Lauren Melfi

Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics
Lauren Melfi
"I am proud that I can see my students supporting each other and growing as learners within my classroom, in ways that will carry forward through college and beyond."
Dr. Melfi joined Wentworth in 2020 as an assistant professor of Applied Mathematics in the School of Computing and Data Science.

What courses do you teach?
I teach Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and various levels of Calculus.

How have your interests, research, or experience led you to your field?
I was interested in math early, and I had supportive family members and teachers who encouraged me in my diverse interests (math, physics, music, languages). While I studied physics in college, I had a summer research experience with an energetic professor in biomedical engineering that helped me clarify my interests: understanding the mathematical models behind the dynamics of nonlinear systems. That experience also emphasized my desire to work with students and colleagues across disciplines, both in research and the classroom. I always enjoy finding new ways to use and explain math; exploring other fields helps me make better connections with my students, their interests, and their learning.

Why are you proud to be a woman in 2021?
I recognize that I have an opportunity to be a mentor, colleague, and ally for other women—in STEM and other fields—at Wentworth and elsewhere.

Describe one exciting thing that is happening in your classroom.
Making connections between people and ideas! I get to learn about my students, and they are working together to learn and explore new concepts, calculations, and patterns. I am proud that I can see my students supporting each other and growing as learners within my classroom, in ways that will carry forward through college and beyond.

What is one interesting fact about you?
I also completed a Bachelor's degree in Classics, particularly the Latin and Ancient Greek languages. As a consequence, I will occasionally get distracted by word origins and patterns of speech in conversation.

Share your favorite quote for Women's History Month.
"For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it." - Amanda Gorman

List of recent publications and other accomplishments (2019 - 2021):

  • "Model reconstruction from temporal data for coupled oscillator networks". Mark J. Panaggio, Maria-Veronica Ciocanel, Lauren Lazarus, Chad M. Topaz, and Bin Xu. Chaos 29, 103116 (2019).