Vindas Meléndez’s research interests are in algebraic, enumerative, and geometric combinatorics, and have expanded to computational approaches and applications of data science to study combinatorics and mathematics for social justice. He strives to create community in order to build mathematics users’ confidence in spite of society’s stigma about the field. He also aims to build meaningful and empowering experiences in mathematics, while challenging others to think about the power structures that are present in and outside mathematical spaces.

Why did you apply for this fellowship?

I applied to the MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellowship to help establish myself in the realm of applied mathematics. I seek to bridge the pure math vs. applied math divide by applying computational techniques to pure mathematics, and I believe that the SIAM community can help me reach this goal.

What are you most looking forward to as an MGB-SIAM Early Career Fellow?

I look forward to connecting with mathematicians who aim to use applied and computational mathematics to make positive change in their communities. I also hope to be exposed to the work of leading mathematics doing interdisciplinary research, all while being welcomed by and networking with a supportive community. Through the SIAM community, I hope to learn techniques that will motivate mathematicians from all areas to engage in computational mathematics and data science, even if there appears to be a disconnect.