Lauren Melfi
Bio
Lauren Lazarus Melfi is an Assistant Professor teaching in the Applied Mathematics program, within the School of Computing and Data Science. Her current teaching focus is on differential equations, linear algebra, and the calculus sequence. Her research interests are in dynamical systems: the resonance and synchronization behaviors of oscillators in connected networks or in models with delay, and the process of reconstructing the governing model of an oscillator system.
Lauren completed a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Classics from the University of New Hampshire in 2010 and is a proud member of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa. She completed her Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from Cornell University in 2016, with research on oscillating systems with delay and coupling. Since then, she has held visiting positions at Harvey Mudd College (2016-2017) and Trinity College (2017-2020), and participated in development programs such as the Mathematical Association of America's Project NExT program (2017-2018) and the American Mathematical Society's Mathematics Research Community on Agent-Based Modeling (summer 2018). Lauren joined Wentworth in September 2020.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys reading (especially fantasy), board games, singing, and hiking -- as well as dabbling in various other creative and outdoor activities.
Education
Accomplishments
Presidential Achievement Award for Rising Star, Wentworth Institute of Technology, 2024
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Beta of New Hampshire, 2010
Research Interests
Nonlinear Dynamics, Network Reconstruction, Resonance & Synchronization, Mathematical Modeling
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Systems: delay differential equations, networks of coupled (Kuramoto) phase oscillators
Methods: bifurcation analysis, perturbations, stochastic gradient descent & optimization
-- Publications (as L. Lazarus) --
Work-in-Progress: Reflections on Dynamical Systems Curriculum and Pedagogy. ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (2025).
Model reconstruction from temporal data for coupled oscillator networks (with M. J. Panaggio, M.-V. Ciocanel, C. M. Topaz, and B. Xu). Chaos 29, 103116 (2019).
Periodically Forced Delay Limit Cycle Oscillator (with M. Davidow and R. Rand). International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 94, pp. 216-222 (2017).
Dynamics of an oscillator with delay parametric excitation (with M. Davidow and R. Rand). International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 78, pp. 66-71 (2016).
Dynamics of a delay limit cycle oscillator (with M. Davidow and R. Rand). Nonlinear Dynamics, 82, pp. 481-488 (2015).
Dynamics of a System of Two Coupled Oscillators Driven by a Third Oscillator (with R. H. Rand). Journal of Applied Nonlinear Dynamics, 3 (3), pp. 271-282 (2014).