Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Media Contact:
Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu
Dr. Nicholas H. Nelsen, a 2018 Oklahoma State University graduate, has quickly emerged as a notable figure
in the fields of computational mathematics and machine learning.
His academic journey, which began with receiving three undergraduate degrees — mechanical engineering and
aerospace engineering from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, and mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences — has led him on a path of success.
Currently an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nelsen’s innovative work is contributing
to advances in both physical sciences and engineering. Next, he is set to join Cornell University as a Klarman Fellow and the University
of Texas-Austin as an assistant professor.
While in Stillwater, Nelsen developed a strong interest in applying mathematical principles
to real-world problems.
“During my undergraduate studies at Oklahoma State University, I got really interested
in the intersection of mathematics applied to the sciences, while still being grounded
in real-world problems,” Nelsen said.
“I wanted to understand these areas more deeply. A significant turning point for me
was a summer I spent interning at Sandia National Laboratories, a government lab operated
by the U.S. Department of Energy, in the Center for Computing Research. I began learning
how to solve the underlying equations governing shallow water flows in the atmosphere,
delving into numerical methods and computer simulation techniques that preserve physically
important quantities.”
Nicholas Nelsen | Photo by Lance Hayashida
After completing his undergraduate studies, Nelsen pursued a master’s degree at Caltech,
where his focus deepened on the mathematical and statistical tools necessary for solving
complex scientific challenges. In 2024, he earned his Ph.D. at Caltech under the supervision
of professor Andrew Stuart.
Nelsen’s doctoral work exploring the mathematical foundations of machine learning
earned two “best thesis” awards — one from the applied mathematics department and
another from the mechanical engineering department. His research centers on high-dimensional
problems and how machine learning algorithms can be reliably applied to physical systems,
such as optimizing airplane wing shapes or enhancing medical imaging techniques.
Nelsen has received multiple prestigious awards, including an NSF Graduate Research
Fellowship, the Amazon AI4Science Fellowship and the SIAM Review SIGEST Award. His
work has consistently been recognized for pushing the boundaries of how computational
methods can solve real-world problems, from predicting weather patterns to improving
the efficiency of quantum chemical calculations.
Looking ahead, Nelsen is set to start his Klarman Fellowship at Cornell University
in 2025. There, he will develop a mathematical and statistical theory for scientific machine learning. In 2026, he will transition to a tenure-track assistant professor position at UT, with a joint appointment in the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and
Sciences and the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. There,
he plans to work with an interdisciplinary group of graduate students, including those from the
Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Ph.D. program, while also teaching
both graduate-level applied mathematics and undergraduate computational engineering courses.
As Nelsen continues to break new ground in computational mathematics and machine learning,
his work promises to have a lasting impact on fields ranging from artificial intelligence
to aerospace engineering. His career reflects a commitment not only to solving scientific
problems but also to pushing the theoretical boundaries that underpin these solutions.
“Nicholas is an excellent example of a well-rounded education that spans college boundaries.
His story underscores the importance of transdisciplinary perspectives and the imperative
to work collaboratively to provide these opportunities for our students. Nicholas’
significant accomplishments in machine learning and the way in which he has engaged
across disciplinary boundaries and institutions speak to the incredible impact he
is having on the field. We are very proud of him and his achievements as a joint product
of two colleges.”
— Dr. Hanchen Huang, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology dean, and Dr.
Melinda Cro, College of Arts and Sciences dean
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
Comments are closed.