Mathematics and Statistics Research
Explore This Section
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics supports an active group of researchers with interests spanning a broad range. There is a strong emphasis on conducting research of regional significance and on the active involvement of both graduate and undergraduate students.
Faculty members and graduate students are currently conducting research in the areas of bioinformatics, biostatistics, computational biology, computational engineering, financial analytics, forensic statistics, numerical analysis, quantitative genetics, Ramsey theory and statistics.
Faculty Research
Matt Biesecker
Research interests: mathematical modeling, optimization, calculus of variations
Fred Boehm
Research interests: biostatistics, with a focus in statistical genetics
Gemechis Djira
Google Scholar – Gemechis Djira
Research interests: simultaneous inferences, bioassays, longitudinal data analysis, statistical computing, Bayesian analysis, sequential methods
Xijin Ge
Jung-Han Kimn
Google Scholar – Jung-Han Kimn
Research interests: efficient parallel algorithm based on domain decompositions: mathematical analysis and practical implementation
- A convergence theory for an overlapping Schwarz algorithm using discontinuous iterates
- Restricted overlapping balancing domain decomposition methods and restricted coarse problems for the Helmholtz problem
- Numerical implementation of overlapping balancing domain decomposition methods on unstructured meshes
- A numerical approach to space-time finite elements for the wave equation
Semhar Michael
Google Scholar – Semhar Michael
Research interests: computational statistics with a focus on finite mixture modeling and model-based clustering
- Studying complexity of model-based clustering
- Semisupervised model-based clustering with positive and negative constraints
- Recent developments in model-based clustering with applications
Hossein Moradi
Google Scholar – Hossein Moradi
Research interests: big data, dimension reduction and variable selection, functional data analysis, multivariate statistics, spatial and spatiotemporal statistics
- Response envelopes for linear coregionalization models
- New parsimonious multivariate spatial model: Spatial envelope
- A Bayesian multivariate functional model with spatially varying coefficient approach for modeling hurricane track data
- Robust estimation and variable selection in sufficient dimension reduction
Trang Nguyen
Research interests: optimization, optimal control and applications, machine learning and statistical learning
Michael Puthawala
Google Scholar – Michael Puthawala
Research interests:
- Machine learning: manifold learning, geometric learning, universality
- Math/applied math: inverse problems, scientific computing, optimal transport
Chris Saunders
Google Scholar – Chris Saunders
Research interests: forensic inference of source, statistical pattern recognition and approximation theory
Dan Schaal
Research interests: combinatorics, Ramsey theory on the real numbers
Don Vestal
Research interests: number theory and combinatorics (especially Ramsey theory)
Sharon Vestal
Student Research
Graduate Student Research
- Vahid Hosseinzadeh – working with Michael Puthawala
- The intersection of geometric deep learning and power systems stability
- Cole Patten – working with Michael Puthawala and Chris Saunders
- Cole Rausch – working with Michael Puthawala
- Stability of inverses of ReLU activation layers in deep neural networks
Recent Theses and Dissertations
- Emma Brookman (M.S., 2025): Association Between Water Pollution and Other Environmental Factor Exposures with Preterm Births and Potential Subsequent Birth Defects
- Eleanor Cain (M.S., 2025): An Extension of the Spatiotemporal Change of Support Model to Skew-Gaussian Distributions
- Annamarie Dobbs (M.S., 2025): Thinking in Ink: How Notetaking Adapts in a Thinking Classroom
- Nathan Meyer (M.S., 2025): Developing Proportional Hazards Mixture Cure Models and Predicting Risk for Persons With End-Stage Kidney Disease
- Edwin Mutimba (M.S., 2025): Modeling Area Deprivation Index Using Non-Gaussian Fixed Rank Kriging
- Addy Smith (M.S., 2025): Exploring the Role of Clinical and Social Factors in Predicting All-Cause Mortality in End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients: A Machine Learning Framework
- Anthony Glackin (M.S., 2024): Rado Numbers for Two Systems of Linear Equations
- Cole Patten (M.S., 2024): Contrastive Learning, with Application to Forensic Identification of Source
- Cami Fuglsby (Ph.D., 2023): U-Statistics for Characterizing Forensic Sufficiency Studies
- Rachel Bergjord (M.S., 2023): Some 2-Color Rado Numbers For A Linear Equation With A Negative Constant
- Shi Wen Wong (M.S., 2023): A Study of the Local Deep Galerkin Method for the Modified Cahn Hilliard Equation
- Skylar Halverson (M.S., 2022): Totally Multicolored Rado Numbers For the Equation x1 + x2 + x3 + ... + xm-1 = xm
- Stephanie Liebl (M.S., 2022): Using Deep Neural Networks to Analyze Precision Agriculture Data
- Rylee Sundermann (M.S., 2022): Efficient Numerical Optimization for Parallel Dynamic Optimal Power Flow Simulation Using Network Geometry
- Tessa Sundermann (M.S., 2022): The Efficacy of the South Dakota State University Summer Jacks LeaP Program
- Madeline Anne Ausdemore (Ph.D., 2021): Development of a Probabilistic Multiclass Model Selection Algorithm for High-Dimensional and Complex Data
- Nicholas Brown (Ph.D., 2021): Detailing the Connection Between a Family of Polar Graphs and Tremain Equiangular Tight Frames
- Jessie Hendricks (Ph.D., 2021): Development and Properties of the ROC-ABC Bayes Factor for the Quantification of the Weight of Forensic Evidence
- Paul May (Ph.D., 2021): Methods for High-Dimensional Spatial Data: Dimension Reduction and Covariance Approximation
- Rong Zhou (M.S., 2021): Comparison of Software Packages for Detecting Differentially Expressed Genes from Single-Sample Rna-Seq Data
- Abdelbaset Abdalla (Ph.D., 2019): Finite Mixture of Regression Models for Complex Survey Data
- Shaopeng Gu (M.S., 2019): Applying Machine Learning Algorithms for the Analysis of Biological Sequences and Medical Records
- Amanda Jensen (M.S., 2019): Using Social Network Analysis to Examine the Connections within a Noyce Community’s Facebook Group
- Nicholas Stegmeier (M.S., 2019): A Study of Several Applications of Parallel Computing in the Sciences Using PETSC