New Faculty Members: Donsub Rim & Drew Youngren

Aug 07 2017

Donsub Rim is the new Chu Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics.

He received his B.Sc. in mathematics and B.B.A. in business administration from Yonsei University in 2011, then received his M.Sc in applied mathematics also from Yonsei in 2012. He completed his Ph.D in applied mathematics at the University of Washington, studying uncertainty quantification (UQ) problems arising in tsunami modeling and reduced order models (ROMs) for hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs), under the supervision of Prof. Randall J. LeVeque and Prof. Gunther Uhlmann.

His current research interests are motivated by UQ problems that involve hyperbolic PDEs, such as the probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment (PTHA) problem which aims to estimate the risk of inundation caused by tsunamis at coastal communities. This motivation has led him to explore novel numerical techniques that extract traveling information in the data. He is also interested in inverse problems arising in medical imaging and scattering.

Drew C. Youngren is a new Lecturer in Discipline in Applied Mathematics and he focuses chiefly on undergraduate mathematics education.

He has taught for over ten years a range of courses from general interest statistics through non-Euclidean geometry for mathematics majors. He has focused on developing the calculus sequence, co-authoring interactive modules for NYU’s ”flipped” version of first-semester calculus, and transition courses where students first develop the ideas and techniques of mathematical proof. In addition, he has spearheaded his department’s use of data in assessing learning outcomes for accreditation agencies.

Of particular interest to Youngren is the role of technology, and more specifically computation, in the learning of mathematics. He has participated in grant work to introduce computational work in discrete mathematics and on a larger scale in linear algebra. At Columbia, he will be developing the multivariable calculus curriculum tailored to the needs of engineers and applied scientists where he hopes similarly to infuse technological elements into a classical curriculum.

Youngren received a B.S. in applied mathematics from Columbia University (2000), an M.A. in mathematics from Stony Brook University (2002), a Ph.D. in mathematics from Northwestern University (2006), and an M.A. in mathematics education from New York University (2007).

Stay up-to-date with the Columbia Engineering newsletter

* indicates required