Faculty Directory

Burt S. Tilley

Associate Professor

Office: Stratton Hall, 202A
Phone: +1-508-831-6664
Fax: +1-508-831-5824
tilley@wpi.edu

Related Information

• Personal Web site

Educational Background

• B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Lowell, 1988
• B.A., Modern Languages, University of Lowell, 1988
• Ph.D., Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, 1994

Research & Teaching Interests

Mathematical modeling of problems in scientific and engineering applications. Recent examples include unsteady slider bearing motion on a thin liquid film, pattern formation in self-assembly processes in cholesterol crystallization, stability problems in fluid dynamic bearings in hard disk drives. Mathematical content of these problems focus on, but are not limited to, continuum mechanics, nonlinear partial differential equations, and nonlinear differential equations.

Recent Publications

• A. Ortan, V. Quenneville-Belair, B. S. Tilley and J. Townsend, "On Taylor dispersion effects for transient solutions in geothermal heating systems," Int. J. Heat Mass. Trans. 52 5072-5080: (2009).

• Z. Borden, H. Grandjean, A. E. Hosoi, L. Kondic, and B. S. Tilley, "Instabilities and Taylor dispersion in isothermal binary thin liquid films," Phys. Fluids 20 102013 (2008).

• T.M. Segin, L. Kondic, and B.S. Tilley, "Long-wave linear stability theory for two-fluid channel flow including compressibility effects", IMA J. Appl. Math. 71 715-739:   (2006).

• Y.V. Zastavker, J. Crisman, M. Jeunnette, and B.S. Tilley, "Kinetic Sculptures:  A Centerpiece Project Integrated with Mathematics and Physics", Int. J. Eng. Edu. 22 (5)  (2006).

• B..D. Storey, B.S. Tilley, H. Lin and J.G. Santiago, "Electrokinetic instabilities in thin microchannels", Phys. of Fluids, 17018103: (2005).

View detailed list