Faculty
Noelle Beckman
Noelle Beckman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. Dr. Beckman earned her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, & Behavior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC). She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Ecology.
Luis Gordillo
Luis F. Gordillo obtained his PhD degree in Mathematics from Arizona State University in 2004 and joined Utah State University in the Fall of 2012, after spending some years teaching and doing research in the Caribbean and South America. His current interests lie at the interface between natural sciences and mathematical modeling, including the impact that control measures have on the dispersal of pests, and the role of stochasticity and spatial/environmental structures in the spread of diseases. Luis' interests in education come from his long term relationship with Math programs directed to minority students in the United States. He enjoys to spend his free time with Maru, his beloved wife, exploring together the beautiful scenery of Cache Valley in Northern Utah.
Brynja Kohler
Brynja Kohler is interested in computational and mathematical models of biological systems, primarily inmmune responses to viral pathogens. With a backgroud in mathematical biology and mathematics teaching in secondary schools, she likes to involve herself in educational projects of all kinds and won the SMB's Lee Segel Award for her paper titled "Leading Students to Investigate Diffusion as a Model of Brine Shrimp Movement". Brynja just came back from her sabbatical in New Zealand, cultivating a Kiwi accent with her husband (Dave) and two kids (Milo and Sophie).
James Powell
James Powell is a Professor of Applied Mathematics and Biology, specializing in mathematical models of dispersal and life-cycle timing and their application in ecology. He was hired at Utah State in 1991, and collaborates with scientists and engineers to develop techniques addressing their needs. Jim loves teaching mathematics in context, connecting students to applications from model development onwards. He has two daughters (Chelsea and Caitlin), two cats (Jackson and Seth) and two dogs (Maya and Sage). When not integrating DE, writing or teaching Jim hikes and skis, cooks weapons-grade pasta, drinks classy wine and good scotch, practices Aikido, lifts weights, and searches for the perfect burrito.
Erin Beckman
Erin Beckman is an Assistant Professor in the Mathematics & Statistics department. She earned her PhD in Mathematics from Duke University in 2019. After graduating, Erin did her postdoc at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Erin’s research is in the field of probability, focusing on interacting particle systems and stochastic processes. She enjoys working on problems which are inspired by biological systems and looking at the interplay between probability and differential equations.
Zilong Song
Dr. Song received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from City University of Hong Kong. Before joining USU, Dr. Song was a postdoctoral fellow at York University and Fields Institute, under the supervision of Dr. Huaxiong Huang and Dr. Jianhong Wu. Dr. Song works in interdisciplinary areas of applied mathematics, including ion transport systems, disease modeling, continuum mechanics etc. He has also been working on asymptotic analysis of systems with small parameters or special structures. Dr. Song is interested in modeling, analysis and computation of various biological systems.