Yajni Warnapala

Research

Current Research Students

Sam Bielawa Applied Math Major class of 2025
Danielle Vogt Applied Math Major class of 2026.

Grants & Consulting

ROGER WILLIAMS LAW SCHOOL - Consultant on the Project titled: Determinants of passing the RWU RI/MA bar exams on the first attempt. 2009-2011

MICROSOFT (Baptist Group) consultant on the Project titled: Does Microsoft Sales folks help drive the client to upgrade their operating system (windows)? – Seattle, WA. 2011

NASA Project PI for RI Space Grant: The Numerical Solution of the Helmholtz Equation for the Superellipsoid via the Gallerkin Method. Summer 2012

NASA Project PI for RI Space Grant: The Numerical Solution of the Helmholtz Equation for the Superellipsoid via the Modified Gallerkin Method for the Impedance Boundary Value Condition. Summer 2014

EPSCoR - RID Grant: The Numerical Solution of the Helmholtz Equation for the Biconcave Disk (Blood Cell) for the Dirichlet Boundary Condition: Mars Project. Spring 2015

NASA Project PI for RI Space Grant (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research): Numerical Solutions of the Radiosity Equation for the Spherical Quatrefoil and Spherical Rhombus on Mars. Summer 2016-17

NASA Project PI for RI Space Grant (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research): Numerical Solutions of the Radiosity Equation for the Spherical Quatrefoil on Mars. Summer 2017

Other Synergistic Activities

Reviewer for Journal of Student Research and International Journal of Industrial Mathematics

Co-Facilitator for QTLC – Quantitative Teaching and Learning Community.

Team teaching Biostatistics with a colleague in Environmental Science. The course is designed as an interdisciplinary course that bridges statistics and biological phenomenon from the theoretical perspective with the aid of JMP (SAS for Windows) software.

Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) – National Councilor for Mathematics and Computer Science Division - 2011 - 2014.

Professional Associations

American Mathematical Society
Mathematical Association of America

Courses Taught

Biostatistics
Differential Equations
Linear Programming
Engineering Mathematics
Numerical Analysis

2020 Joint Mathematics Meeting

Successful Alumni

Katie Gilbert 

BS Biochemistry/BS Applied Mathematics '22

Kate is pursuing a PhD in Chemstry and and MS in Data Science at Brown University.

Joshua Abston

BS Applied Mathematics, 2021

Joshua has been accepted into the Masters program in Computational Applied Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Gibson Leavitt

BS Environmental Science / Applied Mathematics, 2020

Gibson has been accepted into a Ph.D. program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he will be studying with Alberto Scotti working on turbulent boundary layer modeling. Since graduating in May, he has been working for the US Geological Survey in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, modeling nearshore hydrodynamics and sediment transport.

Cole Foster

BS Engineering / Applied Mathematics, 2020

Cole has not traveled too far as he started his Ph.D. journey at Brown University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has been awarded a full fellowship and will be working in the Laboratory for Engineering Man/Machine Systems  (LEMS) in the area of computer vision. Elizabeth Gilchrist - BS Biology / Applied Mathematics, 2019

Elizabeth Gilchrist

BS Biology / Applied Mathematics, 2019

Elizabeth was awarded a full fellowship to Washington State University, where she is enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Applied Mathematics. She is currently a TA for undergraduate math courses and will begin her research.

Kaia Lindberg

BS Mathematics, 2019

I am working at Liberty Mutual Insurance in Boston, MA in the analytics development program. This one year rotational program includes trainings, 3 3-month rotations, and other projects to build technical, analytical, and strategic skills. I’m currently in my first rotation in Claims Analytics where I’m building an automated Power BI report to monitor productivity and customer satisfaction data for first notice of loss calls. I’m also working on a project analyzing loss frequency trends in Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia and making recommendations to improve profitability in these states.

Tyler Simmons

BS Marine Biology / Applied Mathematics, 2019

Tyler Simmons received his Ph.D from the University of Maryland Institute of Physical Science and Technology Biophysics in May 2024.

Andrew DelSanto

BS Engineering / Applied Mathematics, 2018

Andrew received a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in January 2021. He continued in the Civil  Engineering Ph.D. program with a full fellowship to support his studies. He studied the effect of climate change (frequency and severity) on extreme hydrological events (floods and droughts) using machine learning techniques.

Andrew DelSanto received a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2023. Dr. Andrew DelSanto is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management at Western New England University, MA.

Hien Ngo

BS Applied Mathematics / Biology, 2018

Hein received a full fellowship to Boston University, where she pursued a Masters degree in Mathematics. 

Kangi Chen

BS Biology / Applied Mathematics, 2018

Kangi is in his first year of the Masters degree program in Applied Mathematics at the University of Southern California.

Qiuyang Deng

BS Applied Mathematics, 2017

I am studying at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, learning game theory and optimization. There are two terms for teaching courses and a summer term for writing a dissertation paper. Six courses are required and I chose: Game Theory I, Algorithms and Computation, Continuous Time Optimization, Games of Incomplete Information, Fundamentals of Operational Research, and Mathematical Optimization. My dissertation paper is focused on the game theory with incomplete information, the myopic equilibrium, which is a new equilibrium in Game Theory studied by my supervisor and my working area is primarily to research more applications for this equilibrium. I will graduate with a Masters degree in Operations Research (Linear Programming) in August, 2018.

Jill Resh

BS Applied Mathematics / Graphic Design Communications, 2016

Jill is currently working for the U.S. Census Bureau in Washington, DC.

Hy Dinh

BS Mathematics / BS Mechanical Engineering, 2015

Hy Dinh received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University in 2022. Dr. Hy Dinh is currently in Redwood Materials in Nevada.

Jane Pleskunas (Pellegren)

BS Mathematics, 2011

I graduated from Boston University School of Public Health in May 2015 with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Throughout my graduate school tenure, I had the opportunity to develop my research skills further across a wide variety of topics including examining chronic traumatic encephalopathy exposures in NFL players, exploring a link between latent tuberculosis infection and body mass index values in the United States, as well as publishing a collaborative manuscript in the American Journal of Public Health examining firearm homicide rates in the United States. In addition to academics, I had the opportunity to work at Novartis Vaccines in the department of Global Medical Affairs helping to manage the third party communications to ensure the medical and epidemiologic accuracy. I am a Senior Public Health Epidemiologist at the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families.

Karishma Silva

Transfer, May 2011

Since graduating from the Master's in Science in Economics program at the London School of Economics, I moved to Malawi to work as an Overseas Development Institute Fellow at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. I now work in education policy as a consultant for the World Bank. One of the key projects I'm working on is the Malawi Education Sector Improvement Project, which is a $44.9 million project funded by the Global Partnership for Education. My work mainly focuses on implementation, policy development and impact evaluation.

Elizabeth Morgan (Silva)

BS Mathematics, 2009

My current job title is a Research Scientist II within the NYS Department of Health. I’m working in a Bureau handling the development and oversight of the NYS All Payer Database. This database will contain health care claims data from insurance carriers, health plans, third-party administrators, pharmacy benefit managers, Medicaid and Medicare in order to support research, management, evaluation, and analysis of the NYS health care system (especially in the monitoring of systemic efforts to reduce health care costs, and improve care quality and population health). Because this is a new and developing bureau my role is ever changing. The main focus of my position currently is to perform research, evaluation and analysis of these raw datasets as I work with our team on building a data model synthesizing these data streams to be utilized by other DOH researchers. It also includes responsibility for developing useful reports to consistently provide feedback on the volume, content, and quality of claims data being received from insurers. As this model becomes more defined my role will shift towards researching, developing and testing health care quality measures and provider assessment guidelines for APD dashboard designs which will be maintained by a contractor. 

Student Presentations

2021

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 6 - 9  Virtual

Joshua Abston (Applied Mathematics '21)
"A Computational Investigation of Ionic Transport and Gating due to Electrical Stimulation Treatments"

Emma Dehetre (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '22)
"COVID-19 Pandemic Volterra Integral Equation Model"

Kate Gilbert (Biochemistry/Applied Mathematics '22)
"Infectious Disease Model- COVID-19-Volterra integral Equation"

Kristen Norray (Engineering Spec/Applied Mathematics '21)
"A Mathematical Modeling Approach to Cardiovascular Health and Interventions"

Elizabeth Wexler (Business Management/Mathematics '22)
"Simulations of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Variable Tissue Conductivities"

2020

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 15 - 18  Denver, CO

Matthew D'Amico (Applied Mathematics '20)
"Modified Gakerkin Method for the Wiener-Hopf Integral Equation for a Semi-Inverted Cassini"

Emma Dehetre (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '22)
"Social Determinants of Health: Case Study of 10 U.S. States"

Lance Dengelegi (Applied Mathematics '20)
"Characterizations of string stability with applications to automobile platoons"

Cole Foster (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '20)
"Detecting Underwater Objects through Scattering Theory; the Wiener-Hopf Integral Equation"

Jess Messina (Applied Mathematics '20)
"Developing Stocks Volatility Prediction Model Using Neural Networks"

Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics/Computer Science '20)
"A Mathematical Approach to Assessing tDCS Efficacy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder"

2019

International Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Conference 

July 23 - 27  Berlin, Germany

Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics/Biology '20)
"Mathematical Modeling of Neurostimulation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Migration towards Multiscale Modeling to Assess Neural Response to Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatments"

Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Conference on Neural Engineering (NER) 

March 20 - 23, San Francisco, CA

 Kaia Lindberg (BS Mathematics '19)
"A Computer Based Approach for Modeling the Efficacy of Neurostimulation Therapies on Neural Functioning"

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 18 - 21 Baltimore, MD

Cole Foster (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '20)
"Wiener-Hopf Integral Equation Model: Underwater Applications"

Elizabeth Gilchrist (Biology/Applied Mathematics '19)
"A Computational Approach for Constructing an Intracellular Signaling Pathway Mathematical Model with Applications to Parkinson's Disease"

Kaia Lindberg (Mathematics '19)
"Investigating Cellular-Level Effects of Neurostimulation Therapies with a Partial Differential Equation Based Mathematical Model"

Matthew Rose (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '19)
"Characterizations of string stability of interconnected automobile systems"

Tyler Simmons (Applied Mathematics/Marine Biology '19)
"How Healthy is Rhode Island: Life Satisfaction and Risk Prevention Models"

Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics/Biology '20)
"A Mathematical Approach for Assessing tDCS Efficacy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder"

2018

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 10 - 13 San Diego, CA

Kaia Lindberg (Mathematics '19)
"Computational Simulation of a Partial Differential Equation Based Model of Electrostatic Forces on Neuronal Electrodynamics"

Kangji Chen (Biology/Applied Mathematics '18)
"Evolution of microRNA diversity and regulation: Statistical Modeling"

Andrew DelSanto (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '18)
"Time-Independent Solution of the Poisson-Nerst-Planck System of Equations for Neurological Applications"

Madison Guitard (Engineering/Applied Mathematics '20)
"An Interdisciplinary Approach to Computational Neurostimulation"

Hien Ngo (Applied Mathematics/Biology '18)
"Radiosity Equation Model for an Interior Space Illumination Design; Mars Project"

Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics/Biology '20)
"Quantifying Electromagnetic Properties of Applied Electric Fields on Neural Tissues"

2017

Northeast Regional IDeA Conference (NERIC)

August 16 – 18  Burlington, VT

Kaia Lindberg (Mathematics ‘19) and Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics ’20)
“A Mathematical Model of the Effects of Neurostimulation Treatment on Neuronal Electrodynamics”

Elizabeth Gilchrist (Biology/Applied Mathematics ’19)
“A Computational Approach to Modeling Dopaminergic Neurons with Application to Parkinson’s Disease” 

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Conference (SURF)

July 28 – URI, Rhode Island

Kaia Lindberg (Mathematics ‘19) and Abigail Small (Applied Mathematics/Biology ’20)
“A Mathematical Model of the Effects of Neurostimulation Treatment on Neuronal Electrodynamics”

Elizabeth Gilchrist (Biology/Applied Mathematics ’19)
“A Computational Approach to Modeling Dopaminergic Neurons with Application to Parkinson’s Disease”

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference (BAMM)

May 18 – 20  VCU, Virginia

Madison Guitard (Engineering/Applied Mathematics ’20)
“An Interdisciplinary Approach to Computational Neurostimulation”

Women’s Intellectual Network Research Symposium

March 4  Brown University, Rhode Island

Madison Guitard (Engineering/Applied Mathematics ’20)
“An Interdisciplinary Approach to Computational Neurostimulation”

Amanda Becotte (Mathematics ’17), Ashley Crane (Mathematics ’17), Alexandra Halligan (Mathematics ’17)
“A Mathematical Model for the Effects of Fertilization on Nitrogen Concentrations in Unsaturated Soil on Blueberry Farms”

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 4 – 7  Atlanta, Georgia

Hien Ngo (Applied Mathematics/Biology ’18)
“Numerical Solutions of the Radiosity Equation (Brightness) via the Galerkin Method: Mars Project”

Qiuyang Deng (Applied Mathematics ’17)
“Numerical Solutions of the Radiosity Equation by the Galerkin Method for the Spherical Pyramid (Mars Project)”

2016

Joint Mathematics Meeting (JMM)

January 6 – 9  Seattle, Washington

Jill Resh (Applied Mathematics/Graphic Design Communications ’16)
“The Numerical Solutions of the Helmholtz Equation for the Bloodcell Shape: Mars Project”